Dog is more high maintanance but a friend for life and they will actually protect you to death. Their love is better than of most girls i suppose.
As a dog owner, my dog is 13 years old and is a pain in the ass. I had to take it for a walk 9490 times, and I only take it outside 2 times, some dogs have to go outside 4 times a day. Even when it's fucking cold outside, in winter, in the summer heat, you wake up, you have to take it for a walk otherwise he'll pee and shit everywhere.
And even if they're animals they can also show you great disrespect.
They won't protect you either, excepted if you train the dog to attack, which means he will not be very happy and will potentially bite you.
And guess who will have to clean its vomit at 3AM because the dog has decided to eat a shit during the walk ? You.
I just regret my decision to have a dog. He makes me crazy, mourning all day-long just because I'm not giving it 100% of my lifetime.
You're wrong about maintenance too, because I pay 10€/month for his dog food. They only need food and water, and worming pills every 3 monhs (5€ for one pill). What's expensive is medical issues but you can pay an humble health insurance for that.
When he'll die I'll also have to transport his dead corpse to the veterinarian who will destroy the corpse (it's 200€).
You also forget the shitload of fur dogs lose in your house or in your car.
Shit, it's 10PM and now I have to take my dog for a walk, again. It's 8°C here and it rains a lot.