I have been around animals, including cats and dogs, the majority of my life. I've also raised raccoons. I'm a walker so walking works for me, I live in the country, so I can walk dogs around the property. I have a Kitten right now I'm raising, we had found him by himself, maybe 3 weeks old, now he's 4 months old. We also have a Doberman who's 5, he's a bit much sometimes, but if you know Dobermans, their big babies. But he is one I have to get use to other dogs with. He's great at the dog park, but this is his home and so he tends to get more hyper. I had a golden retriever, for 10 years , she had cancer, very good dog. I've been around, alot of different kinds of dogs, I'm not afraid of any really. It's all in how you treat them. I'm a mother of 5 and 2 grandkids, and 2 on the way. I'm a firm Believer in the Lord, and doing my best . I feel animals can be calming, I guess depending on the animal, but most of the time, they are calming.