Ive been told throughout my lifetime that catahoulas have existed since ancient times. Spanish conquistadors were said to have brought the first catahoulas to the United States. Our breed is so revered in Louisiana that our name was officially changed to Catahoula-Leopard dogs and we became the state dog of Louisiana in 1979. There are many traits that are unique to catahoulas, such as our head on and loose eyed herding skills. We tend to show no fear when performing our duties.