Catahoula Leopard Dog?

[Erica]

Sooo little Miss Marble, at my best guess, is a Catahoula Leopard Dog (Catahoula Cur) mix.

For one, her looks:

Marble

This site has some pictures of Catahoula Curs.

For another, her behavior when playing. She does normal playing - snarly face, wrestling, chasing and toy-stealing - but she also likes to go for Opal's legs a LOT, and will often chase Opal into her kennel, then keep her there for a while! Pretty fun to watch...and Catahoula Curs were bred to corner big creatures and keep them there until the hunters get there. She's also superbly intelligent.

Her feet are incredibly webbed as well - I'd get pictures, but she's not that patient. Webbed feet were bred into Catahoula Curs so that they could hunt in marshes easily.

She also climbs all over the place, and apparently Catahoulas like to climb trees (!!!).

I guess I'm wondering if anyone has any opinions on her breed, or have known any Catahoulas at all - they're a really awesome breed, it seems like.

[Wes]

Looks like could definitely be Catahoula, or at least some. The one my friend owns is a bit lankier with a more tapered snout. Coat more like a pit bull's, but I have heard they can have a range of coat types.

And yes, hers does climb trees.

[Erica]

Yeah, since they're a working sort of "breed" rather than a show breed, they come in a wider range of...everything. xD Some of them are more hound-looking, some look even pointer-ish.

Haha, I told my sister about the tree-climbing thing and she told Marble: "If you start climbing trees, you're on your own, because I won't help you back down!"

[Suzette]

Yep, I can see the Catahoula in her. Lovely dogs and your Marble is just so beautiful!

[smokeyandme]

From what I have read, Catahoulas can be prone to barking and hard to train.
We got a Catahoula from a rescue group. The guy said he had been returned from 2 different homes. We went to see the dog, and he seemed very sweet. The rescue guy showed us how well he walked on a leash, and played with toys. I knew nothing about the breed. After a while, the dog looked at me, and then ran over to me and put his head on my shoulder. SOLD!
Since then, he has been very, very good, and very rarely barks. He is awesome at the dog park. Four days ago he played with a dog that was contolled by an invisible fence. I was a little concerned that he might run off, but he didn't. He always looks for his invisble fence buddy, when we walk by his house
I'm no dog trainer, but he seems to be just about perfect. When he wants attention, he grabs something like a magazine and prances around until one of takes it away.
Catahoulas were bred to herd wild hogs. I love watching him chase and corral other dogs. He enjoys playing with other dogs, of any size, although he tends toward dogs who are bigger.
My husband I feel very lucky to have been chosen by this beautiful, sweet, loving dog, who was returned by 2 other potential owners.

[Erica]

I think it might be the training methods used that makes Catahoulas barky and "hard to train." Marble's so food-motivated I can get her to do almost anything quite easily. She'd work for scraps of cardboard and paper, to be honest! (Obviously though we use actual proper treats - carrots, meat, store-bought soft treats, cheese, etc.) A couple days ago, she got a fright from something, and whenever I gave her the "touch my hand" cue she would start barking at me...so I'm giving that cue a rest...but she is awesomely motivated and easy to train with the clicker! If she were completely mine I'd be thinking about obedience with her - she's not the normal type, probably a bit over-energetic, but she would be good at that stare-at-your-face kind of thing. She's intense when she's in training mode!

But I agree! Catahoulas are great. Your dog sounds much like Marble - she too, has an I.F. friend she likes to play with (though I doubt this is a breed trait so much as coincidence ), likes to pick things up in her mouth, and tries to "herd" Opal and Indie (I.F. friend) while they're playing.

[smokeyandme]

Our last dog, Smokey, was a terrific dog. He was half greyhound, half pitbull. He had to be put to sleep before he was 4 years old, because he developed a neurological condition that the vets could not fix. It broke our hearts!
A few days later, my husband said he wanted another dog. I said I did too. We now have Eastwood, who is a Catahoula Leopard Dog. He is the light of my life. I know that we will miss him terribly when he's gone. In the meantime, we are totally in love with him and feel greatful that we found each other.

[smokeyandme]

Maybe SOMEDAY I will be able to post a picture of Eastwood. He is exceptionally good looking.
Perhaps I'm a LITTLE proud of how handsome he is.
Cross your fingers, I may post a picture.

[Erica]

I would love to see a picture of Eastwood!