Catahoula History

The Blood Line History of Rancho Santiago Catahoulas

as shared with Dr. Jim  by Winston Beavert Jr., breeder

Winston Beavert, Sr. brought these Catahoula dog blood lines together in Arkansas and along with his son in Oklahoma they have perpetuated the foundation Catahoula blood lines. They have utilized some line breeding of exceptional working and hog hunting Catahoulas and have consistently produced top of the line working Catahoulas that hunt hogs, herd cattle and love people. We hunt some of our Catahoula dogs with our big trailing hounds to pursue bears, and mountain lions.  

"BOSCO"

Diamond B's Bosco is the result of line breeding of cousins that are top of the line hog hunting and cattle herding dogs. Bosco is stout built like his grand sire, Trooper. The stout and muscular Bosco and his sire Trooper are muscular but athletic, agile and can go all day long.

These blood lines go back to foundation Catahoulas of Aubrey Aden's dogs in Mississippi

including Aden’s Genny.

RANCHO SANTIAGO'S LINE UP OF WORKING - BREEDING GYPS (BITCHES)

"Bonnie"	"Zap"	"Emma"

Wild Blue Eyes	Ponchita

Diamond B's Bonnie and Zap are full sister litter mates. These two gyps’ blood lines go back to Aubrey Aden’s Catahoula foundation breeding in Mississippi and to the Morgan and Top Hand foundation blood line Catahoula’s of Betty Ann Eazes stock. Diamond B"s Emma's blood lines also go back to the Aden foundation stock.

Catahoula Dog Breed History 

The foundation of the Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog developed through chance breeding by the Indians who used their "Red Wolf" dogs to locate game. When Hernando Desoto came into Louisiana he brought with him Greyhound and Mastiff "War Dogs". These two types of dogs mixed with the Indian's Red Wolf. The Mastiff type of dog that accompanied DeSoto was probably the dog known as the "Alano Mastiff" of Spain and that type of dog is extinct.

Defeated by the Indians, DeSoto abandoned his War Dogs allowing those dogs to roam freely and interbreed with each other along with the indigenous Red Wolf. The mixed blood dogs were used by the Indians for hunting and became known as the "Wolf Dog." In the early 1700's the French had arrived in Louisiana and interbred their dogs with the Indians' Wolf Dog. These four canines formed the foundation blood stock of the Catahoula of today.

The name "Catahoula" research has established comes from a mispronunciation or slurring of the word "Couthaougoula" which means Choctaw Indian. Today three old main lines of Catahoula dogs remain in existence. The interbreeding of these three main lines is responsible for today's variation in the Catahoulas size, conformation, eye color, and hair coat colors. Ranchers seem to prefer the smaller slighter built conformation while many hunters prefer a dog with heavier larger conformation.

Stories surrounding the Catahoula dog begin around 1850's. Those narratives let us know what a great hunting and companion dog the Catahoula has been for hundreds of years. In the development of the Catahoula dog if a dog did not work or perform and function as needed on the farm or earn its keep that dog was set aside. During the early centuries of improvement these dogs were rigorously culled solely on the basis of their performance leaving only the best of the best Catahoulas remaining to work and reproduce.

What makes the Catahoula such a versatile working, hunting, herding, rescue and companion dog? It is not the distinctive eyes, the unique coat pattern, or even the varied color combinations. What is prized in an excellent Catahoula is a dog that works and is "Worth his salt." Because we want to keep the Catahoulas performance traits alive and thriving, Catahoula breeders do not want to see the Catahoula decline as some of the other groups of hunting/working dogs whose original purpose has been undermined and weakened because recent breeders have strayed from their dog's foundation ideals by producing puppies to meet some unrealistic show ring dog standards.

CATAHOULA EYE COLOR, HAIR COAT COLOR AND PATTERNS

Amber eyes	"Cracked" (2 colors) eye and Amber eye

Two "cracked" eyes	Note: a baby puppy's eye color is not stable until after 6 weeks of age ... the color may change.

Glass or Blue eyes