Hello my friend, @jayna. Before my daughter adopted him she cleared it with me and my husband. Even the shelter called us to make sure it was OK. He is a puppy. As an adult dog he will require less attention, I believe. Dogs settle down after a year or two. And you are right...it's good be useful, to make someone (my daughter) happy, to make the dog happy. It took a while for the dog to settle down enough to take petting calmly, but now he does, for short periods. My husband is the most successful at having these petting sessions. It's really wonderful to see, and very good for him, I think. Amazing how the dog is calm with him. Smart dog♥️
I have written about my sister's rescue before on Hive. We had a great Dane/St. Bernard that had been dropped off at our house when we lived upstate. My younger sister was playing on the back porch one day, and tumbled down the steep steps toward the concrete platform below. The dog grabbed her by the coat collar and pulled her to safety. My mother watched from the kitchen window. Everything happened so fast she couldn't get to my sister in time, but that gigantic, gentle dog could.
I do love dogs 🐕