Hi- I love animals- I grew up with many dogs and cats. I definitely considered them my friends and would spend hours with them. We always had cats in the home and I constantly played with my neighbors dogs as a kid. This included a German Shepherd,Labrador, and a Malamute. ( among many others ). I just finished taking care of my friends dog while their apt was being remodeled. I loved it! He was a little guy who loved to play. We ran together. He could run forever and many times I had to stop and catch my breath- great exercise! He was with me for 2 months and it was a great experience. One that I would love to do again. Dave Calabro