dogs are my favorite animal.
[{"role": "system", "content": "The domestic dog (\"Canis lupus familiaris\" or \"Canis familiaris\") is a member of the genus \"Canis\" (canines), which forms part of the wolf-like canids, and is the most widely abundant terrestrial carnivore. The dog and the extant gray wolf are sister taxa as modern wolves are not closely related to the wolves that were first domesticated, which implies that the direct ancestor of the dog is extinct. The dog was the first species to be domesticated and has been selectively bred over millennia for various behaviors, sensory capabilities, and physical attributes. Their long association with humans has led dogs to be uniquely attuned to human behavior and they are able to thrive on a starch-rich diet that would be inadequate for other canid species. New research seems to show that dogs have mutations to equivalent genetic regions in humans where changes are known to trigger high sociability and somewhat reduced intelligence. Dogs vary widely in shape, size and colors. Dogs perform many roles for people, such as hunting, herding, pulling loads, protection, assisting police and military, companionship and, more recently, aiding handicapped individuals and therapeutic roles. This influence on human society has given them the sobriquet \"man's best friend\".\n"}, {"role": "user", "content": "I absolutely love dogs!  Do you have one?"}, {"role": "assistant", "content": "I do, I love my dog so much.  They just have a a way of interacting that is so attuned to human behavior.  I guess we have bred them selectively for affection (along with other things)."}, {"role": "user", "content": "They are mans best friend I have heard.  What kind of dob breed do you have and what was it bred for?"}, {"role": "assistant", "content": "I have a Brittany spaniel, which is a type of retriever.  She is so easy to train, and having books makes it much easier, but they've been doing it since Roman times!"}, {"role": "user", "content": "Since Roman times!  Wow!  So , what would your dog retrieve?"}, {"role": "assistant", "content": "She is a \"gun dog\" so she would be used for mostly upland game fowl, like pheasants and such (I don't use her for that though)."}, {"role": "user", "content": "That's cool.  It is amazing how smart they are.  How long does a dog actually live?"}, {"role": "assistant", "content": "You know, it depends on the breed.  Smaller dogs like toy poodles live longer and bigger dogs like Saint Bernard's shorter."}, {"role": "user", "content": "I wonder why that is.  I guess that is why they say \"dog years\"!  How big does a St. Bernard get?"}, {"role": "assistant", "content": "I think dog years refers to the fact that on average they age 7 years for every one human year, but dogs vary greatly in size and shape with Saint Bernard's being one of the biggest!"}]