Well... from the Skeezyks' perspective... yes it might well take you out of yourself & force responsibility, as long as you're prepared to accept it. We have a dog. And we live in a townhome. Hence no private yard. So we have to take our dog out for multiple walks every day. Rain, snow, sun, wind, heat you name it. We're out there! Sometimes I'd rather barf than take the dog for one of his walks! But it has to be done. So it does keep me going... like it or not. Many years ago, my father used to say: "You're not required to like it. You're just required to do it." I take this as my motto. By the way, our pooch certainly does make us smile...