Are you planning or already have become an owner of a Catahoula doggy and wandering about how to train him? Well then, you’ve come to the right spot.
Are Catahoula dogs hard to train? Usually, a Catahoula dog is not easy to train as a result of their independent behavioral qualities. But, with the owner’s hard dedication and determination the Catahoula dog breed can be well trained if started from puppyhood.
No more big talks and now you are heading to a full guide on how to train a Catahoula dog while clearing all the doubts.
Are Catahoula Dogs Stubborn?
Since Catahoula dogs originate from the Hound dog group, they are quite protective of their owners. On one hand, they are incredibly intelligent too and that leads them to be stubborn on some occasions.
Yes, Catahoula dogs can become stubborn when they feel like doing nothing but you keep them pushing.
That means you need a good and firm hand in training a Catahoula dog along with a complete study of their behavioral patterns and personality traits.
At the same time, you can manage his stubborn behavior by taking the correct approach toward him. Well, all the above facts do not suggest that a Catahoula is dangerous and not a good family pet, they just require the right training only.
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Why Are Catahoula Dogs Not Easier To Train?
If you are already a Catahoula dog owner, you know the little struggle you have to bear in training him. Since Catahoula dogs are originating from the Hound dog group they are more energetic with a kind of a different attitude too.
Therefore, Catahoula doggies are not easier to train if you do not follow the correct procedure. Let’s see what are the reasons to prove the above fact.
1 . Requires A Lot Of Hard Work
Since Catahoula dogs are more energetic and can become stubborn in some situations, they need an owner who willingly puts all his energy into training sessions.
2 . Requires A Lot Of Time
Catahoula dogs should be trained daily and it should be consistent.
Usually, the researchers suggest not training them for hours at a stretch. They require short time training sessions and they should be done regularly.
Catahoula owners are advised to train them 3-5 times per day. But the training session should not take more than 5 minutes and you should make sure that he is getting your full attention in the session.
3 . Independent Qualities
Sometimes, the independent behaviors of Catahoula dogs stand against training sessions.
If they feel like they do not want to do anything at all, they will not proceed no matter how hard you push them.
Therefore, you should be more patient when training your Catahoula doggy pal and should be more educated about his behavioral patterns and personality too.
When Should You Start Training Your Catahoula Dog?
Usually, it is advised to start sessions from puppyhood. It is more effective and productive at the same time if you can start training your Catahoula pup when he is 8 weeks old.
It is because of the fact that a Catahoula pup is fully capable of understanding your commands and their full learning capacity takes place between 8-12 weeks of age.
Along with the age you can increase the time of the training session up to 10-15 minutes per day. You should remember to end every training session on a positive note too so that your Catahoula dog’s interest will remain in the long term with training.
You can either take your Catahoula pup to training classes or else if you are thorough with training methods, tips, and tricks you can start training him at home.
What Things Should You Teach Them First?
I hope by now you have a basic idea regarding training your Catahoula doggy and why they are a bit hard to train. Well, anyway, if you are already a Catahoula owner and your most preferable breed is them you should know how to train them properly.
So, let’s dig into the things which you should teach him first.
- Make him familiar with some basic commands such as ‘Come’, ‘Sit’, and ‘No’.
- Hope you know the benefits of positive reinforcements during dog training. Catahoula dogs are more responsive toward positive reinforcements during training sessions. Teach everything while giving appreciation.
- When it is about praising and giving positive reinforcements, make sure you pat him under his chin or chest instead of patting him on his head. It makes them feel more comfortable and it is more caring for them.
- Keep him away from doing the things you won’t allow him to do once he is grown up. For example, lying on the couch. Do not let him develop such actions as habits as it will be difficult to get him rid of doing them when he is grown up.
- Make sure your tone is highly controlled when training your Catahoula doggy pal. Use different tones for different purposes. Praise him with a soft and gentle tone and raise the intonation of your voice when needed.
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- Most importantly, you can’t punish him verbally or physically since the Catahoula breed is very sensitive to punishments like other dog breeds.
- Try your best to socialize him whenever you can with other dogs and neighbors and friends.
- Even though they are quite sensitive to new places, people, and surroundings, they take an interest in him to slowly grab the vibe of such places and become more socialized.
- Indeed, they are not doing very well with kids, but still, you can make them friendly with kids little by little. Be sure to stay around them when your Catahoula doggy is trying to stay connected to your kids. If you are having teenagers, then no issues with having a Catahoula dog as a family pet.
Final Thoughts
I accept the fact that Catahoula dogs are a bit harder to train. But if properly trained they are gentle doggie bears. If you manage their stubbornness mixed with an independent personality you are successful. Do not ever punish them for not being as obedient as other dog breeds since they need more time and good training sessions with a dedicated owner.
Then they will learn quickly since they are one of the most intelligent dog breeds in the doggy world.
