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| Our Opinion Catahoulas can make excellent companions for the experienced and dedicated dog owner, but too many fall into the trap that their "pretty colouring" lends them to. They need a great deal of exercise and human interaction to become the best possible dog they can be. If you have never owned a Catahoula before, do your research, and make sure that the high drive and boundless energy of a Catahoula will really fit in with your lifestyle. We believe that aspiring dog owners should pick a breed that fits their life, not pick apart a breed to get what they want. Every Catahoula needs a job, not everyone needs a Catahoula. |
About Us
| "Heart is hard to define, but easily recognized" - Randy Wright We are located in Ontario's Bruce County, also affectionately known as “Ontario’s Cattle Country”. Cross Check Catahoulas is based on Reid Haven Farms where we raise both purebred Simmentals and commercial cattle. We got interested in Catahoulas for their versatility as both a cow dog and hunting dog, and they have not disappointed. They are an indispensable asset to our operation as both cow dogs and coon hunting dogs. |
| Our Breeding Program The focus of our breeding program is to produce exceptional cow dogs for our own personal use. We breed for a dog with an innate working ability, stable temperament and functional conformation. Colour is just a bonus. We choose our dogs based on their above average working drive and then select for an easy-going temperament and good conformation to compliment their work ethic. We expect any dog that is destined to be a part of our breeding program to show a natural ability and instinct to work any kind of stock. Although we focus mainly on producing dogs with strong cow sense since that's what we do day to day, we do strive for a versatile working dog who can go from the fields with the cattle, to the woods to hunt, to the bay pen to compete. Our dogs need to have the grit and drive to work the herd sires and yearlings, but also have the restraint and control to move cows with baby calves at their side. It takes a smart dog to understand the difference between rank and dog broke cattle, so we look for exemplary intelligence so that the dog is able to read stock and adjust their working style accordingly. We want a dog that we can put on the ground, no matter the situation, and the job will get done. Above average endurance and quick recovery time is also a must. A dog that can't finish the job is just as useless as a dog that won't start it. We also like our dogs to have easy-handling, user-friendly personalities. We expect them to be all business while working while still maintaining an easy going and friendly demeanor when not on the job. We believe that health testing is an important part of any breeding program and we test all of our dogs using the CERF, BAER, and PennHIP or OFA tests to ensure that our breeding stock is free from any abnormalities, but we do not believe a good health test makes a good dog, a good health test adds to a good dog. At the end of the day we are breeding for work. Today's Catahoulas come in many sizes and shapes, depending on the breeder's preferred style of dog. We believe (and have experienced it first hand) that a larger framed dog just does not have the stamina or the ability to recover as well as a smaller dog. The best way I have ever heard it phrased is that a weight lifter may have the desire to be a marathon runner, but he'll never have the build for it. Having said that, we like a moderately sized dog with a bit of leg under them with good rear angulation and proper footing. Good muscling, a lean, athletic build, and deep chest with good spring of rib without being over done is essential for that "all day stay". A nice clean, wide head that's not too broad tops off the package. As a result of our breeding practices we have dogs that can not only fight it out in the fields all week, but can travel to a show on weekends and not just blend in with the "show crowd" but whip some tail too. We show and trial our dogs because we enjoy it. We are immensely proud of the fact that our dogs have the titles they do, but we do not hang our hat on conformation or trial titles. "We show our working dogs, we do not work our show dogs". |
