Yeah, you definitely want to know what you're getting into.

Weimaraners are a fashion around here right now and you wouldn't believe how many people I see with big, crazy, gray dogs on leashes because they get them without considering that they're field dogs and need to run. They are not couch potatoes; they were not meant to be ornaments in suburban homes.

I'd say "get a cat" except that if a cat decides it likes you, it's almost as demanding as a dog. Pet rock, maybe?