Catahoula Leopard Dog & Pitbull Mix: Pitahoula Breed Information | Canine Journal (2024)

The Catahoula Pitbull mix is a rare and relatively new designer dog whose popularity has just started to take off. Many dog owners now opting for something a little different from the usual family favorites such as the Labrador. Lesser-known breeds, such as the Catahoula Leopard Dog, are becoming more popular.

The Catahoula is quite an intense breed, so when it’s mixed with the American Pitbull Terrier, the end result can be a somewhat more adaptable and affectionate mix. While he is not suited to every family home, there is something very special about this mixed-breed pup.

If you are active and an experienced and strong-willed dog owner, this breed can make an awesome canine companion. So, let’s take a closer look to see if the Catahoula Pitbull mixed breed pup is the perfect canine companion for you and your lifestyle.

Parent Breeds

To fully understand a designer dog and what genes he can expect to inherit, it is vital to learn a little about his parents. The Pitahoula may inherit any combination of genes and characteristics, so you need to be sure that you are comfortable with all of them.

Catahoula Leopard Dog

This dog is less well-known compared to the Pitbull. That is unless you live in Louisiana, where the breed is their state dog. In fact, this breed is named after the largest natural freshwater lake in the state. He is a mixture of what is believed to be Spanish Mastiffs, Bloodhounds, and Greyhounds. The breed was brought to the area by Spanish travelers in the 16th Century.

Also known as the hog dog, his original profession was to hunt wild boar in the swamps of South Eastern America. Farmers were so impressed by his prowess that he became a popular ranch hand. In packs, they employ their unique herding skill of creating a canine fence around stock to enable their master to direct them.

The hardworking Catahoula Leopard Dog is described as loyal, independent, and watchful. He makes a hard-working canine colleague. He is also known to make a great family pet for the right family. However, he needs a strict and firm leader who understands the pack mentality. Otherwise, he is known to become unruly.

American Pitbull Terrier

The Pitbull Terrier is more well-known than the Catahoula. With that comes his unfair reputation of being vicious. However, a well-trained Pitbull is the complete opposite of this myth. This unfair reputation stems from his forced participation in blood sports.

Thankfully, after these cruel sports were outlawed, he also became employed as a ranch hand and became the Cowboy’s favorite colleague. Since our love, and education, have increased and improved for this popular breed, he is also commonly used as a therapy dog simply because of his loving nature and adoration for humans.

The Pitbull Terrier is described as smart, confident, and good-natured. The breed makes an excellent family addition, even for those with small children, which is why he is known as the nanny dog.

He needs an outlet for his energy and needs to be placed with an active family who can spend most of their day with him. Pitbulls do not like to be left alone for long periods. Designer Pitbulls have become quite popular, with many other popular pitbull terrier mixes. The more popular ones include the Labrabull, the Pitsky, the Beaglebull, and the Corgi Pit.

Catahoula Pitbull Mix

The combination of the above dogs results in the Catahoula Pitbull mix. If you are curious about what to expect or have never seen one before, then be sure to head over to Bullitt’s Instagram page, where his parents describe him as half crazy and half lazy. Pitahoulas are becoming one of the more popular Catahoula mixes.

The Catahoula Pitbull is a designer dog, and as such, there’s no breed standard. This guide focuses on what you can typically expect from this mix, but it is important to understand and research each parent breed thoroughly. You should be prepared to expect your Catahoula Pitbull to inherit any characteristics of either parent.

Temperament

The Pitahoula is not for the first time or a timid dog owner. He needs to be placed into a family that understands dogs and is willing to establish a pack mentality in the family. If this is not established, this pup will not do well. Not only will he challenge you as a pack leader, but it can lead to behavioral issues.

While this instinct will be somewhat diluted thanks to the Pitbull genes, this characteristic needs to be treated as though he were a pure Catahoula. However, once this is established, he will thoroughly adore his master and the entire family and do anything to please you.

This pup has a lot of physical and mental energy that he will need to expel. He should be placed with an active family who can commit to a lot of interaction, playtime, and cuddles. Nothing would make this dog happier than having a job to do with his owner, making him an ideal ranch hand. Once he has burnt off his energy, he is known to enjoy calmness in the home. This mix will happily lay by your feet in front of the fire.

Thanks to his Pitbull parent, he is very affectionate and constantly craves your attention and praise. For this reason, he can be a very intense canine. If you enjoy intense dogs, then look no further than this pup. On the other hand, if you like your space, then you should consider another mixed breed!

Size & Appearance

Dependent on the size of his parents, the Catahoula Pitbull can weigh between 40 and 85 pounds. He will measure between 18 and 23 inches in height. The Catahoula also carries the heterochromia gene, whereby his eyes are different colors, or they can even be a mixture of colors in the same eye.

His intense energy and boisterous nature when playing outside of the home means that he can be quite forceful and strong. His owners need to be prepared for this. While he is calm and gentle with children inside the home, small children should be supervised at all times simply because of his size.

Coat & Colors

This mixed breed is strikingly stunning. He’ll certainly turn heads even just for his coloring! He will inherit any combination of his parent’s colors. In fact, most Pitahoulas look completely different from one another, even when coming from the same litter!

The Pitbull comes in red, blue, white, and just about any color except merle. So this means there’s a good chance your pup could come with any of these colors incorporated into their coat patterns. It’s possible you can have a straight red-coated dog, or your Pitahoula could be completely blue or white.

The Catahoula comes in all different shades of merle. This means you can expect absolutely any color or markings with this pup. Because of their Catahoula parent’s spotted markings, it’s possible that your pup could pull in any normal base color from their Pitbull parent, with some merled spots.

Exercise & Living Conditions

The Catahoula Pitbull mix will need a lot of exercise. You must be able to commit to at least 60 to 90 minutes of vigorous exercise every day. Otherwise, he will become very restless and destructive. Quite simply, if you cannot commit to this, then he is not the breed for you.

If you can, he will return his gratitude by being the best four-legged friend you’ll ever have. He is also perfectly suited to families with younger children despite his size. You’ll almost always find him favoring the young ones for cuddles on the sofa.

Because of his potentially large size and energy, Pitahoulas are better suited to a larger home with access to a reinforced backyard. He will need access to fresh air as he’ll get cabin fever easily. These pups hate to be locked up for hours on end. Because he can be very protective of his family, you’ll need to ensure that your backyard is reinforced. If not, you’ll risk him escaping if he feels danger on the perimeter.

Training

This is one of the main sections that you’ll need to focus your attention on. Training this mix can be a challenge. Firstly, early socialization is key. You should introduce him to as many dogs and other animals of all shapes and sizes as possible, as well as other humans.

Walking him on the sidewalk at all times of the day will ensure that he becomes accustomed to other leashed dogs and noisy vehicles. Enrolling him in a puppy obedience class would be very helpful. Not only will your dog then get used to other pups, but you can set the rules from day one.

He needs a strong-willed master who will be committed to his training. This means being very consistent because if he sniffs any weakness, he will take advantage of this. Not only do you need to be strong-willed, but you also need to be physically strong. This mix is also strong, and for this reason, it is advised to leash train him from an early age.

Positive enforcement training is also important because he will react in self-defense to any mistreatment. Plenty of verbal praise and small treats will keep him encouraged. Because of his intelligence, he will be eager to please and pick up basic commands quickly. You should also ensure that if you plan to crate train, you find a crate for Pitbull breeds, and the same goes for training with a harness.

Health

The Catahoula Pitbull mix is a relatively healthy dog. It’s estimated that he will live for a healthy 10 to 16 years. As with any dog, the Catahoula Pitbull mix can be prone to any canine health concerns, particularly the ones that affect his parents. Here’s a list of the following concerns to be aware of:

Hip Dysplasia

This is a common concern in most canines. It’s caused by an abnormal formation of the hip joints. Over time the continuous grinding of the poorly fitting joint socket will result in painful arthritis as he grows older. For this reason, it is important to feed him the size and age-appropriate food, for these will have the correct levels of calcium and phosphorus, which affects his bone growth.

Deafness

Merle-coated dogs are more prone to deafness, be that unilateral or bilateral. The Pitahoula inherits this health risk from his Catahoula parent, who is more prone to deafness than other dogs. Even if his coat is not merle, he could still be a carrier of the gene. It’s important to ask breeders for relevant health certificates when possible.

Skin Allergies

The Pitbull parent is prone to skin allergies. This means it’s likely that the Catahoula Pitbull mix could experience skin problems at some point during his lifetime. Common allergens are grass, mites, and nutritional ingredients such as chicken or grains. If he has dry, itchy, or hot spots, then be sure to take him to your Veterinarian to investigate the root cause.

Nutrition

Nutrition is unique to every dog. It depends on the dog’s size and energy levels. A good estimate for most Pitahoulas are that they will consume between 2 ½ to 3 ½ cups of food every day. Of course, if the dog is being utilized to hunt wild boars or herd cattle, he will be at the higher end of this scale. If your pup prefers the comfort of the sofa then they’ll need much less.

Because of his lean and muscular body, he will require high-quality kibble that is high in protein. He will need enough energy to keep him sustained throughout the day. Be sure to feed him age-appropriate food. It’s possible his kibble might affect his potential skin allergies. Be sure to ask your veterinarian if you have any questions about tailored advice in regard to his nutritional needs.

Grooming

The Catahoula Pitbull mix has a double coat but is very short and smooth. This mix sheds slightly less compared to other dogs. He will require a brush once a week, but this is more to keep his hair shiny and looking healthy. His coat is not long enough to tangle.

He will require a bath once every few months as he is a relatively clean dog. Of course, if he is a working dog or he likes to roll in muck or mud, then you may need to bathe him more frequently. Overall though, this mix has lower maintenance grooming requirements, so if that’s important to you, just know that the Pitahoula’s shedding, nail trimming, and bathing needs are all easy to handle compared to other dogs.

Puppies & Breeders

Because the Catahoula Pitbull mix is a very new and rare breed, there is little information about puppy costs. You are just as likely to find one at a shelter or rescue than from a breeder. However, as they are not particularly in demand compared to other designer dogs, they will not be terribly expensive.

As previously mentioned, these dogs are quite rare. If you are dead set on adopting a puppy, you’ll likely need to invest a lot of time, and potential traveling, to find the perfect breeder. It is still important to remember to work with a reputable breeder.If available, ask to see health certificates, as well as see both pups and parents.

If you are struggling to find a breeder, then be sure to speak to Catahoula breeders and Pitbull breeders, as they might know of a reputable breeder for this particular mix. Be prepared when talking to purebred breeders; they may not respond well to someone looking for a “designer dog” unless it’s a rescue pup.

Rescues & Shelters

Rescuing a dog is one of the best things you can do. Being a Pittie mix, you can be sure that there will be one of these pups in a rescue shelter somewhere. Because he is rarer you might find that it will take you longer to find him compared to other breeds. The Catahoula Rescue website lists all the adoptable Catahoula Leopard dogs per state, and there are plenty of Catahoula mixes listed, so feel free to start there if you are open to rescuing.

As Family Pets

• The Catahoula Pitbull mix needs to be placed with an experienced pack leader.
• This dog is very active and needs a firm yet gentle hand with training.
• He enjoys snuggles with his human pack after a hard or fun day’s work.
• This breed should be socialized very early.
• This mix can be quite protective of its pack.
• The Pitahoula mix is an active pup.
• They don’t like to be left alone for long periods of time.
• He needs to be placed with a very active family.
• You’ll need to commit to 60 minutes of daily exercise.
• Because of their protective nature, they should always be leashed when in public.
• You’ll also want to make sure your yard is enclosed so that they can’t escape.
• Early training and socialization is very important with this mix.

Final Thoughts

The Catahoula Pitbull mix is a feisty pup who adores his family very much. Pitahoulas are quite happy being with being worked till sundown and cuddled until the morning. It is important to be firm with this mix, but once pack hierarchy is established this stunning pup is playful and protective of his family, and also very fun to be around, and you’ll soon begin to wonder why you didn’t welcome him into your life sooner!