Catahoula Bulldog - History

History

The Catahoula Bulldog has been around for over 100 years, for the most part in the southern United States. It is reported that ranchers wanted a dual-purpose dog for herding and catching hogs as well as for hunting American Black Bear. While the Catahoula Leopard was very skilled at luring a hog to a pen then escaping over the back of the pen, it was not large or rugged enough by itself to catch a hog. The American Bulldog had the extra size, weight, and strong jaw as well as being an excellent catch dog, while the Catahoula Leopard had the intelligence, speed, endurance and the instincts of hunting and herding.

The result in combining the two breeds was a large, more-rugged, and more-intelligent dog with increased skills in hunting and herding.

In 1951, Mr. Stodghill of the Animal Research Foundation began registration of Catahoula Bulldogs. In 1960, Howard Carnathan contacted Mr. Stodghill writing, "I needed a dog that would be a companion and protector to my children and home yet also was in need of a dog that would help with the farming duties. The mixture of the Catahoula Bulldog fit my purpose exactly." In 1962 Bart Perry of Midlothian, Texas had been active in raising the American Bulldog. In 1968 he became the first ARF Certified Breeder of Catahoula Bulldogs.

The Catahoula Bulldog is but one of a number of niche breeds in development, which also include the Olde English Bulldogge, the Dorset Olde Tyme Bulldogge, the Olde Boston Bulldogge, the Mallorquin Bulldog, and the Buldogue Campiero.