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BREED
HISTORY
The origin of the Catahoula is believed to have begun with the dogs brought to
North America by the Spanish explorer Hernando De Soto in 1539 . These dogs were
mastiffs and grey hounds. It is thought that these dogs inter-bred with the red
wolf local to Louisiana at that time. Some think that the French settlers of
Louisiana later added Beaucheron to the mix and either the red wolf or the
Beaucheron is responsible for the occurrence of the "leopard" coat pattern and
blue eyes in the breed. In 1979 Governor Edwin Edwards signed a bill making the
Louisiana Catahoula Leopard dog the official state dog of Louisiana.
BREED TRAITS
Catahoulas are loyal to their people and protective of their property. They are
a highly intelligent but independent minded breed. The breed’s origin as a
multi-purpose hunting and herding dog required them to be assertive. These dogs
have traditionally been used for hunting feral hogs, coons, deer, bear and
squirrels. They are also used as herding and stock dogs, to gather and pen
cattle. They are a very versatile breed. Today Catahoulas can be found doing
multiple tasks including Search and Rescue and competing in dog sports such as
obedience, agility and flyball.
A Catahoula requires consistent obedience training from a young age. Catahoulas
also require lots of exercise and interaction with their owner. A Catahoula, if
given the exercise and attention it demands, is a joy to own. If they are left
on their own without adequate exercise, they quickly become bored and
destructive to property. They are not the right breed for a first time dog
owner. They require an experienced and patient owner who keeps interest and has
the time to put into raising a pup to its full potential. Obedience training
from a young age is essential.
PUPPY POLICY
At Evangeline Catahoulas we stand behind the dogs we breed. We will take back
any dog we breed at any time for any reason. This includes a refund of the
original purchase price of the pup.
We aspire to breed quality pups, not quantity pups. We care about the new homes
our pups are going to. Our policy is also to sell based on us having the right
of first refusal if a pup is to be re-homed by a purchaser. This means that if
you buy an Evangeline Catahoulas pup and decide to sell or re-home it later,
Evangeline Catahoulas has the right to exercise the option to purchase the pup
back at the original sale price.
Puppies are whelped and raised indoors to provide the opportunity for maximum
socialization. All puppy sales will be based on a contract which will be legally
enforced. We have the best of intentions for any pups we breed and we expect new
owners to abide by any agreements they have committed to.
Final puppy selection may not be completed prior to the litter reaching six
weeks of age. This is in order to give us the opportunity to evaluate the litter
regarding temperament, conformation, working ability and any special
considerations and to place the pup in an appropriate home. Evangeline
Catahoulas reserves the right to withhold any pup from sale to a new home for
any reason. A one hundred dollar deposit is required to be put on the waiting
list. This deposit is fully refundable if you decide that no puppy meets your
requirements.
All pups will be guaranteed to be in good physical health as determined by our
veterinarian. All pups will have undergone age appropriate worming and
vaccinations.
