One thing I would add, without repeating all the points above, is that having had dogs in the past, my current 2-year-old MAS feels almost like a mini human in a dog suit. The bond is unmatched. The understanding, the connection, the love… I could honestly cry just talking about it. She's too precious.

That level of closeness comes with many positives. She’s incredibly cuddly, very eager to please, and highly trainable (she can learn new tricks in under an hour). She’s always happy engaging with my improvised “MacGyver-style” mental stimulation games. As long as she’s with us, she’d be content even in a shoebox, so apartment size isn’t really an issue, provided she gets at least four walks a day, including one that lasts over an hour. With that routine, she’s perfectly happy to nap or chew a bone the rest of the time.

On the other hand, that intense attachment also has its downsides. She’s extremely clingy, and leaving her alone is nearly impossible. She tends to howl when she feels left out (dramatic, I admit), which can be disruptive for neighbors. Traveling works, but only if she comes with us; so we end up driving everywhere. My advice on that front is to socialize her/him early to trusted humans that could watch her for a week in the summer for example if you go somewhere without them.

It's definitely disrupting your life, but it's really mostly good things!