Australian Sheperds in Catahoulas???

[HogRipper]

We have been having this discussion on another board about where the bob tails and longer hair catahoulas came from. I've heard the theory that cattle farmers made the cross of the catahoula and AS and that is where these two traits come from. It makes since with both dogs having similar traits like hearding instincts, glass eyes, similar sizes, and even similar colors with some dogs. Of course it also makes since that AS in the dogs would make them easier to teach to drive cattle and not bark instead of baying up cattle which I believe is the catahoulas natural instinct.

Has anyone else heard this theory or know if there is any truth to it? I've hunted with a longer haired, bob-tailed catahoula that was supposed to be pure. I've also seen several at catahoula breeders kennels.

I know people have AS in various other breeds of hog dogs and it was done intentional because of the AS grit, decreased range for short range hunters, and some feel they are easy dogs to handle (personally I prefer Border Collies for cow and sheep dogs).

Hog Ripper

[EJ]

Never thought of that! .... I guess some AS could have snuck in somewhere .... thus a genetic "throwback" ever so many generations .....

[Buzzer]

aha! that explains that picture i saw one time of a long haired catahoula... some one posted on a board a while back.... that makes sence

ok who did it?

[HogRipper]

thus a genetic "throwback" ever so many generations

That is my thinking exactly EJ. One that I saw at a catahoula breeders place was long haired but the owner could account for like 5 generations back and never had one appear before. Then all of a sudden one appears. The breeder was very repitable and there was no way another dog could have got into there kennels. Plus it was only one dog out of a litter.

[catNplottman]

As far as the bob tail,,I have never had an AS litter that had natural bob tails..I know the florida cur and mountain curs have natural bobs..I once wrote to Mr Mcduffie who is foundation breeder of Leopard curs and found that though leopards are merled like catahoulas they have differences such as leopards can have thick med length coat and catahoulas have thin tight skinned coats.But in my catahoulas,I have 2 sisters that one is thin tight and one has thicker coat..HAs anyone ever had cathoulas born with natural bob tails?

[Shanedog]

The "Smithfield" is another dog with a natural "1/2" tail.
They have been used quite a bit here as a x in pig dogs.
They were origonally a dog breed for working stock.

[vikingpimp]

nt true at all longer hair ctas just have more of the recessive genes of there wolf heritage in them.and catahoulas born with no tails about 90% of the time are not true bobs what happens in cats is there tails get wrapped in there ammbilacel cords and the mothers chew them off itsc a cat flaw