The Catahoula "hog dog" is an American Dog used specifically to herd the wild pigs and drive them into the pens during the annual wild pig "roundups" in Louisiana. Legend has it that the dogs were originally brought in by DeSoto as attack dogs used against the native Indians and then abandoned when the Spaniards left. This original strain was most likely mastiff.

Traditionally the breed has been used as a herding breed but it also does an admirable job of trailing and it is thought that local hounds and members of the native American tribes were mixed in to the genetic pool at some point. The result is a dog with a "coat of many colors", ranging from leopard spots to merle to black and tan and everything in between, often with each eye being a different color. The coat is short and dense, the tail long, the ears are a natural lop. The name Catahoula comes from the Catahoula Parish, a place in Northeast Louisiana.

These strange appearing dogs don't always "herd" in the normal sense of the word. Often the dog will way-lay a single hog, challenging it to attack. The enraged hog will scream and give warning cries to other hogs, who will emerge from the woods to join the fray. When the hogs come after him, the dog will then turn and run into the waiting pens, leading the hogs in this manner rather than herding from the rear. The modern Catahoula is still used in this manner and also will work well with cattle as well. He is a tough dog, the largest of the cattle dogs, combining an aggressive nature with persistence and agility. Fearlessness and courage are both traits which are necessary when working with stock and wild hogs. The Catahoula also can use its scenting capabilities to seek out and find the wild stock in the woods. This dog is strong willed and yet a willing worker when it comes to rounding up the wild stock and generally helping the local people with hunting also.

There is no registry which has accepted this dog as a true "breed". There are a number of "curs" bred for specific abilities and used in most parts of the southern United states for herding, hunting and as family pets. The Catahoula is a member of this particular family of dogs, most of whom descended from stock brought to this country by the Spanish and the French and interbred with the local Indian dogs. There is some archaeological data to suggest that there was a native dog which existed with the Indian tribes long before the arrival of the white man to this continent. It is thought that this feral native dog played a large part in the development of the Catahoula breed.

The Catahoula Leopard Dog can be a great family pet combining loyalty and affection with a strong guarding ability and protective instinct as well. However, it has a mind of its own and is not for everyone. The dog must be taught obedience and the owner must be the pack leader or the "alpha" member of the partnership. These dogs are not city dogs, they need a job to do to be at their best and when given such a job will be loyal, intelligent and persistent.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Animals.