Yes, dogs are wonderful. I have always been a dog person, and, at this point in time, we have a wonderful corgi. We will both cry buckets when this doggie goes (he is getting older); but, (and I can't emphasize this enough), the dog is not my child. I have two children, they love the dog too; but, the dog is not a child. He is a wonderful companion; but, he is a dog --- not a child.
I will say ours is a bit of a replacement for our older child who went off to college!