Often referred to as being "man's best friend", dogs are very popular choices for people to have as pets.
A dog can offer great companionship and entertainment for a person.
There are a wide array of dog breeds and types of dog that one can choose from, and each one has different traits and personalities to offer.
Dogs are known for their playfulness; most dogs will run and catch a stick or a Frisbee, or will play other forms of catch with their owners.
A dog can make a wonderful walking companion, since they love being outside and walking around.
Taking a dog with you to the park or the beach can be a very fun and fulfilling experience.
A dog truly can become your best friend, because they genuinely enjoy being around people and their owners.
A dog can be a great addition to your family, especially if you have children.
It can be a great opportunity to teach your children about being responsible and taking care of another creature.
You can give jobs to your kids to do to help take car of the family dog, such as filling its food bowl, grooming it or taking it on a daily walk.
Dogs also are great to have to teach kids about kindness towards animals and unconditional love.
Unlike cats, a dog does need to be bathed periodically by its owner; they do not groom themselves.
You can choose to bathe your dog in a bathtub at your house, or you can take it to a professional groomer who will take care of that for you.
Most dogs enjoy getting washed, but it can sometimes be difficult to convince a dog to get in the bathtub.
Many dogs really enjoy getting dirty by playing in mud or in puddles; these types of dogs will require more frequent grooming, depending on how messy they get.
Another great reason to own a dog is for security.
Especially if you live off in an isolated or rural area, a dog can be a great way to feel more safe and secure.
They can notify you if they hear a strange sound, and many would-be criminals will back off if they realize that a dog is present.
You can even train your dog to come to your rescue if you are ever in the unfortunate spot of needing that assistance.
Because they can be trained relatively easily, dogs are chosen for many different tasks in today's world.
Some of the most common and popular occupations for dogs are as seeing eye dogs for the blind, and as police dogs.
A police dog can help law enforcement agents find a perpetrator or to sniff out guns or illicit drugs.
Dogs have truly become indispensable members of many parts of today's society.
Regular people like to train their dog to do a variety of funny and entertaining tricks.
Some of the more common dog tricks include laying down, playing dead, shaking hands, and barking on command.
They can be useful, too, and trained to fetch items for their masters as well, such as the newspaper.