I love dogs! We don't currently have a one as a family member, but have always had boxers. How about you?
We have three dogs - I believe pets provide owners with a lot of emotional benefits.
So true. Amazing how in tune they are with our emotions. And of course, now that people can have declared "support animals", that emotional benefit is being normalized.
And they are so good for elderly adults and others that may live alone, providing some social interaction
Have you ever considered taking your dogs into an environment where they can "serve" as emotional support for others? I guess they'd have to be certified in some way...
I think so, I know they use trained animals and handlers to achieve certain goals with patients.
Do your dogs get along well with each other?
They generall do, but we have thought about training for one of them to be a compatible pet as he tends to be too protective
Oh, I've seen some families go through some tough decisions in that regard -- whether it's with welcoming in a new animal or new human (aka baby!)
I guess other popular pets like hamsters and reptiles don't really have the protectiveness issues so I don't guess you can train them much.