Edwin Pawlowski says...

This will probably turn into a rather long thread. I have to agree with
much of what you wrote. We've had dogs for many years, but our last one, at
14, had to be put down last year. I don't miss having one. No worries
about getting back home if we go out, no boarding if we go away for a couple
of days.

Oh yeah, I forgot about the dog sitter problems.

Dogs can be good companions though. What gets me are the people that treat
dogs like children, or even better. No dog has ever slept in our bed.

Dogs are given much more lenient treatment than any human being. I
can't think of anyone who would sit on a couch after a naked man who
seldom bathed had been rolling all over it, but replace that image with
a dog and it is suddenly A-OK.

A couple of houses away, there are five dogs. I'm not looking forward to
sitting out this summer if they don't get some control over the barking. Of
course it is the owner, not the dogs at fault here and in many dog related
problems.
Ed

The last time I was bit by a dog, it was a pure-bred, pampered Dalmatian
that was just running around loose. It wasn't a particularly mean dog,
but I was riding my bike and that's just what dogs do. I was able to
find the owner and she acted like the whole thing was my fault. She
said I should have acted aggressive to the dog instead of just trying to
ride away. I sent her the doctor bill for the tetanus shot and she
complained about that too. I don't remember what I said to her, but she
paid it without any more arguments.