pony XPOST. while I find your views on dogs repulsive, obviously, I can understand your POV. Ours doesn't come in the house, although I would have him in, YOB put his foot down which is ok as mine loves living outside (if you bring him in he sits by the door and waits to be let out). He lives in the warmest room, the utility which has the boiler in, and spends his life mooching around outside and chasing squirrels in the woods behind our house.
Much better to decide whether they're the best pet for you, and if not, don't. There was a thread on AIBU recently about someone whose husband had persuaded her to get a lab puppy and then buggered off leaving her to deal with it (with no experience) and a small child. She was finding it really tough and wanted to get rid of it - she got loads of stick which was a shame.
Obviously I know you'd know what to do but I accept your not particularly wanting a dog yourself and allow you that opinion .
re bess - you won't be the only one who disagrees that she wasn't welcome here. I'm also not the only one who didn't want to welcome her. But I feel that comments such as she made on that thread show her to be petty, spiteful and just not a nice person so from my POV I'm pleased to be in a "room" with people I like. I just don't want to hang around with people (albeit virtually) that I don't find are as open minded as you are. Obviously this is an open thread and is read by far more than post on it but I still prefer to only be chatting to people who don't annoy the hell out of me.
If she came back, so be it. It's an open thread.