Catahoula Cur vs Belgian Shepherd Dog (Groenendael) - Breed Comparison

The Catahoula Cur is also known as the Catahoula Leopard Dog or the Louisiana Catahoula. The dog hails from Louisiana, United States.

It is thought that the Catahoula Cur or Catahoula Hound as it is also known, used to be a hunting dog. The first settlers in Louisiana needed a strong dog to help them with hunting wild hogs and they bred their dogs with other dogs belonging to the locals. This gave them a strong, resilient dog that could take on the wild hogs and also protect their livestock.

Dogs who have no doubt been brought into the mix to produce the Catahoula Cur are mastiffs, Beaucerons, sighthounds and wolves.They are today more commonly referred to as Catahoula Leopard Dogs.

Looking much like a pitch black German Shepherd dog, the Belgian Shepherd is a beautiful looking dog. Their roots go back to the 1800s to Groenendael, Belgium. This is where they were bred by a certain Nicolas Rose in 1910. The Groenendael is one of four different Belgian Sheepdog varieties but the Groenendael is sometimes treated as a distinct breed.

They have always been used for their intelligence, serving for instance in the police force and being message carriers in war situations. Originally, Belgian Shepherds were used to herd livestock. It was in 1911 that the Groenendael was registered in the United States, and not much later the first Belgian Sheepdog Club of America formed. The breed was recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC) in 1912.

There are varying sizes for Catahoulas and a typical height is 51–66cm and weighing anything from 18 – 51kg. These Cathoula Cur’s come in different colors too, but the leopard-like coat is a dominant feature with this dog.

While there are solid colors, you can expect red- and blue merle, grey-, black, patchwork and brindle too.

The length of the coat varies somewhat too and while the coat is essentially short and smooth, there are Catahoulas where the coat is a little longer and more coarse.

The eyes of the Catahoula Cur are another interesting feature and both eyes can be the same color, but in some instances the one eye can be brown while the other could be blue, green or gray.   The ears of the Catahoula Cur are medium in size and are floppy, dropping down close to the head.

Temperament:

The Catahoula Cur is an intelligent dog and also active and full of sports. You can’t call this dog aggressive, but merely assertive, being strong-willed. He is also affectionate and loyal, loving to spend time with his human family.

He makes a wonderful family pet, complete with children as well as other pets in the home, more so when he has been trained and socialized. These dogs are bright and alert and they also make excellent watch dogs. People who have owned a Catahoula Cur will tell you that these are wonderful pets, full of life and personality.

Large, Strong and Well Proportioned

With his alert, bright brown eyes, the Groenendael, referred to often as the Belgian Sheepdog, has erect ears with a long, feathered tail. The straight, strong legs are also feathered. He is well proportioned, athletic and strong. He has a dense double coat, and this working dog’s coat is black, but you sometimes find some small white markings around his paws and muzzle. The size of the Groenendael is roughly 60-66cm at the withers with the females sometimes being slightly smaller. The weight of the dog is roughly 25–30 kilograms.

He’s a Social Dog who Craves Companionship

The Groenendael is an active, intelligent breed and training and socializing will be necessary to ensure he knows how to behave around his human family. He is a big, social dog and won’t do well when left alone day after day in the back yard. In fact he may even show signs of separation anxiety if you leave him indefinitely. He makes for an excellent family dog, just loving their companionship and he becomes very protective of them.

An Intelligent, Alert Breed

He is used to making use of his intelligence and therefore he will need mental stimulation as opposed to lying around all day. He gets on well with adults, children and other pets, but he needs to grow up with children and not be put among children when he is already an adult. He is loyal and loving to his human family, forming a deep bond, especially with just one member of the family.

Catahoula dogs are the kind of dogs that make perfect family pets as they are all rounders. They’ve got characteristics that everybody wants in a dog. They are naturally protective, even they are not described as aggressive dogs. With training and socialization they get on well with children as well as other pets in the home. He is alert and territorial, which makes him a good watchdog, more so because he doesn’t particularly like strangers.

Intelligent and independent, training makes him wonderfully obedient and relaxed. However, give him the chance for ball games and a walk, and he is more than ready.

He is used to being a guard- and hunting dog, and this makes him an active, energetic dog. You will need to give him plenty of activities if you don’t want this amicable dog becoming anxious, frustrated and destructive.

Exercise him well, provide him with nourishing, top quality food together with fresh water and shower him with the love and attention he deserves as a family member. You’ll also join the ranks of Catahoula Cur owners who want to tell others about what an awesome pet he makes.

Your Belgian Shepherd is an intelligent, active, loyal companion for you. He is highly intelligent too, and will need the right owner who can meet his energetic needs. He therefore wouldn’t do well with in a small place where the owners are couch potatoes. He is a working dog and will require being kept busy.

Provide him with good food, look after that thick, lustrous coat of his, provide him with a warm, dry place to sleep and plenty of exercise, love and attention and he will turn out to be the wonderful pet that makes him such a popular breed.

When you buy a Catahoula Cur, you can know that your pet is going to be fairly healthy, however there will be some common health issues to look out for, and by knowing about these health concerns, you can be better prepared.

Typical Infections:

Your Catahoula Cur will be susceptible to some bacterial and viral infections which can be life threatening for him if he gets them. Some of these are parvo, distemper and rabies. That is why it is important to have your pet vaccinated, which can start at about 8 weeks of age for a puppy.

Obesity:

Obesity is a world-wide problem with humans and with their pets and it can open up a whole lot of problems with your pet’s health that he otherwise might not have got. It can play havoc with your pet’s digestion, and it can cause joint problems too.

It can be so tempting to pop a sweet treat into your pet’s mouth because you love him so much, but get to know what foods can actually be hazardous for him.

The Belgian Groenendael is a healthy, strong breed with no major health problems and with an average lifespan of 12-14 years.

As with every dog breed, there will be some health issues to be aware of. Skin allergies, epilepsy, eye problems and hip- and joint dysplasia are some areas to look out for

Dental disease for instance, is a common problem with pets, and your Belgian Shepherd can have serious problems with their teeth. Tartar build-up on the teeth ca take you down a trail of infections and gum disease. If you don’t want to make use of a special canine toothbrush and toothpaste, your vet will do it for you.

Your Groenendael will also be susceptible to ticks, fleas and bacterial and viral infections. As a puppy of 6 – 8 weeks, vaccinations for parvo, rabies, and distemper will be necessary. You’ll also need to be generally watching your pet’s health and to get him to the vet when he shows signs of being run-down and ill.

Grooming:

Your Catahoula Cur isn’t a high maintenance dog and a good brushing 2 times a week will keep his leopard coat looking shiny and free of loose hairs.

Catahoula’s have good teeth, and you want to keep them that way by brushing them at least 2 or 3 times a week to prevent dental decay and a host of other medical issues.

The Groenendael has a double coat and because it is also fairly long, his black coat may well be high maintenance and brushing every 2nd day will be necessary to keep the coat unmatted and to also get rid of those loose hairs. In fact, heavy shedding is part of this breed’s life and while heavy shedding happens twice a year, light shedding continues throughout the year. Sometimes is may be necessary to send him to a dog grooming parlour to snip his hair and to wash it.

Other care routines to watch for -

A healthy, quality diet it absolutely imperative. Speak to your vet about the best kind of wet- or dry food suited to an energetic breed like this and appropriate to his age. You need to include raw meat into your pets diet every day now and then to avoid skin problems. Always ensure a bowl of clean, cool water is available, The bowl will need to be washed out every other day.

make sure his ears are cleaned. Once again you have to be careful when prodding in a dog’s ear and your veterinarian will show you how.

keep him well exercised with long walks and ball games.