NATIONAL ASSOCIATION of the LOUISIANA CATAHOULA Standard of the LOUISIANA CATAHOULA LEOPARD DOG

GENERAL

The Catahoula is a medium to medium large dog; well‑muscled, yet trim; powerful. but denoting agility and great endurance.

HEAD

The head should be powerfully built with a broad top‑skull and well developed cheeks. The muzzle should be strong and deep and approximately equal in length to the top‑skull as measured from the stop to the occiput bone. The muzzle should be broad at the base and taper towards the nose when viewed firm the front. The stop should be moderate in length and well defined..

BITE

The bite should be a strong scissor bite, with a level bite being acceptable.

SERIOUS FAULTS Overshot or undershot bites

EARS

The ears should be short to medium in length with the top of the ear being set level or slightly below the top of the head. Properly hung ears, with the inner edge of the ear lying close to the cheek, are to tee preferred. 'Laid‑back' ears are acceptable.

FAULTS

Fly‑away, houndish, or cropped ears are to be penalized

EYES

Glass eyes are preferred although the eyes may be of any color or combination of colors. The eyes do not have to be the same color. FAULTS : Malformed or acentric pupils.

FORE ASSEMBLY

The length of foreleg should be 50‑60% of the total height of the dog as measured from the ground to the top of the withers. The neck should be muscular and of good length. The shoulders should be well laid back with a upper arm bone of ample length. The forelegs should be set moderately far apart and the front feet should toe neither in nor out.

CHEST, BODY AND BACK

The chest should be deep reaching below the elbow. The chest should be fairly broad with well‑sprung ribs. The back should be well muscled, level and of medium length. The underline should have a tuck‑up in the loin area to a moderate degree.

REAR ASSEMBLY

The croup should be medium to long in length and slightly sloping with the tail having a medium to high set. The stifles should be well angulated and the hocks should be set low to the ground. The hocks should turn neither in nor out when viewed from the rear. FAULTS Bobtail

FEET

The feet should be strong and moderate in length. Good webbing between the toes should be evident. Dew claws may be present or removed, but If present should be uniform FAULTS : Cat‑footed (up on tip-toes ); Coonfooted (standing on Heels)

COAT LENGTH

The coat should be short to medium in length, Disqualification’s: Long and / or fuzzy coats.

COAT COLOR

Leopards are to be preferred and may come in blue/gray/ black/liver/red/white and patched. Trim may be black/white/tan/red/buff. Solid colors acceptable are black, brindle, red, chocolate and yellow.

SIZE

Females should measure 20‑24 Inches at the top of the withers. Males should measure 22‑26 Inches at the top of the withers. In both sexes, the medium of the extremes is to be preferred. FAULTS: animals being either undersize or oversize with the severity off the penalty being based upon the degree of non-conformity.

The written description depicts the ideal Louisiana Catahoula. Any deviation from the described ideal will be judged accordingly and in proportion to the deviation

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