I own a dog. I thought about getting a dog for years but was put off by the obvious dis-benefits, the smell, being restricted about going places, and the poo. It's a bit like thinking about having children, there seem to be a lot of reasons why you shouldn't, and no-one tells you about the really good bits. I got my dog because I work from home, and I was starting to realise I was in danger of never leaving the house, except to jump in the car and rush somewhere, and what a brilliant idea it was.