My wife and I can't have children, that 44 lb fur ball that greets me at the door every night, that's my child, yes, she has 4 legs, a tail, floppy ears and a long tongue. She's still my child. My previous child, I spent $17,000 on her in vet bills over the course of 14 yrs. To you, they are dogs, to me, they are my children. When I call her, she responds, she doesn't sass back (well, 90% of the time), she's never peed on someone's furniture, she's never left a booger between the cushions, she eats her meals without complaint (and if she doesn't, I know she's not feeling well). She's never asked for expensive clothes, expensive toys, or broken/ruined someone else's toys. Yeah, she might jump on you as part of her greeting, but if I tell her no, she sits by my side (how many kids do that?). When we're sick in bed, she cuddles for warmth and empathy. Any day of the week, I'll take my furry four legged child over a 2 legged human child. Oh, and the only time the cops have ever been called on my child, it's because my neighbor was concerned for my welfare, she hadn't seen me, her or the wife in 4 days and my pickup hadn't moved. The wife and I both had pneumonia.