Do you have any pets? I love dogs!
I do, a cat! Over the last few decades in Japan, we've started to adopt pets as more than utilitarian and more into our family system.
Yes, my little doggy is like a family member to me! 
I bet! Dogs were actually the first species to be domesticated, before even cats!
Wow, dogs have been bred into so many different breeds as well.
Dog breed
Dog breeds are dogs that have relatively uniform physical characteristics developed by humans, with breeding animals selected for phenotypic traits such as size, coat color, structure, and behavior. The Fédération Cynologique Internationale recognizes 337 pure dog breeds.
Other uses of the term breed when referring to dogs may include pure breeds, cross-breeds, mixed breeds and natural breeds.
First dog breeds.
The domestic dog is the first species, and the only large carnivore, to have been domesticated. Over the past
Pet ownership in Japan
Over the last few decades, pet ownership in Japan has gradually moved from a predominantly utilitarian function to a concept that more fully incorporates pets into the family system. In the minority of cases, pets are now considered to be family members. To many Japanese, pets are as well loved as children, and may even serve as a substitute for those who choose to forgo child-rearing.
Spiritual hierarchy.
In the context of spiritual hierarchy, pets occupy the space directly below humans,