My eulogy will contain, I am certain, something along the lines of this:  She was a pretty good mom…except (wait for it) she NEVER LET US GET A DOG.  Tears will probably follow, some for me but undoubtedly some for the missed life experience as well.  Yes, yes, keep yelling at your computer all the benefits of dog ownership, I don’t mind because, after all, I can’t hear you.  I grew up with dogs (Collies, which seem to be out of fashion now, along with German Shepherds, which were owned by everybody who didn’t have a Collie) and now that I am the boss of me, I choose to remain dog-free.  And for the record, 4 of my 5 siblings have dogs, one went with cats and I am obviously the bad seed.  I did agree to take care of my sister’s dog Major, aka the Best Dog in the World, for the six months her family was living in a rental, because while I do not like dogs, I do like my sister.  Anyway, the crate-trained, polite and low-maintenance Major, who would put Cesar Millan out of business with two shakes of his yellow lab tail, moved in and joy (and shared caretaking) filled the house!  For two weeks.  I wasn’t surprised the thrill wore off, and in fact was relieved because it confirmed that my decision was a good one.  When my kids have dogs of their own (and I’m sure they will) I will dog-sit for them, too.  For two weeks, max.