MyDogBreedsCatahoula Cur is originated from United States but Bisben is originated from India. Both Catahoula Cur and Bisben are having almost same height. Catahoula Cur may weigh 7 kg / 15 pounds lesser than Bisben. Both Catahoula Cur and Bisben has almost same life span. Both Catahoula Cur and Bisben has almost same litter size. Both Catahoula Cur and Bisben requires Low maintenance.
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.
There is a lot of mystery surrounding this large herding dog said to come out of the Himalaya Mountains of Asia. The belief is that sheepdogs were crossed with wolves toward the end of the 18th century, but his origin is basically unknown. They are both herding dogs and guard dogs. Others theorize that rather than a wolf, the breed arose from the Mastif family. Still others claim that the Bisben is not a breed at all but rather a “landrace”. A landrace is an animal group that is only found to exist in the local area or is bred locally for a specific reason, while a breed is developed intentionally and from a select purebred with pedigree. The Bisben may be a landrace since it is very popular in India but hardly known anywhere else. What is known is that the Brisben was in existence at the end of the 1700’s and its job was to protect and herd livestock. There are three main theories about the origin of the Bisben. They are, in no particular order:
1. The Bisben was developed by mixing several different Himalayan and Indian Sheepdogs with wolves. The wolf population in the Himalayas and in India live in very close proximity to dogs and people and this population is quite large. These Tibetan and Indian wolves are known to be smaller, more comfortable with people and less aggressive than wolves from other parts of the world.
2. The Bisben was developed by mixing local sheep herding dogs with the Tibetan Mastiff. This gave the breed its protective nature and its large size according to this theory.
3. The Bisben was developed by mixing local dogs with the ones the British, Portuguese and French imported to the India subcontinent.
There is a fourth theory as well and it combines all three of these, supposing that the Bisben is a product of crossing local dogs with wolves, Tibetan Mastiffs and European dogs.
Regardless of their origins, the Bisben grew into one of the most respected animals in the Southern Himalayas. Their assistance to the shepherds of the area was unquestioned and irreplaceable. They were touch enough to herd flocks of goats or sheep across several treacherous and unstable mountain passes. The environment in which these dogs worked when herding is one of the harshest environments on the face of the earth. Temperatures were dangerously cold, altitudes dangerously high and the terrain just plain dangerous. Many deadly large predators live there as well. This included tigers, Asiatic black bears, golden eagles, Himalayan brown bears, snow leopards, fox, dholes, wolves, and small cats. The Bisben had to be able to fight off all of these predators. In addition to these herding and protecting duties, the Bisben was also known throughout the region as an excellent hunting dog. They are capable to this day of hunting large prey such as antelope or deer. They are equally comfortable hunting alone or in a pack. He has grown into one of the most popular hunting dogs in all of India.
The Himalayas, being so rugged and treacherous, were inaccessible to most of India for many centuries and the Brisben was unknown as well. Through the British imperialist expansion across all of the Indian subcontinent, the lowlands people were connected to the highlands and mountain people for the first time. This also meant that the Brisben was no longer unknown. The entire country began to appreciate the dog for its protection and herding of livestock, as well as a companion animal who would protect its owner and family as well. As India continues to grow the popularity of the Brisben grows as well and its numbers increase regularly. The breed, if it is a breed, remains an Indian secret. They have migrated to the countries around India, but their number are small. It is only in India that they are revered and prosper. They are not present in any great numbers in Europe, North America, Japan, or most of Asia.
Whether or not the Bisben becomes a recognized breed depends upon those who own and fancy them. Most Bisbens are bred to only other Bisbens in an effort to purify the breed. However, few dogs have pedigrees and the practice of breeding the Brisben to other breeds and mixed breed to acquire specific characteristics continues to this day. It is unlikely that the Bisben will ever be a purebred dog. It is quite variable in how it looks depending upon what the breeding line of the individual dog actually is. Does it look like a wolf? Does it look like a larger version of a local or European dog? There will always be these questions around the Bisben. Is it a breed or a landrace?
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.
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.
As mentioned in the previous section the appearance of the Brisban can vary greatly from one dog to another based on the individual dogs’ ancestry. Breed or landrace, the Brisban breeding line is not very pure. Therefore, appearance can vary greatly from what is described here and there is no standard by which to measure the Brisban. Most are distinctly large animals, being as tall as the European mountain dogs – the Newfoundland or the Bernese Mountain Dog, Swiss Mountain Dog. St. Bernard and Great Pyrenees. Reports are that it is perhaps the largest dog in India. At least it is one of the largest dogs in India. The Bisben is said by some to be a large, bulky, husky dog while others claim it to be tall and athletic, leaner than the Mastiff bred. Again, there is disagreement on the size and shape of the Bisben’s head with some claiming it is massively square like a Mastiff while others say the head is long and like that of a wolf not a Mastiff. The long hair of the Bisben and its confusing heritage may be the cause. They are most often black but might also be found to be tricolor, tan and “wolf-color” or brown, grey, shades of sable and black. No matter how it looks, this is a dog that was designed to work in the harshest conditions known and their physical appearance should make that abundantly clear.
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.
The Bisben was so important to the people of the Indian subcontinent because of her temperament. He is a loyal, productive and courageous worker who took care of her flocks, her family and her pack. They are devoted to their family and if raised with children will care for them as well. He is suspicious of strangers. They are territorial and great watchdogs. They can take on any large challenger if need be to protect what they consider to be theirs. They can be highly dog aggressive and must be socialized as a puppy. Do not mix them with strange, unknown animals as the Bisben might attempt to kill them. If he sees them as his “pack” he will love and protect them, but not if he does not know them. Take as much time as you need to introduce him to a new animal and do not leave them unsupervised. They are not easy to train as they are stubborn, intelligent, want to be dominant and is a problem solver. If he doesn’t want to learn something forget it – he won’t. You can still train them. It just takes time and patience.
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.
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 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.
Because he is not a purebred and is probably a land range, there have not been a lot of health studies done and written up on the Brisban. It is believed that the Bisben is for all practical purposes a healthy working dog. As long as the breeding practices are not compromised it should remain a healthy line. It is bred for temperament and work not for appearance and showmanship. Some problems that plague large dogs have been noted in the Bisben. These conditions include hip and elbow dysplasia; optical issues such as Entropion, Ectropion and cataracts; ear infections; and Demadex and Demodectic mange. Most of these conditions can be tested for either in DNA or early in a pup’s life and should be tested for by the breeder before a puppy is sold
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 Bisben is a large working dog that needs a lot of calories if you are keeping him busy. Do not let him get overweight. The Bisben should not be free fed but rather given two controlled portion meals per day.
As previously mentioned, the Bison was developed with the harshest of conditions in mind and long hours of hard work. It is a healthy breed that is however prone to any of the issues that any large dog is prone to including dysplasia and mange and well as optical issues.
The Bisben needs a lot of exercise as the breed is developed for hard work. Walks are essential but if you have more than one dog, pack walks are even better and pack time at the dog park or in a fenced yard is great. The Bison was bred to hunt in packs as well as alone and they love to play in packs. In any respect they need at least an hour of strong exercise daily. If they don’t get enough exercise, they can become aggressive, destructive and fearful. This could result in destructive activity, barking and excess excitability. They are not very happy in the city and thrive in the countryside.