Zora is a Catahoula / Greyhound mix who needs a very active home!  She knows how to jump a privacy fence, but has yet to climb the chain link fence.  She is a runner so if you are looking for a companion for your long distance runs, this is the dog for you!  She is crate trained and is very easy going in the home and around other dogs.

 

Foster Update:  I took her over to the Fleet dog park in Winter Park today.  You should have seen her GO!  She swam, played, ran, ran, ran.  She played really well with several dogs, all of whom were bigger than her -- including a Great Dane and a retriever. Then, when we got home she ate with great vigor.  She'll need a home with a big yard or dog park close by -- she is very, very energetic.  She's really a nice girl.

 

Foster Update 04/24/10: Zora is a wonderful, sweet dog.  Even though she's still very young (just over one year old), she is calm in the house, doesn't chew anything but her nylabone, and rests quietly when we leave her alone so doesn't need to be caged.  She coexists very well with our older dog, Zeppo.  Her activity level is very high, especially when she's outside.  She enjoys walking on a leash, but most especially loves trips to the dog park where she can run free and 'herd' the other dogs.  She gets along well with every dog I've ever seen her encounter.  Everyone who meets her remarks on how beautiful she is -- her light blue eyes are completely captivating.  Her fur is so soft too.  And her demeanor is gentle and sweet.  She loves waiting outside for my son (age 9) to walk home from school so that all the kids who walk past can stop and pet her too.  She is completely housebroken, sleeps through the night, and doesn't jump onto furniture.  She would be a perfect pet for anyone who likes to run or ride a bike with a dog on a leash, has a fenced backyard or close proximity to a dog park.  She eats 3 cups of dry dog food (currently feeding her Blue sweet potato and fish) each day -- half in a.m. and half in p.m.  I walk her three times a day for at least 20 mins each time if I can't get her out to the dog park.  She's ready to be a permanent part of an active, loving home!

 

According to www.dogbreedinfo.com, the Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog is believed to have originated from Nordic Wolfhound being introduced some three to five hundred years before the Spanish arrived - However, no one will really know for sure. The state of Louisiana is cited as the point of origin, particularly the area of Catahoula. In 1979, the breed was designated the state dog of Louisiana. The Catahoula was named after a Parish in Northeastern Louisiana and after the mottled spots on its coat. At one time this breed was used to round up feral pigs and cattle -- livestock that had escaped, and was living in woods and swamps. It involved team effort that is highly coordinated and organized, fast paced, dangerous, and a marvel to watch. The ideal dog team usually numbers three, and they must work together. Otherwise, the one pig can kill all three in a matter of minutes. Each dog has to be aware of what the pig and the other two dogs are doing and react accordingly. Hunters sometimes used the Catahoula to trail and tree raccoons, but this dominant breed is more at home acting the thug with obstinate boars. This dog is used particularly on the difficult task of driving and rounding hogs and unruly cattle. The Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog is independent, protective, and territorial. Loving with their family and all people they know well and reserved with strangers (this would include strange children). They need to make up to a person, not a person make up to them. Of course there are temperaments on both sides of this, but this is for the average dog. They mature right around 2 and it is as if a light goes on and they say to themselves "I am an adult now and I need to act grown up." This breed's reservation with strangers should not be noticed in a pup, but will show as the dog matures. Although affectionate with his master, the Catahoula is not recommended for the casual pet owner who is uninterested in allowing the dog to function in his intended capacity. For the right owner, this is a protective yet dominating canine. Signs of timidly on a leash should not be taken as cowardness, but the intolerance for strangers. This breed needs a dominant owner who shows strong leadership. They have of life expectancy of 12-13 years.