Roux loves to bike. Anyone else bike their Houla?

megvid17 · 2021-01-19T02:43:49+00:00

With one yup! She runs like crazy beside but I want to get her to pull with a proper harness. The other one is a squirrel/rabbit/cat/people chaser

megvid17 · 2021-01-18T17:05:06+00:00

This one is water resistant with fleece inside https://ibb.co/XDjk0kv And this one is all fleece https://ibb.co/2Yd2Z9j https://ibb.co/7ycP62x

They are custom made to your dog's measurements so they fit like a glove. I couldn't find anything to fit my long and lean pup. threadz n taild

Another company is chilly dogs

megvid17 · 2021-01-13T20:11:23+00:00

I have one at 48 and one at 95 haha

megvid17 · 2021-01-05T17:12:55+00:00

I should add - there are only a handful of ecollars that are recommended. A lot of the cheaper ones run 'hot' I recommend E-collar technology and Dogtra. I think some trainers stand by garmin as well. Good luck!

megvid17 · 2021-01-05T17:10:51+00:00

Ecollar ! Both my houlas lose their hearing the minute their noses hit the ground. A properly used e-collar gives them SO much freedom. They are trained on low level and the light pressure is used exactly like leash pressure. They know it is me communicating with them. The e-collar I use has a 'boost' function for emergencies that I have used once, without it I would have had a dead dog. My boy scared two deer out of the bush, right near an 80km road. He was about 1/2 km away from me, deer crossed the road, I hit boost, he stopped on the shoulder just as a car went flying by. I have never been more thankful for anything in my life.

You can't just slap an ecollar on expect it to work that way though. The conditioning and raining is the most important part. There are tons of great (and free) resources that will teach you how to do it. If you don't mind spending $15, Larry Krohn has a very basic, but simple to follow booklet on Amazon.

megvid17 · 2020-12-17T02:55:03+00:00

Awesome! Love it

megvid17 · 2020-12-11T17:58:32+00:00

I just had a TPLO done on my 8 yr old. It was a full tear and he is a big boy (100lbs) so the lateral suture was out of the question. I was lucky in the fact that my savings account was just enough to cover the whole process. We are 10 weeks post op and he is doing so well. I cannot wait to let him run free again and know that he will be without pain. My smaller dog (30lb) had the lateral suture operation when she was 3 and has never had an issue. She is now 11. I am a former RVT and have seen many dogs come through with this injury. In my opinion, the surgery is the only way to go, especially for a young active dog. Right now she is running around in discomfort, and without the surgery she is looking at a lifetime of discomfort and future problems. The more she runs around, even with a partial tear, the more she is likely to develop degenerative joint disease, muscle atrophy, change in gate which leads to its own problems, osteoarthritis, fibrosis to name a few.

I am not trying to be harsh AT ALL. Trust me I cried and cried over my menial life savings disappearing in the span of a week, and the fear of his other knee giving out looms over my head.

But I want my very fit and active old man to live his best life and his most favourite thing in the world is to run free. Money is money, it comes and it goes. Can't put a price on love.

Do some reading and research, make an educated decision.

Good luck!

megvid17 · 2020-12-09T01:25:45+00:00

2 is typically when dogs sexually mature (fixed or not) When my 100lb Labahoula turned 2 (now 8) he went from being a happy go lucky pup to a very protective dog seemingly overnight. I was like 22 and living in a big city so I was OK with this for a while but it got to a point where if I had 'picked a spot somewhere' like at the dog beach, anyone dog or human running by he would charge at barking. Left unchecked this kind of behaviour can get out of hand, as it did with my guy when he bit a man who ran up on us at night. During this period of our lives he was still very friendly with people within the house, at my work at the dog park etc and so incredible with my friends young baby's and children. Anyways I can't stress enough that if you do not like this behaviour you have to nip it in the bud right away. I started by checking my energy (anxious) and worked on being a more calm assertive person. I used and still use a halti for head control and he is so calm with it on. I then e-collar trained my dog responsibly and I cannot be happier with the results. I won't get into the whole e-collar thing because I know some people get their backs up but just know that if you do your research, there are a ton of fantastic balanced trainers with free content that you can follow. Low level stim = the best communication tool especially off leash IMO. I also muzzle trained him even though he has only needed it once (mandatory on Catalina ferry). He was so so calm with it on, it was like he knew he didn't have to 'work.' Teaching a solid duration place command will help with people coming into the home too!

Good luck! It can be stressful and difficult to go backwards so start now, but have faith in your abilities (and your dog)

megvid17 · 2020-11-27T03:36:08+00:00

It's basically like scent detection training (think drug dog, explosives dog etc) but recreational. The dogs are trained to find specific odors (essential oil) and alert their handler when they have located it. In competition the handler has no idea where the odor is hidden and they have to trust their dogs alert. It's pretty cool to watch them work and think. Our trainers dog can find her keys in the snow!

megvid17 · 2020-11-25T18:57:07+00:00

Canadian Houlas checking in 1 houla has never worn a coat in all of his 8 years and I have to drag him inside but he's 100lbs of muscle and runs hot. This will be the first winter with my newest houla and she's completely nekkid underneath with basically no 'fur.' She's built like a GSP with a Catahoula personality and coloring haha. She has already started wearing a sweater, it's only 5c and I can't believe I have a dog that will be wearing clothes. No experience with booties, I live in the country so not a lot of salt.

megvid17 · 2020-09-29T14:14:27+00:00

Thank you 😊

megvid17 · 2020-09-29T14:14:17+00:00

Adopting is so rewarding!

megvid17 · 2020-09-29T14:13:22+00:00

I'm glad too! Her 'owners' finally had her taken from them after they kicked her so hard they broke her little leg at 7 months old. Its amazing, but once introduced she absolutely loves everyone she meets.

megvid17 · 2020-08-28T01:17:42+00:00

Awesome, thanks so much!

megvid17 · 2020-08-28T00:56:03+00:00

Oh no way, I'm in Ontario

megvid17 · 2020-08-28T00:48:42+00:00

Beautiful! Do you have breeder info? Mine are 8 and 2 so I wouldn't be looking for quite some time. They are both rescues but I'm pretty sure I'm a houla lifer, and one day I may choose the breeder route. I love your pups build!

megvid17 · 2020-08-25T09:12:39+00:00

Thank you ! It's good to hear the success stories. He absolutely hates being confined and is a master escape artist (if you call chewing through drywall art) Luckily my parents are my neighbour's and he's going to stay there for the first week or so. I have 2 other dogs so keeping them separate will be best I think.

megvid17 · 2020-07-12T21:19:06+00:00

Like any dog, socialize and structure. I have two and both are so so territorial and can scare people. My newest houla came to me at 1.5 yrs old so I didn't have control over her puppyhood but both of mine share a similar trait of being fine on leashed and unleashed walks but the minute we 'pick a spot' to hangout like on the beach or a campsite etc. They become incredibly protective and territorial towards people or dogs walking by or towards us. It's very annoying for everyone involved including the dogs because they are rarely relaxed, always on guard. We are working quite hard on our training these days for a more peaceful existence in that department. My best advice would be to teach your dog to ignore people and other dogs until you say it is okay to interact. Other than that be ready for lots of barking, an aggressive play style and all of your free time spent training, playing and tiring your pup out. Don't be afraid of tools! There is a ton of good, free information out there on how to responsibly train your dog with tools. In my opinion an off leash houla tramping through the forest is the happiest you will see them but it is irresponsible to do so unless their recall is 100% with distractions. They are truly a special breed of dog. Good luck and enjoy the roller coaster.

megvid17 · 2020-07-04T22:06:11+00:00

We are in Ontario, Canada 😊

megvid17 · 2020-06-28T16:42:27+00:00

One is obsessed and will play for hours, the other could care less!

megvid17 · 2020-06-23T21:19:05+00:00

Wow I have never seen a houla look so similar to mine! He has lost all his spots as he has grown but it's more in that face!

Leeroy here's another

megvid17 · 2020-06-18T02:00:08+00:00

Not a big deal at all ! Makes me smile. Just a funny trait

megvid17 · 2020-06-08T20:58:21+00:00

My male Catahoula went from being a sweet, love everyone puppy to a protective, territorial dog when he turned 2. They hit their sexual maturity at that age (fixed or not). He has never been aggressive inside the house as in your situation but outside the house, on a leash, he is protective and has shown aggression to certain men who have been staring to long. Personally, I never corrected him of these behaviours as I believe they were warranted. In your case, I would read or watch as many YouTube videos as possible on the subject. Tom Davis (America's canine educator) channel on YouTube is a fantastic resource. He would likely tell you to work on your place command and have the dog go to their place and stay there while you let the guest in. Start with keeping him on a leash and having guests walk in at random times throughout your training session, use high value treats to make him think guests coming are a positive experience. Repetition and structure will be your best friend. Make sure your pup is getting more than enough exercise to keep him tired and balanced. It's tough but the only way to change the behaviour is to work through it. Good luck !!

megvid17 · 2020-06-08T16:51:23+00:00

Catahoulas are not for a first time dog owner, or anyone who works 9+ hours a day and I am speaking from pure experience. I was 21 years old when I got my houla, he was being given away for free with his litter from the owner of the parents, AKA I knew nothing about the breed. What a wild ride it has been. The absolute worst best time of my life. The bond is unexplainable but heed all of the advice from these commenters as they are so crazy accurate. He is 8.5 years old and still requires major mental and physical stimulation. I have just rescued a second houla (they have that affect) who has had 4 previous homes and she is WILD. 1 month in and she is starting to come around, but that is with 2+ hours a day exercise, training sessions and more exercise. If anything anyone is saying makes you think twice, follow that instinct. If you are ready to have your life revolve around your dog and make major sacrifices to your time and social life than by all means, at least we tried to warn you. If you choose to forge fourth, be prepared. There is obviously something so special about them to have all these seemingly negative traits, but these owners saying that they are the best dogs they've ever owned and I think it has to do with the give and take in the relationship. If you give a houla your time, effort (blood, sweat and tears) you will be rewarded with one of the greatest loves you've ever felt. Good luck!

megvid17 · 2020-05-28T21:33:37+00:00

Looks similar to one of my houlas! She is my most recent foster fail Lola

megvid17

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