I have had animals around me all my life from horses, dogs...etc. I've raised and trained both.
All animals can be the most amazing companion you can have....and they can be the most annoying pain in the asses. It's all in the training and time spent with them teaching them how to act and behave.
In many ways, they are like kids. When you properly teach them right from wrong, they love you for it and the relationship can be extremely meaningful.
The worst situation is people who have no clue how to train an animal and don't take the time to learn how to do it. Then, the animal becomes a problem and then is neglected or abandoned because the owners think it's the animal's fault. NO...it's YOUR fault. Either you shouldn't have gotten it in the first place or should have taken the time to learn how to train it.
We had two dogs, one died and one should die soon. So, we just got a new puppy in March. MAN...they are a lot of work. But, now she is coming around to being that good companion.