DOGS

Nothing is better than a little furry four legged individual running around following you and making noise (like a kid but with more hair). But dogs have that connection with everyone in the family like a linchpin. Pulling everyone to one point something that everyone can agree is good for a happy family whether it's a shih tzu :

Or it is a great dane:

The choice boils down to a few facts:

1. You can legally get a dog under the age of 16 but you cant a kid which makes it more accessible to the younger side of life.
2. Dogs don't take your money and then leave, they just take you money and pay it back with there gorgeous "ittle wittle faces" clears throat anyway...
3. Dogs don't backchat
   On the other hand:
4. Kids if they do well academically they will pay money in tax which pays your pensions(depending on your country)
   2)Kids get smarter as they get older unlike dogs which start walking into things
5. and Finally, You can see yourself MORE in a Kid although our dog looks surprisingly like the owner, and vice versa, now which is weird.
   So in the end it all comes down to preference, or you could just get both and save the hassle of choosing which would be good for the dog and kid, although I cant say the same for you as you will have 2 creatures screaming and wanting you to fulfill their needs, and as if one wasn't enough.