I have had pets my entire life up until this last year when i lost my best buddy. I probably wont ever get another one for travel reasons, but I do want one around for me and my family. I have an 8 year old and 3 year old that both love animals. We visit the Humane Society every week just to say hi to all the dogs. Your dog would have to be ok with kids for overnights, besides that I would do drop ins and walks without them. My favorite thing about dogs is their forever love for their owers, tou cannot find that bond with anything besides a pooch. Big dogs are my absolute favorite, but any size dog will always put a smile on my face!