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" leads 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 out of Leitir Mhòr Cattle Co. 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
"A pedigree is a piece of paper. Not a guarantee of quality. Not a slam-dunk that you get what you want. Health
clearances are a bunch of letters behind a name. Champions are somebody else's idea of what a dog should be.
Is the DOG what YOU want it to be? That's the only question worth answering." - Craig Reid

At Cross Check Catahoulas we focus on maintaining and improving the instincts and drives that make an exceptional working
Catahoula cow dog.  All of our breeding decisions are made with work in mind since we use our dogs on a regular basis gathering
and penning our own cattle as well as custom catching for the public.  We breed only proven working stock with the right amount of
grit and intelligence with secondary consideration going to temperament and conformation in an effort to produce a versatile
working Catahoula.

Our goal is to have dogs that can be used in any situation and will adjust their style and pressure according to the cattle they are
working that day.  We expect tremendous heart, grit and ability in all our dogs, but we also require that package to come with the
sense and intelligence to make them a truly versatile dog.

We also place a fair bit of emphasis on conformation.  A dog that is not functionally correct will not have the speed, agility and
stamina that are required to get through the amount of work they are expected to handle on any given day.  In our opinion a dog
that can’t finish a job is just as useless as a dog that won’t start it.  Correct conformation and functional conformation are two
different things in our minds.  A thick muscled, heavy style Catahoula may have all the drive and want-to in the world but it is just
not a functional package for a dog expected to stick with you working cattle all day long.  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.  A moderately sized
dog with lean, athletic muscling and a deep chest with good spring of rib, without being overdone, is essential to the stamina and
recovery time of the dog.  A good amount of leg under them with good rear angulation and proper footing combined with slight flow
over a back of proper length results in a fluid, easy gait that adds to the speed and agility of the dog.  Together that results in the
all-day stay we require.  A nice clean, wide head that's not too broad with a good amount of cheek without being "bulldoggie", and a
proper drop ear set is our personal preference, but we are far more concerned with what's inside the head than what it looks like.

Easy-handling, user friendly personalities are also necessary to us since we not only have a number of strange people and dogs
visiting our home on any given weekend, we also show our dogs.  We feel that a dog does not need to be aggressive to be a good
worker and our Catahoulas prove that every day.  They have the brain power to come home from working rough cattle and be laid
back and easy going, and are capable of handling almost any situation.  

As we have stated, a dog with excellent cow sense is first and foremost for us, but we also coon hunt our Catahoulas, so along with
a good nose and ability to track and wind scent, we also like to see a nice treeing style.  We do not claim to breed hog dogs, but
we do enjoy bay penning and expect our dogs to go into the bay pen with the same determination and style that they have when
working cattle.  
Our good friend and mentor at J Cross Catahoulas has been known to say that she can't afford a pack of dogs for every different
thing she likes to do with them, and we subscribe to that school of thought.  Overall we expect a Cross Check Catahoula to be able
to go from the fields with the cattle, to the woods to hunt, to the bay pen to compete, and then clean up and head to the show ring
to strut their stuff.

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.

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 titles.  The true test for our dogs is out in the field, where almost just doesn't cut it.  
"We show our working dogs, we do not work our show dogs".