i envy you, I want nothing more than a dog
I'm not complaining i have an awesome son - maybe when I finally buy a house I get a dog for the moment we are nor here nor there it wouldn't be too good to have a dog.
I will say that our dogs are pretty spoiled. Danny, the big black dog is actually my daughter's dog. However, he has always lived at our house. When my daughter moved to Texas with her husband and son, she was advised not to take the dog because there is a huge heartworm problem in Texas. Lucy, the little dog has lived with us since I bought her as a puppy when she was 8 weeks old. These two pups are practically attached at the hip, so to speak. I think you can tell that from the photo of them.
These days, owning a dog can be an expensive proposition. An average visit to the vet for their annual checkup, any shots they need and a toenail clip generally runs around $100 or more each. Dog food can be expensive. Our dogs have a bunch of stuffed toys with squeakers in a basket in the dining room. As I look around the dining room and living room they've typically scatter all their toys. I haven't yet figured out how to get them to pick up after themselves.