She's a black lab/German shepherd mix. 2 weeks ago I had her out in the front yard with me as I was working on something. A dad with 3 little kids came along (2 in a wagon he was pulling). They pointed out Sitara to him, and I could tell they were nervous about her.

I asked the dad if they'd like to pet her. "Is she nice?" he asked. I took her over, and she sat there calmly, and allowed them to approach and pet her, just being gentle and patient, since they were obviously apprehensive.

Then I asked if they'd like to throw a ball for her. Sitara will retrieve balls until she drops--she just loves it. And those kids (and dad) thought that was so much fun. They warmed right up to her.

Sitara also just knows when someone is sick or injured. This morning I got a call from one of my daughters at BYU. She slipped on the ice last night and injured her foot. She asked if I could bring her home because she almost passed out a few times trying to move (she can't take pain medication due to other meds she's on).

I brought her home, and after Sitara's initial excitement at seeing her, Sitara smelled the foot and knew something was wrong. She calmed down, and is right this moment sticking right to my daughter's side.

4 years and 2 months ago, I took my family down to AZ to see my mom, who was suffering with dementia. My mom didn't even know who my dad was most of the time. We decided to take Sitara with us, because she was the exact mix of a family dog that my mom had really loved, and we hoped it might be therapeutic in some way.

When we arrived, we brought Sitara into the room, and my mom's eyes lit up. "Who is this?" She asked. I told her my dog's name, and my mom repeated it, while stroking her head. "I had a dog just like you. His name was Bo." Mom just kept stroking Sitara, and Sitara patiently sat there for her.

Mom chatted a little more with the dog, talking about Bo, then looked up at me. She knew who I was, and asked me about my kids who were also standing there. She knew right then they were her grandchildren, even if she couldn't quite remember their names. For a few brief moments, mom was back with us, and I'm convinced it was the Sitara therapy.

So, I'm in favor of a dog. I hope you can find one that that will be like ours is for us. They can be great.