An eye is considered cracked when two different colors appear within the same eye. They may have two different colored eyes, or may have "cracked" eyes. The eyes can be blue(also called glass), green, brown or amber. This fully webbed foot enables the Catahoula to work soft marshy areas where wild boar often live very easily, and aids them in being great swimmers. Most dogs have a webbing between their toes, but, the web of a Catahoula is very prominent and extends almost to the end of the toes. Males should stand 22-26 inches at the withers and weigh between 65 and 90 lbs. A female should stand 20-24 inches at the withers, and weigh between 50 and 65 lbs. The Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog is a medium to medium-large sized dog that is well muscled, very intelligent and is capable of performing a wide variety of tasks. Well known actors, Paul Newman and Sylvester Stallone have both owned catahoulas.
In 1979, Governor Edwin Edwards signed a bill making the Catahoula the official state dog of Louisiana in recognition of their importance in the history of the region. Long had an interest in the breed and collected them. In the early 1900s, Teddy Roosevelt used the Catahoula when hunting. The story goes that they would each sleep with a Catahoula at their feet. Jim Bowie and his brother Rezin Bowie, who spent a large portion of their childhood in Catahoula Parish, are reported to have owned a pair of Catahoulas. Some well known folks who have owned catahoulas are: or a French transformation of the Choctaw word for their own nation, 'Couthaougoula' pronounced 'Coot-ha-oo-goo-la'.(Don Abney) Today in Louisiana, there is a parish (county) called Catahoula which also claims to be the origin of the breed name. The word 'Catahoula' is actually a combination of two Choctaw Indian words 'okhata', meaning lake, and 'hullo', meaning beloved. in the 16th century (great danes, mastiff, greyhounds) a French herding dog called the beauceron and red wolves. The history of the catahoula is still debated amongst the experts, but the story most often told is that they are descended from the war dogs the Spanish brought to the U.S. The reply catahoulas, usually results in a blank stare, and sometimes in a "catta-whata"? My stock reply to this is that they are the state dog of Louisiana, due to a lack of a more creative reply on my part. I get asked all of the time what kind of dog they are whenever I'm out and about. I am owned by two catahoula leopard dogs, both of whom work for me as my service dogs.