Got my first Cat when I was 16 and had him 15 1/2 years. At one time in Collage we had 27 dogs over 1 year old and 13 puppies at one time and most were Catahoulas. We used them from hunting hogs, treeing dogs, and working cattle. Some would do one or two but not all three, and others just needed to be shown what was going on that day. For the past three years have not had one because I have not had the time to spend with a puppy, but when my son arrives in late March/ early April it he will be growing up with another. Of all the type dogs I have owned I could not think of a better one for a kid to have protect them, they are truely one person/family dogs!