The settlers were stunned to see swamps teeming with wild hogs and “strange-looking” native dogs with “haunting glass eyes,” but were even more intrigued by the intuitive man/canine dynamics on display as dogs tracked, herded, surrounded, and trapped the hogs until their humans arrived to complete the endeavor. They too romped in the swamp, interbred, and further complicated Catahoula genetics.Īfter circa three hundred swampy years of animal husbandry au naturel, French settlers arrived, bringing their own herding watchdogs, Beaucerons, to season the genetic gumbo. Local tribes gladly added de Soto’s abandoned dogs to their hunting packs. After de Soto died, his relieved men vamoosed after butchering some hogs, giving some to the Indians, and letting the rest of their piggy band escape to multiply relentlessly in the swamps. The pork was to feed the Spaniards the greyhounds and mastiffs, called “war dogs,” were to attack Native Americans and intimidate them into surrendering and coughing up coffers of gold. An addition of new genetic juice arrived when Spanish dogs, hogs, and conquistador Hernando de Soto and his minions marched into what would become Catahoula Parish. It was believed that native dogs, including Catahoulas, interbred with red wolves to produce “wolf dogs,” but current DNA analysis says no and reveals genetic links to domesticated European and Asian dogs brought with the migrating prehistoric ancestors of Native Americans hoping their dogs would make this strange new place feel like home. The breed is indigenous to the state, sharing its mystique its bloodlines are a gumbo of rich ingredients spiced by conflicting theories and maybe a pinch of voodoo. The Catahoula’s billing as Louisiana’s top dog is fitting. When his breed was renamed and made Louisiana’s state dog in 1979, I grieved for him again.

In less idyllic moments, he leveled a garage door to join an Easter egg hunt, tossed a venomous snake in front of my father’s face, repeatedly ripped my jeans in playful tussles, and joyfully chased cars, his cause of death. We played hide and seek, climbed trees, swung in hammocks, and ran in pastures he purged of feral hogs. Growing up in a rural area with no neighboring children, I had a dog as my playmate-and what a dog! A Catahoula Hog Dog (now dubbed the Catahoula Leopard Dog), Pogo was my loyal, brilliant, mischievous buddy.

Catahoula webbed feet