Breeds / Large
Catahoula Leopard Dog puppies
A driven American working dog bred for wild cattle and hogs, watchful and physically bold, devoted to its own people and demanding of both work and space.
The facts
- Size class Large
- Country of origin United States
- Adult weight 22.7 to 43.1 kg
- Adult weight in pounds 50 to 95 lb
- Adult height 56 to 61 cm
- Energy level Very high
- Grooming Low
- Coat type Short smooth
- Typical lifespan 10 to 14 years
- Good with children Fine with supervision
- Good with other dogs Fine with supervision
Where these come from:
- akc.org for adult weight and height, life expectancy, energy, grooming and the temperament ratings, coat type, country of origin and health notes
About the Catahoula Leopard Dog
The Catahoula Leopard Dog comes out of Louisiana, where settlers crossed local dogs with hounds and herding stock to make an animal that could work half wild cattle and hogs in swamp and heavy timber. It is a large, athletic dog of 22.7 to 43.1 kg with a short coat, often patterned in merle, and pale glass eyes that catch people off guard. Temperament follows the job: serious, watchful, physically brave, and tightly attached to its own people.
This is one of the highest drive breeds on any list. It needs land, a job and daily hard exercise, and it does badly in a flat or left in a garden. Grooming is nothing more than a weekly brush and regular nail trims. It suits an experienced, active, rural owner and it is a poor first dog. The mistake new owners make is treating it as a family pet with a walk attached, at which point the digging, chewing and boundary testing start.
What to expect at eight weeks
At eight weeks a Catahoula Leopard Dog puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A large breed puppy at eight weeks looks deceptively normal sized and will roughly double every few weeks for a while. Keep exercise short and low impact, the growth plates are wide open. This is a very high energy breed. The mistake owners make is trying to tire it out physically. Training, scentwork and puzzles will do more than distance ever will. Grooming is straightforward, but start handling the coat, feet and ears in week one anyway so it is never a fight later. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything it meets calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of its life.
Health worth knowing about
Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.
- Hip dysplasia, screened by hip evaluation of breeding stock
- Congenital deafness, detectable by BAER testing, more common in dogs from merle to merle breedings
- Inherited eye disease, including the small or malformed eyes seen in double merles, screened by an ophthalmologist evaluation
- Skin problems and sunburn on thin or heavily white coated dogs, which need shade and vet review of any persistent irritation
From Catahoula Leopard Dog breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/catahoula-leopard-dog/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.
Your Catahoula Leopard Dog puppy's first six months
- Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
- Worming and parasite schedule.
- Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Large for a Catahoula Leopard Dog.
- Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 22.7 to 43.1 kg adult range.
- Puppy names and the first week checklist.
Other large breeds
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Not veterinary advice. Breed information is general. Your own dog, and your own vet, always win.