Mascot: Catahoula

[Cajun1997]

The Catahoula Leopard Hound is the only breed of dog native to Louisiana and became the official state dog in 1979?

Height: 20"-26"
Weight: 45-95 pounds
Coat: Short and smooth
Colors: Blue leopard, red leopard, black, red, yellow, and brindle.
Life Expectancy: 10-14 years


Exceptionally intelligent, highly energetic and loyal, the Catahoula Leopard Hound is the ultimate working dog and is said by many to be the world's most versatile breed.

The Catahoula Leopard Hound's roots date back over 400 years, to the Spanish exploration of the United States East Coast. On these expeditions, the Spaniards were accompanied by "war dogs", believed to have been the Mastiff and Greyhound. These dogs would assist in hunting, guarding the camps and battle. Some of these dogs were wounded or left behind and it is believed that they bred with the red wolf, a species native to that area. These wolf-like dogs became the companions and protectors of the Native Americans. About a century later, during expeditions along the mouth of the Mississippi, the French became intrigued with these strange-looking dogs with haunting light eyes. The French had brought their own dogs with them, known today as the Beauceron. It is believed that in an attempt to create an even better hunter, protector, companion and herder the French crossed the Beauceron with these dogs. The Catahoula Leopard Hound is said to be the descendant of that crossing.

Over years of work, the Catahoula has developed into a lead dog, meaning a dog that stays ahead of the herd, barking now and again to let the cattle know he is still with them. Catahoulas are widely used today to hunt wild boar. As a hunting dog the Catahoula is diligent, dependable, efficient and especially good at tracking deer, raccoons and squirrels. Catahoulas are also trained for Search and Rescue and narcotics detection.

Although the Catahoula can be a bit stubborn, a combination of love, praise, perseverance and a no-nonsense attitude can make training your dog a successful endeavour. A certain degree of dominance must be asserted when training, but remember that too much discipline without praise for good behavior could also make your Catahoula aloof and shy. They are very sensitive and aware when people are upset with them. Positive reinforcement and reassurance will go a long way in training your dog.

Gentle with children and loyal to family, the Catahoula makes an excellent pet. When a Catahoula is raised with children, the dog believes that it is his responsibility to look after those children. As with any breed, caution is recommended when introducing the dog to children. Keep in mind that young children are at eye level, and this could be perceived by the dog as a challenge for his position in the family pecking order. Territorial but not overtly aggressive, one would be unwise to enter their domain in the absence of their owner. These dogs bond to their own families and will always be somewhat mistruPleasel when meeting new people. Catahoulas can be aggressive toward other dogs, so proper socialization is especially important when raising a puppy in a multi-pet environment. Because they are very protective of their food, a separate food bowl is suggested to alleviate potential conflict with other pets.

In general, this breed is better suited for life on the farm, but can live in the city if an outlet is available for their abundant energy and workaholic personality. Unless allowed to run for a minimum of an hour per day (a walk on the leash or a romp in the park won’t tire them out) they will find other, less welcome outlets for their energy.

The Catahoula’s coat requires minimal grooming.

One of the biggest genetic flaws in this breed is the presence of deafness. A Catahoula that is predominantly white, or a white-faced dog with glass eyes, has an 80% chance of being deaf in either one or both ears. Care should be taken when acquiring a Catahoula with these visible traits. Your veterinarian can help you locate a facility that employs the Baer Test to ensure adequate hearing.

[sandra]

At the risk of coming off picky, do you want a stubborn, ugly, deaf 80% of the time dog as a mascot?

[Cajun1997]

I did not say this was my pick but I am kinda leaning that way now although I really like both (Bull Gator and Cathoula Hound) and love them compared to that pepper. Back to the Catahoula the article also said

Exceptionally intelligent, highly energetic and loyal, the Catahoula Leopard Hound is the ultimate working dog and is said by many to be the world's most versatile breed. That sounds pretty good to me.

As for the stubborn, deaf, ugly, well you have to be pretty stubborn to be a Cajun football fan because the team has played ugly since 1997 and I always turn a deaf ear when someone suggest I should pull for any other team.

[Cajuns71]

When we voted with the Alumni Assoc several years I voted against the Catahoula but with more time to think about it I now feel that it would be a unique mascot for UL and probably be a better representation of US than the others. Most of us cajuns have dogs, many hunting dogs---CatahoULA would definitely fit.

[ATXCajun]

At the risk of coming off picky, do you want a stubborn, ugly, deaf 80% of the time dog as a mascot?

Sounds good to me. won't take no for an answer, can't hear the nay-sayers, wins ugly...but wins.

[Cajun1997]

Below is a post I made on SunBeltbbs, we were discussing ASU's "spirit" leader Red. I have said the same thing on this board before CATAHOULA, whether it be a real dog or a costume version. Either would be better than Cayenne. If I remember right, the person who wears the Cayenne suit post on this forum. Please does not mistake my nor anyone else's dislike for the costume for a dislike for the job you do. My 11 year old son and his friend "bothered" you most of the last home game and I thought you, as usual, treated them very well, giving them high 5's and letting them beat the drum a couple of times. You do a good job, I just wish it were in a Catahoula suit instead.

It has been tried before with unpopular results. Can you imagine the PC police today and what would happen if we could even come up with what a Ragin' Cajun looked like? (See ASU and Ole Miss for similar problems) The name "Ragin' Cajuns" is very cool (my biased opinion) but is almost impossible to put into a personable identity. Several "spirit" type mascots have been tried (even going back to the Bulldog the original nickname of the sports teams). Several suggestions among them include the Pelican (already taken by Tulane), the Alligator (already taken by Florida) to name a couple. While the idea of a dog is not original, I think adopting the Catahoula as our "spirit symbol" is better than copying the Gator, the Pelican and the Bulldog. The Catahoula is the state dog and a unique looking animal. Unlike some schools (like Troy) our nickname does not translate into an obvious and easily identifiable mascot. All I know is that the pepper sucks for a mascot. It is ok for a logo but looks like something that could be obscene rolleyes.gif or just damn right stupid banghead.gif in a costume.
Just like we have too many name we also have too many logos and symbols. All these (names and logos) are too confusing and hinder establishing tradition, and you guys think you have problems. We have all this and the PC police like ASU.

[CajunNation]

CATAHUOLA

The University of Tennessee are the Volunteers(people). Their mascot is a coon hound(state dog).

The University of Louisiana are the Ragin'Cajuns(people). Our mascot should be the Catahoula(state dog).

It would be really cool to build some tradition in this area like UGA 6 at Georgia.

Think about it. Gumbo 1, Gumbo 2, Gumbo 3

[ATXCajun]

I've always liked the Catahoula hound (or hounds. about 6 of them would make some noise) idea that someone posted in other threads. I have this image in my head of opposing players coming out of the tunnel. Hot and sticky night. Puddles of water. A pack of friggin' hounds howling at them like escaped prisoners.

[CajunNation]

The CATAHOULA

State Dog of Louisiana and the true mascot of THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA.

A Ragin' Cajun's best friend, hunting buddy, defender.

[RaginFan2]

The CATAHOULA

State Dog of Louisiana and the true mascot of THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA.

A Ragin' Cajun's best friend, hunting buddy, defender.

And one ugly dog!

[rhineaux]

_ Whether it be a Bullgator, a Pelican, or simply bringing back Cajun Man, I think we are all in agreement that the pepper must go.

In saying all that we need to pick a mascot and stick with it. The pepper shouldn't be our mascot but when we choose this next mascot we should stick with this mascot for many, many years. Same goes for the logo. Lets eliminate the numerous logos we have and stick to, maybe, 2. _

I am in total agreement. JSD reminds me of a Dictator the way she controls all of that crap. The pepper and all of those extra colors have not benefited us in any way, whether it be in that hideous suit, or in the form of a logo.

And one ugly dog!

Let's remember that this thread, and the article that spurred it, is/should be about our logo's. What is the purpose of a mascot anyway? If our nickname was that of an animal or something, then I could see us wanting to have a good mascot. But our mascot represents a person, a people, a culture, and I think we would have a hard time finding a mascot that represented that. To me, a mascot is something that walks around during games garnering the attention of the kids, and getting the crowd in a raucous state. We haven't had something that did that since the chicken. The kids are afraid of the pepper, and who can blame them, and I think that even if you put the Cajun Chicken man in the pepper suit, the crowd would still be disinterested because it's such an all around horrible idea. You just have to look back at the WKU Basketball game last year to see how much more involved the crowd would get behind the chicken, and how unentertained the crowd is during other games when only the pepper is out there.

Take a look at the Houston Rockets. They don't have a Rocket as a mascot, but have Clutch, which is a bear, that walks around during the games and entertains kids and entertains the crowd during timeouts. He also makes appearances for off the court publicity and charity events. Could you imagine if we sent the pepper to a charity event? Nobody would take us seriously, or take us less serious than they currently do.

I like the dog because we could actually have a live dog...not too crazy about the pelican idea. I don't think either really acts as a good representative of the state, from an outsider's perspective, like the Gator would. If you ask me, all of them would be nothing more than symbols, and wouldn't be/shouldn't be involved with our logo's or anything anyway. Tennesse uses their hound as a symbol of their heritage, just like TAMU uses their dog as a symbol. They are things that are traditional that fans can get behind and support, but neither is ever linked to any of their logo's.

Our logo's should be less flamboyant, less minor league, and should be more of something that is traditional and classy, that ALL fans can be proud of. And they should be more of something that we use to link us to who we really are. The Interlocking UL and the Fleur de Lis fit into those categories. I know people have said that the FDL is being used widely in other schools apparel, and that it may not be as good of an option anymore. But to be honest, I don't see any of these schools actually using the FDL as their actual logo as we do, or something that represents them. I don't really mind that the Saints use it because ours is different, and because you would be hard pressed to find something else that represents Cajuns as much as the FDL. They tried to do that with the pepper and failed miserably. sometimes the answer isn't something you have to search for, but is something that is right there in front of you. It doesn't matter if other schools use the FDL on some of their apparel, but if we use it as our main identity, and win with it, then it will identify us far more than it does them.

As I see it...
Symbol = Catahoula Hound Dog (A live one, brought in for games)
Mascot = Bull Gator Suit (doing the entertaining and making appearances)
Logo = Interlocking UL and FDL. I also think that the single large block style 'L' would work too in some ways, though it's never been used.

[CajunNation]

The Indians in and around Louisiana used the Red Wolf, which then roamed Louisiana during this period, to locate game, much in the same manner as hunters use their dogs today.

Hernando DeSoto had traveled from Florida into Louisiana, bringing with him the "War Dogs" that had made the journey to the New World. The breeds that were referred to as War Dogs were the Greyhound and the Mastiff. Research has shown that the Mastiff type of dog that accompanied him was probably those known as the "Alano Mastiff" of Spain, which are now extinct. These Mastiffs had a reputation of being able to pull down very large game with ease. DeSoto utilized their abilities to persuade the Indians to provide information on the whereabouts of Gold and Treasure. Mostly those already owned by the Indians.

After suffering defeat in battle, DeSoto abandoned his War Dogs which were allowed to roam freely. They bred and interbreed with each other along with the Red Wolf. The offspring of the various breedings were then used by the Indians, and became known as the "Wolf Dog." The Wolf Dog, which is mentioned in Louisiana History, as well as most history books covering this era, was the name given to them by Henri Tonti during one of his visits to Louisiana.

By the early 1700's the French had started arriving in Louisiana. Hearing the stories of Tonti of the abundance of game in Louisiana the French brought with them a dog known as the "Bas Rouge," or Red Stockings. This dog has also been called the "Berger de Beauce." Today that very dog is known as the Beauceron. The French bred their dogs with those of the Indians' Wolf Dog, and together these four canines contributed to the inception of the Catahoula that we know today.








This dog IS Louisiana.