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Posted by	Topic subject: Need fast advice on Catahoula
Lucky Member Posts: 48 From: Registered: Jun 2003	posted 08-28-2003 02:54 PM Hi, My friend just fell in love with a Catahoula puppy at the shelter. She lives in a townhouse with two small kids and no fenced yard. She's not a really experienced dog owner. The family will care deeply for their dog and take really good care of it. They just fell totally in love! Does this sound like an okay match up? I've never met a Catahoula! IP: Logged
Maisey Member Posts: 309 From:Portland, Oregon US Registered: Feb 2003	posted 08-28-2003 03:57 PM Hi Lucky, I don't like to be a wet blanket..... but probably not. If the puppy is a Catahoula...and not a mix that looks like one(which happens alot), she should really do some research on the breed first. For that matter she should do that no matter what breed she chooses. Catahoulas are herding/hunting/working dogs, they require alot of excercise, mental and physical. They are very very smart, and if not given a "job" to do they will come up with their own, which usually turns out to be something destructive. Catahoulas generally need an owner who is experienced. Having said all of that...if she is an active person, a jogger or something where her dog will be excercising everyday, or someone who will take him out to run and play every day without fail for an hour or more,will get involved in agility, flyball...something like that. If she will be willing to take obedience classes and learn how to tackle problems. It may work for her. What usually happens is people get the cute little puppy, he is so colorful and cuddly, they are not prepared for how big it is going to get, how destructive it can be when it is not paid attention to, how protective it becomes and how much time and money he is going to cost them. Catahoulas are often dumped in shelters because of all those reasons, people don't understand they are bred to work, bred to think independently and they have incredibly high prey drive. This means they may chase cats, or anything else that runs or moves quickly. Small children become something to herd ( a job), and may get knocked down as with any large breed dog or puppy. I'll post some links below for your friend to check out, a couple will be for message boards for Catahoula owners, she can ask questions there and get answers from a variety of people who all know the Catahoula dog and it's characteristics. I don't know your friend so it's hard to say how she feels about adopting a dog...how much commitment that means to her, her lifestyle, how busy she is already with her kids etc. I love the Catahoula breed and it fits my lifestyle and personality very well, thats not so for everyone, not even alot of people. Anyhow research research and then she can decide for herself. Smiles, Maisey One last thing to think about...If the pup is a Catahoula and it has alot of white on it, especially around the head, be aware that eye problems, and deafness are a possibility. Catahoulas with excessive white on the head are often deaf and dumped because of it. Catahoula Rescue Message board: http://members5.boardhost.com/catahoularescue/ Catahoula Message Board http://members5.boardhost.com/CatsCradle/index.html?1049307213 Catahoula Cur Message Board http://www.catahoulaleopard.com/forum/index.html Breeder...this site has pictures that show catahoulas being trained to bay hogs, it's one of my favorite breeders with beautiful examples of quality dogs. http://members.tripod.com/~EDcatahoulas/ Catahoula E-zine http://www.catahoulaleopard.com/zine.htm Don Abney's site, he has written a very good book on the breed, is a respected trainer and breeder. http://www.donabney.com/ About the breed http://www.catahoulaleopard.com/homepg.htm http://www.ameridogs.com/BreedCatahoula.htm breeder http://www.cowhousecatahoulas.com/ IP: Logged
Lucky Member Posts: 48 From: Registered: Jun 2003	posted 08-28-2003 04:37 PM Thanks, Maisy. You are awesome! I'll pass on the information and hope she doesn't do this on impulse. I'll have her double check to see if it's a mix. IP: Logged
Maisey Member Posts: 309 From:Portland, Oregon US Registered: Feb 2003	posted 08-28-2003 04:59 PM Alot of mixes resemble Catahoulas...usually if people see the leopard/merle coat pattern or blue eyes they stick that label on them. Aussie mixes are commonly mistaken for Catahoulas. Heres the thing....even if it is an aussie mix, she is still looking at a herding type dog and it will have the same needs. Don't get me wrong, Catahoulas are awesome dogs, they are loyal, loving, comical, smart as all get out, they are good with children when raised with them and protective of their families. They can be couch potatos too...but usually only after you have let them run their butts off for a long while. They are used for service dogs, therapy work etc...but those are dogs that someone spends alot of time with. I just would hate to see her get the pup and then be overwhelmed having not understood what they need and ending up with a miserable dog as well. If she researches it and decides thats the kind of dog she wants and she can make that kind of commitment, then she would be rewarded with one heck of a dog. IP: Logged
fleafly Member Posts: 123 From:sheridan, wy Registered: Aug 2003	posted 08-28-2003 06:12 PM I had never heard of Catahoulas until my mom got one. He is a very smart, sweet, loving dog. They require a lot of attention and exercise. They also need training. They are so smart that they need to be trained, or they get into a lot of mischief. I love her dog and think he is great. Catahoulas can be inbreed, as was another dog my mom had. Some breeders try to breed them for certain colors etc... and create inbreeding. My mom had one that was severely inbreed and not very healthy or intelligent. On the whole I think Catahoulas are great dogs. They are also very protective of their owners. Just make sure this one is a healthy dog and a good match for the family. IP: Logged
Maisey Member Posts: 309 From:Portland, Oregon US Registered: Feb 2003	posted 08-28-2003 11:29 PM I can't make comment on inbreeding, I don't know, but I do know that when breeders breed two merle dogs in an attempt to get colored dogs...you get excessive white dogs which are often deaf, blind, and may have other problems. This is not only in the Catahoula breed, but in Great Danes, Aussies, and other breeds where the merle gene is present. People like pretty colored dogs with pretty blue eyes, breeders who are more interested in making money than improving on the breed contribute to the problem as well as people who just plain don't know what they are doing. Sometimes these dogs are adopted out to unsuspecting homes, only to cause heart break later when the problems develope. Thats why I mentioned it in my earlier post...I am not saying that this is the case here, just trying to give her heads up, and make sure she is aware of the possibility. Are you gonna post a picture of your moms dog yet??? lol I wanna see! IP: Logged

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