Catahoulas - the next pit bull?

[OveroHunter]

I recently adopted the sweetest goofball Catahoula Cur and love him to death. There isn’t a mean bone in his lazy body.

Recently Catahoulas have been in the news because a female supposedly Catahoula attacked and killed a 2 month old baby in Michigan. The breed is fairly rare and many people have never heard of them and therefore know nothing of the breed except for what they read online. Most of the news channels have been describing them as fierce boar hunters that don’t tend to do well in a family setting.

A few months ago I joined the largest public Catahoula Facebook group I could find. Yesterday they had to make the group secret out of fear that news sources would pull the pictures we posted in the group to use as stock pictures for the breed in their stories about the attack since they don’t have a picture of the actual dog that did the mauling.

The whole thing just makes me sick. The news is painting the entire breed as an aggressive breed based on this one dog.

[Horsegal984]

Um. I love Catahoula but the breed as a whole is closer to the fierce boar hunter who doesn’t do well in a family setting than to your lazy couch dog. With that said however, they typically are not aggressive dogs, just smart, independent working dogs who need a job. They demand an attentive and experienced owner to be well adjusted members of society.

Many people have crossed them with bully breeds in order to try and get a “better” boar dog so I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that was the case here, since typically these breeders would be ok with more “questionable” temperaments.

[OveroHunter]

From the stories I have been told about my dog’s previous owners, they actually attempted to train him on boars but he was terrified of them. I don’t know much, but he came from a breeder in FL who bred them specifically for hunting and my guy just didn’t pan out. He’s 8 now so that would have been years ago.

It’s just a shame that they are all being painted in this light. Any breed can be aggressive in the wrong hands.

[Gestalt]

I agree that any dog, regardless of breed, can be aggressive. But I can be attacked by a pack of Chihuahuas and not only live to tell the take, I would come out the victor in such a fight. A pack or even one of the bigger breeds and I would be in serious trouble.

Large, aggressive dog breeds can and do maim and kill.

[Casey09]

A number of breeds have killed young infants because they are prey-like. No dog should ever be left alone with a young child or infant, and extreme care and careful supervision needs to be in place for when a dog and infant are together.
I found a Catahoula mix and kept him for about 6 weeks until he could go into rescue. He was a really nice dog. They are working animals and may not all be couch potatoes, but people need to realize that if they are going to get a dog and then have a baby, it is going to be hard work and require constant supervision and baby gates to lessen the risk of problems. It is much easier to hold off on getting a dog until the kids are older. I hear so many people saying that they can’t possibly supervise and just need a dog that is totally trustworthy and put up with anything. The right breed for that is a stuffed animal.

[RacetrackReject]

[QUOTE=Gestalt;7618180]
I agree that any dog, regardless of breed, can be aggressive. But I can be attacked by a pack of Chihuahuas and not only live to tell the take, I would come out the victor in such a fight. A pack or even one of the bigger breeds and I would be in serious trouble.

Large, aggressive dog breeds can and do maim and kill.[/QUOTE]

Yes. My vet tech friends say that the worse biters at their clinics are ACDs and Chihuahuas. Not to mention cats!

[Mosey_2003]

The cattle dog types seem to be exploding in popularity. Locally I know personally a couple people that have one or more and see quite a few out and about. The problem with these dogs being popular as pets is that they’re working dogs, and on the whole they seem pretty intense. Any time you take a working dog and don’t expect it to work much you hear about problems; a few years ago it was everyone wanting a Border Collie and having stuff in their homes destroyed.

It comes down to people need to be more realistic and thoughtful when they get a dog. I’d dearly love a Doberman or German Shepherd, but I’m at work a minimum of 8 hours a day and my parents are becoming elderly. Thus, we have a lazy Cocker. I’m not surprised that the Catahoula did it (I am sorry it happened, obviously) but I think it’s a bit much to call them the new Pit Bull. Or that they’re being attacked and misunderstood. They’re intense working breeds.

[Casey09]

[QUOTE=Gestalt;7618180]
I agree that any dog, regardless of breed, can be aggressive. But I can be attacked by a pack of Chihuahuas and not only live to tell the take, I would come out the victor in such a fight. A pack or even one of the bigger breeds and I would be in serious trouble.

Large, aggressive dog breeds can and do maim and kill.[/QUOTE]

Even tiny dogs have killed 2 month old infants.
I do agree that large dogs are stronger and more powerful than smaller ones and are a much bigger responsibility. I have large dogs and I take it very seriously, because I know that a larger dog is a bigger risk than a smaller one. I love big dogs, though. I love working breeds because the relationship you have with the dog is hard to explain, but it is just very different than the relationship I’ve had with non-working breeds. It is hard to explain and not something that everyone wants, but I think that preserving working breeds in the right homes is important.

[Rudy]

An opportunistic predator kills tiny easy prey when larger predator is not around…who knew that could happen?

.

[HorsefaceDee]

I have a rescue scottie that is more unpredictable than any pitty type breed I know. It’s so true…the owner makes the dog. he is leaps and bounds better than when I got him over a year ago but he still can’t be around high energy dogs. He gets so snappy!

[Belmont]

[QUOTE=RacetrackReject;7618187]
Yes. My vet tech friends say that the worse biters at their clinics are ACDs and Chihuahuas. Not to mention cats![/QUOTE]

Ugh. I would take a snappy Chi over a cat anyday. I HATE working on cats. Some of the most aggressive dogs we get in are ACD, Chi’s, and Chow’s. Again, I would take all of those over a freaking cat any day. Your most docile house cat will generally turn into the freaking devil as soon as you take it into the vet. Today, a “sweet, docile” house cat jumped at our vets face while he was just doing his exam. There was absolutely no warning the thing was turning evil. It took three of us, a towel, and a kitty muzzle to give it a quick injection with a tiny needle.

Back on topic, I don’t think Catahoula’s are the next pit bull. I don’t think you need to close a group because of a “media fear”. Catahoula’s are working dogs. They are generally working machines and need stimulation, but they can also be great family dogs. We only have three left after getting out of our breeding operation. Catahoula’s are different dogs though. They are ridiculously smart, have great work ethic, and are hard headed. I think any dog can attack a baby and kill it. I’m sure you can google “German Shepherd/Rotty/St. Bernard/etc attacked and killed a baby/toddler/docile neighborhood animal”. It happens because usually the people are dumb. We had a dog that was very attached to my mom, as a kid, and would try to bite at me. My mom took the dog to the clinic after it’s “third strike” and euthanized it. It’s people that are USUALLY the problem in 90% of the cases, including pits.

I also think people don’t know enough about Catahoula’s to label them, and I think the phase will just drop off eventually because of that. It’s very sad that happened, but I’m guessing it was the humans fault.

There are bad egg’s in every breed and stupid people to enable those bad eggs.

[Megaladon]

The problem is that people get dogs that are not well suited to their ability and handling skills. Throw in cluelessness and inappropriate environment and you have a recipe for disaster.

[Roxyllsk]

I have been watching a situation escalate since Christmas. Family got an older puppy from the pound as a Christmas gift for their children.

They crate the dog most of the time, he doesn’t get anywhere near enough exercise, and they have not worked with the dog at all.

The kids initially walked the dog, but then doggie realized that he could go wherever he wanted and just drag the kid along. So he did. Down the front steps, across the street, everywhere and anywhere. Kid gave up walking the dog, so now doggie gets walked less and less. He always had a nipping problem, and now last week this dog went after a neighbor kid. When the mom intervened, the dog bit her. Quite badly.

I blame this behavior on the family. They have done nothing to work with the dogs behavior, and they don’t give the dog enough exercise. Several of us have been trying to help them. But there is ‘no money’ and ‘no time’ to get the dog to a trainer.

The dog is going to pay the consequences for this.

(Dog is a ridgeback/pit mix. Not what I would consider an ideal family dog for a townhouse with kids and no yard.)

[CHT]

We have a catahoula who is 11 this year. She is an awesome dog, but she is kept busy with me all day and has the farm to hunt on (she hunts pocket gophers). Our vet says she is the only nice catahoula she has met…she figures most just aren’t kept busy enough to stay happy/sane. I would not have a Catahoula if we lived in the city or if we didn’t have time to get her out and about…but then I would say the same about our nutty Australian Sheppard who just showed up lat year…

I think people need to buy dogs with their lifestyle in mind.

[Roxyllsk]

[QUOTE=CHT;7619127]
I think people need to buy dogs with their lifestyle in mind.[/QUOTE]

I agree, but most people don’t do this. I see it a lot in my neighborhood. Townhouses, no fenced yards, dogs must be walked on leash. People get high energy dogs and don’t get them enough exercise.

[shiningwizard255]

[QUOTE=CHT;7619127]

I think people need to buy dogs with their lifestyle in mind.[/QUOTE]

Hear, hear! I learned this first hand when my mother – who otherwise hates animals – decided she just had to have a dog. My mother is not even a little bit athletic and works a full-time job. Naturally, a West Highland White Terrier puppy was the ideal dog for her and that’s exactly what she got :rolleyes: The dog gets little exercise and is generally high strung and annoying to be around. He is an adult now, and can be snappy and has bitten her. But he’s just so cuuuute!! :rolleyes: She also refuses to neuter him because she’s convinced he’s going to kick the bucket from the anesthesia.

[Horsegal984]

[QUOTE=CHT;7619127]
I think people need to buy dogs with their lifestyle in mind.[/QUOTE]

This in spades! Even coming from the genius who lived in an apartment with two ACDs! However they were my running partners, worked at the barn and trained in agility. My first one we got my accident (pound puppy, were NOT familiar with the breed. I wouldn’t consider the Border Collie next to her because we didnt need a high every dog in an apartment!). Since then I have fallen in love with the breed and now not only love them but foster for a breed specific rescue.

Even with my foster dogs I actually discourage people from wanting to adopt them, just by describing what life is like with my gang. It’s hard though, because people see mine acting as the model citizens I groom and exhaust them to be and assume they’re all like that.

[clarzoo]

Catahoula’s are pretty common around here where boar hunting is a common weekend past time. Pit/Cat mixes are popular ‘hog dog’ crosses. They are working dogs and I used to use two pure catahoula’s to help me herd cattle off horse back. These were rank range cattle, brahma crosses mostly, not nice Angus cattle. The dogs did their job well. I now work at an animal sanctuary and we have one fantastic cat/pit mix who is a complete snuggle bug, but he spends all day outside running with other dogs.

The ones I have met haven’t tended to be as prone to dog aggression like pits because hunters/breeders tend to run them in packs and it isn’t tolerated. Love the colors they come in. I could see where their working drive could become ‘aggression’ if it isn’t channeled into an appropriate activity.

[mzm_farm]

Who would have thunk?! ACD - dog bred to herd cattle by nipping (nipping cattle = pretty good bite to tender human flesh), should somehow have a tendency to be nippy and active. Just beyond amazing. Don’t people do ANY research prior to buying/adopting them? They are not stuffed animals!
I feel really bad for both dogs and owners as they clearly are so unhappy with each other.

I do not know much about Catahoulas, but based on coloring alone, I can see them falling into “so cute I have to have it” category by the general “genious” wisdom.

Trouble is, there is not a breed of dog that is purposefully bred to do nothing, ie ideal pet. Oh, wait, there are Leonbergers, if you are willing to have your place carpeted in orange fur daily. They are pretty much like giant stuffed animals, as a breed.

[Kat_Renee]

Catahoula’s are very popular down here (state dog and all that…). I’m sure, just like any breed, can be dangerous in the wrong hands. All of the ones I’ve met are nice.

A lot of people mistake my pup for a Catahoula mix because of his coloring. He gets his coloring from his Aussie mother