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Can Catahoulas Hunt Birds, Ducks, etc.? (Answered)

Having questions about a dog being able to hunt a bird is not something you come across every day. However, Catahoula is not just any dog as it has a long history of association with hunting. They are even known as rescue dogs.

Hence, let us move on to know all the interesting facts of a Catahoula.

Can Catahoulas hunt birds, ducks, etc.?

Catahoula dogs can hunt birds. That is because they have a strong sense of smell and they do not give the bird any time to realize that they are prey. So, the birds do not run or try to escape. However, you must train your dog before serious hunting purposes.

Can Catahoulas duck hunt?

The shape of the paw of a Catahoula gives it the edge to walk more comfortably in muddy places. Besides, Catahoula dogs are great swimmers. Both characteristics work in favor of hunting ducks since ducks are mostly found in ponds or muddy places.

As a result, Catahoula dogs are successful in hunting ducks.

Can Catahoulas hunt birds? Are Catahoulas good bird dogs?

Catahoula dogs can hunt birds that walk on fields. Their physical structure complements them to be great hunters. They are fast and they have an incredible sense of smell. As a result, hunting is not difficult for them.

You can undoubtedly rely on them for hunting a bird. Before getting to the point of whether a Catahoula dog is a bird dog, let me explain to you what a bird dog is. A bird dog is also known as a pointing dog.

The purpose of bird dogs is in finding games as in pointing out the prey from a hunch. As a Catahoula dog has an excellent sense of smell it is safe to say that it falls under bird dog criteria.

Are Catahoulas good hunting dogs?

Undoubtedly, Catahoula dogs are good hunting dogs. Anyone who has an idea about this dog would second my statement. That is because this fine work of nature has impeccable speed and a sense of tracking smell.

Believe it or not, they can hunt, chase, smell, persuade until they get what they want. Catahoula dogs do not only hunt or prey on small things like birds or ducks they can also take over animals like deer, bears, mountain lions, raccoons, and squirrels.

Therefore, we all can agree with the fact that Catahoula dogs are good hunting dogs.

Even though Catahoula dogs are an excellent choice for hunting they are great family dogs too. How they will turn out depends on how you will train them.

What do Catahoula dogs hunt?

Even though today’s question is about birds, Catahoula dogs can hunt many more species than just birds. They are as follow:

Squirrel:

We know that squirrels can climb trees. Therefore, hunting a squirrel isn’t particularly easy. However, Catahoula dogs are experts at treeing.

Treeing is the method where dogs bark up the tree in which the prey climbed. The barking makes the prey nervous, and it starts to move. As a result, the hunter can see it again and shoot.

Hence, even if the squirrel on which you have your eyes climbs a tree with the help of a Catahoula dog you can find it.

Deer:

Deers are very nervous as creatures.  They start moving immediately once they hear a sound or even have the slightest idea of anything being around. However, Catahoula dogs are very good at being extremely silent.

They can lead the hunter to deer with their impeccable sense of tracking through smell. The rest depends on how well you can shoot.

Mountain lions:

They are pretty fast runners, chasing them down isn’t an easy job. The good news is the Catahoula dogs are excellent bay dogs as well. If anyone trains a Catahoula dog into a bay dog, they will not feel disappointed.

A bay dog is one that you can train to chase your prey away from its group to a safe place. This is how when your prey is alone in a place, it gets easier to shoot it. However, the success of the entire process depends on the quality of your dog’s training.

How do Catahoulas hunt?

Believe it or not, the hunting style of a Catahoula dog is distinct and impressive. A herd of animals does not make them nervous or disoriented. As I have mentioned before they are bay dogs, they bark around a herd.

After that, they separate the prey from its herd and chase it until they take it somewhere quiet and it’s totally alone. When the prey is alone at a place the hunter shoots and the hunt is successful. This method is very useful while hunting a boar or deer.

Again, animals that can climb on a tree or fly to it are also very easy to hunt with the assistance of Catahoula dogs. Catahoula dogs are not only bay dogs, they are treeing experts as well. If the prey gets on a tree their meticulous radar will instantly find the tree on which the prey is.

Afterward, they keep on barking at the tree until the prey gets nervous and tries to move. Whenever the prey does that, the hunter does his job. This is the nature of them.

However, all of it depends on how you train your Catahoula. A Catahoula is not a by-born hunter dog you must train it to be one. As they have the skills it takes to be an excellent hunting dog, with proper training you can make it to one.

How to train a Catahoula to hunt?

Here are some simple steps that might help you train your Catahoula to a hunting dog:

Get your pup in a school:

Training a pet is not an easy job. We cannot educate our children alone, we put them in school for help. Similarly, you cannot make your Catahoula pup into a great, expert, hunting dog without any help.

You must choose what kind of expertise you want in your dog. Baying, treeing, trailing, whichever skill you want your dog to have or even all of them there are clubs for all that. Put it in a fine climb where experts will teach it ways.

You learn your part too:

Putting your pup in a club is not the end of your responsibilities. You have to stick around, observe, and learn the activities too. 

As a result, you will be able to guide your dog or train with your dog even after it is not in the club anymore. You cannot entirely depend on the club trainers if you want the best results.

Practice makes everyone perfect:

When you learn the ways of training your dog, do it as much as you can. That is because the time in a club is limited. If you do not keep your dog in practice, it will lose its edge.

Remember, you cannot afford your hunting dog to lose its edge. Hence, you will always have to polish its skill with training.

Do Catahoulas have a strong prey drive?

The prey drive of a Catahoula dog is incredibly strong whether you train it for hunting or not. As a result, leaving it unsupervised is not a very bright idea. It may chase other unknown dogs and attack small animals.

However, if you do not want your Catahoula as a hunter make sure you take it for proper exercise and socializing.

Can a Catahoula be a bird dog?

The instinct of a Catahoula dog is to be a bay dog, which means barking and chasing. On the contrary, a bird dog remains silent. However, it depends on how you train them.

If you want your Catahoula to be a bird dog, you can train it from a young age and turn it into one.

Can Catahoulas be trained?

Catahoula dogs can be trained. The performance of a Catahoula dog, how it behaves, how it socializes, everything depends on how you train it. Therefore, undoubtedly you can train them.

Whatever you want your Catahoula dog to be you just need to train it like that. Therefore, get proper training and get what you want.

Are Catahoulas easy to train?

It is not easy to train a Catahoula dog. Catahoula dogs are very free-spirited and strong-willed by nature. Due to their nature, they do not fall into a pattern easily.

And we all know training is about discipline. You need to proceed with a lot of patience and time with them. With time they will come around. However, you need to be patient and keep trying.

Are Catahoulas good hog dogs?

Catahoula dogs are fine hog dogs. They chase their prey out of the herd and make it easier for the hunter to get his prey. Chasing and cornering prey are some of the skills that a Catahoula dog really aces at.

However, they need proper training to become good hog dogs. If the owner wants his dog to be a hog dog, he must focus on it.

Final Thoughts:

Whether one wants his Catahoula dog to be a hunter or just a pet it depends on how he chooses to train it. How one wants his Catahoula to be, he should train it according to that. Proper training will make the difference and the owner will have a treasure for a lifetime. 

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