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Raising a Greyhound Catahoula Mix: What You Need to Know

A Greyhound Catahoula mix is a crossbreed of a Catahoula Leopard and a Greyhound.

This breed has hunting instincts, which makes him a perfect guard dog. However, said characteristic makes the Greyhound Catahoula mix hyperactive because of overflowing energy.

As such, this breed is ideal for households with large areas and family members who have active lifestyles.

Greyhound Catahoula Mix

Behavior and Characteristics of a Greyhound Catahoula Mix

A Greyhound Catahoula mix is a zestful and exuberant dog. The breed enjoys exercising and doing any physical activities to stimulate its brain. Moreover, a Greyhound Catahoula mix is loving and highly protective of his owner.

However, its loyalty comes at a cost. There are times when the dog will act up when left alone because it always needs companionship.

Indeed, you'll get the best of both worlds when you have a Greyhound Catahoula Mix!

Athletic

Greyhound Catahoula mixes are athletic due to the genes that they got from their Greyhound parents.

The American Kennel Club recognized Greyhounds as part of the hound group, which are breeds with fantastic stamina. It's no wonder Greyhound Catahoula mixes are vigorous too!

In fact, you can let them run around for a long period, and they'll never get tired. It also explains why this breed, along with its parents, is perfect for dog sports and agility competitions.

Hyperactive

Considering that the breed is athletic, it’s no surprise that a Greyhound Catahoula Mix is hyperactive.

The key to your dog's happiness is to exhaust its energy at all times. Otherwise, it'll lead to destructive behavior. That’s because the breed tends to do things on its own whenever it experiences boredom.

So, playing with your dog or giving them toys is necessary.

Additionally, you can take your Greyhound Catahoula mix out for a walk. If you want to exercise your dog's body, you can do activities like playing fetch.

There are other fun ways to stimulate your Greyhound Catahoula mix mentally, and it's up to you what approach you'll take.

Furthermore, you can enroll your Greyhound Catahoula mix in obedience and agility training if you don't have the time to train them yourself.

Nonetheless, doing any of these methods keeps your dog mentally stimulated, which leaves little to no room for destructive behavior.

Loyalty

Greyhound Portrait

Greyhound Catahoula mixes are loyal to their owners. When you've established a bond with your dog, he'll follow you wherever you go because he considers you his master.

Herding and hound dogs, like the parents of a Greyhound Catahoula mix, heavily rely on their pack leaders. It’s because back in the day, people trained them to go out in the wild to hunt and work.

If you want a harmonious relationship with your dog, you should let him know that you have dominance over him. Doing so prevents the Greyhound Catahoula Mix from showing problematic behavior because he'll follow you as long as you tell him what to do.

However, your Greyhound Catahoula mix might become problematic if you're a person who often leaves the house. Not being able to accompany them throughout the day can cause separation anxiety.

That's why you should do preventive measures, such as crate training, as early as possible, so they don't develop separation anxiety. On the other hand, you can consider hiring a dog sitter or leaving your canine at a doggy daycare.

Intense Prey-Drive

A Greyhound Catahoula mix isn't aggressive. In fact, this breed is laid-back to the extent that they can hang around with kids.

However, it's inevitable for your Greyhound Catahoula mix to have an intense prey drive due to their hunting instincts.

There may be times when your dog will become fixated on a “prey” whenever you go on a walk. Most of the time, he'll run off on his own or even bark at someone.

If your Greyhound Catahoula mix isn't listening to your commands, then that means his prey drive is active.

It can be hard to deal with this issue because your dog will do anything to satisfy his needs. That said, it's crucial to manage the prey drive of your Greyhound Catahoula mix since you can't eliminate this characteristic.

You'll be able to prevent sudden outbursts through rocket recall and predation substitute training.

Size and Weight of a Greyhound Catahoula Mix

A Greyhound Catahoula mix is a large breed. The dog's size and weight are much similar to its parents.

An adult Greyhound Catahoula mix can weigh anywhere between 50 to 95 pounds, while their height ranges from 20 to 29 inches.

Regarding their appearance, their bodies greatly resemble a Greyhound. They have narrow heads, long yet thin necks, as well as deep chests.

Additionally, they have an S-shaped body, which is quite a unique feature.

Furthermore, they have short and smooth coats. The common coat colors are the following:

  • Black Merle
  • Red Merle
  • Brindle
  • Fawn
  • Blue

Grooming Requirements of a Greyhound Catahoula Mix

Luckily, a Greyhound Catahoula mix doesn’t require lots of grooming. Since they have short coats, you don’t have to take them to a professional groomer.

For this breed, regular brushing will do. It’s necessary because it’s the only way to remove the dead hair from their bodies.

Moreover, bathing them occasionally will prevent foul odor. However, if you take your dog out for walks often, you might have to bathe them at least once a week.

Health of a Greyhound Catahoula Mix

Catahoula Puppy Eating

Like other dog breeds, there are specific health problems that a Greyhound Catahoula mix is prone to.

This breed is prone to hip dysplasia; a disease that significantly affects your dog's joints.

The study of the OFA showed that Greyhounds have a 2.1% chance of developing the said health issue, while Catahoula Leopards have a 22% of developing it. Since hip dysplasia is hereditary, there's a high chance that your Greyhound Catahoula mix will develop it.

Further, a Greyhound Catahoula mix is prone to deafness. Dogs with the merle gene are more susceptible to deafness because of the lack of hair pigment produced in the inner ear.

Lastly, a Greyhound Catahoula mix is also prone to bloating.

According to the AKC, the chest conformation of a dog has something to do with this health issue. Those with deeper chests are more likely to experience bloat.

Even though this isn't hazardous for humans, it's a different case for dogs. Bloating is a medical and surgical emergency as dogs can't release the air and pressure buildup in their stomach.