My mother never allowed a dog at home, so I never had one as a kid. Funny because my parents grew up with cats and dogs. My father used to tell me all the great stories about his dogs while not letting me have one.
Irresponsible as I am, I'm not having one now either. But if I ever have kids, they're gonna have one for sure.
The German shepherd was always my favorite breed due to their high intelligence (well, for a dog). I used to know some people who owned some and playing with them was like hanging out with friends.