A dog can be a great friend and if trained a true pleasure. They are wonderful for kids and can be good protectors. I believe that children exposed to pets, playing in the dirt and household germs develop anti-bodies and are healthier than those in a pure environment.
When I was very young dad had an English setter named King who was kept in a dog run way up in the back yard. I would go in the pen and play with the dog, climb the apple tree and eat apples and grapes growing on the fence wire. The dog was a pal to my dad and an excellent hunter. We put our dogs in the car’s trunk to take them hunting and return home. They were fine in there—comfortable and had plenty of air.