These pups aren't just unique because they have a cool name, they also are amazing hunters and are even able to climb trees to chase prey. The dogs are believed to be one of the longest surviving breeds in all of North America and were prized by Native Americans for their amazing hunting abilities. The breed's name comes from the Catahoula Parish of Louisiana, where the breed originated. Since then, many famous hunters have owned Catahoulas, including Jim Bowie and Teddy Roosevelt.
As a working dog, they are known for having a lot of energy, but if properly exercised, these loyal dogs can be easy to train for herding, police work, or even to do tricks for their family's pleasure.
8. Neapolitan Mastiff
Fans of the harry Potter movies might recognize the massive mongrels as Hagrid's pet, Fang. While they aren't quite as massive as the one in the movie was made to appear, the dogs are incredibly large, standing over two and a half feet tall at the shoulder and weighing up to 150 pounds. Historically, the breed is said to have fought beside the Roman Legions, wearing bladed spiked leather harnesses so they could run under the bellies of enemy horses and disembowel them.
Sadly, despite their long breed history, they were almost extinct after WWII, but shortly after, an Italian painter set up a kennel to protect the breed by mixing the remaining Neapolitan Mastiffs with a few English Mastiffs to help diversify the bloodline.
The dogs are great pets, but are extremely protective of their families and need socialization from a young age in order to ensure they are not aggressive against strangers. They will rarely bark unless provoked and as a result, they are renowned for their stealth when attacking intruders.
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