I grew up with three dogs--two German Shepherd mixes and one Alaskan Malamute. Our first dog was pretty nutty, having survived parvo virus, and eventually ran off happily into the bosque (this was in New Mexico). A neighbor last reported seeing her bounding after jack rabbits.
Our other GS mix was with us for almost 15 years--I still have dreams about her, and still miss her so much. The Malamute actually belonged to some family friends who traveled a lot, so she spent long stretches of time with us. She eventually developed cancer, and we had to have her put down. That was a horrible night.
So, I'd always considered myself an unreformable dog person, until my fiance brought Bosco the Snarky Tabby Cat home. We didn't get along at first (he made me cry in frustration a few times), but now I love him utterly and completely.