These dogs are quite muscled and powerful but not overly bulky. The Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog is a medium to large sized dog that has a short coat, a broad head, medium to small ears, and undocked tail. Size, Structure, and General Appearance of the Catahoula Leopard Dog Besides, the Catahoula Cur Breeders Association and the American Catahoula Association work to register and promote the breed’s conformation. To support and represent the breed, the Louisiana Catahoula Cur Association was created in 1976, and the National Association of Louisiana Catahoulas in 1977. They will need ample and early socialization to adjust to the family life and even then they should not be left unsupervised for long. This does not mean that they would not make good house animals. Since these dogs are pure working dogs, they would do better on a farm or ranch instead of living with families. It is a unique and rare dog breed that has an interesting heritage and notable work capability. The service keeps the records for rare dog breeds. However, it is not recognized by the American Kennel Club but is a member of the American Kennel Club’s Foundation Stock Service in 1996. It was the first national dog registry to recognize the breed officially. The dog became the official state dog of Louisiana in 1979 and was officially recognized by the United Kennel Club in 1995. Besides, they are also known for their strong working instincts for treeing, trailing, and scenting wild hogs and other animals. These include deer, bobcat, bear, and boars. The breed was appreciated and valued for its ability to hunt a wide variety of wild animals and games. It is believed that Beauceron, another herding breed, was also used to breed these dogs. These dogs were capable of hunting and taking down the feral hogs and other fierce and wild kinds of cattle and livestock. To tackle and control the situation, they bred the native American dogs with the herding dogs, resulting in a much agile and savvy dog breed. The Louisiana settlers noticed how the forests of the respective state were swamped with wild hogs. These parent breeds are believed to be brought by the Spanish explorers. The actual origins of the breed are still unknown but it is anticipated that the breed is a result of the breedings between local breeds, Mastiffs, sighthounds, red wolves, and Greyhounds. Catahoula Leopard Dog History - How did the Breed Originate?