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I meet a friend who also works from home for lunch or a coffee break during the day.

Otherwise I walk my dog or run errands in the middle of the day, just to go outside and get some exercise and see other people.

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I’ve thought about the dog thing a lot. I hear they make you talk to strangers. We just got a cat, sort of a backup plan since we travel too much for a dog right now.

Shocker—-more of a neutral social pet

Ahh, made a big long comment suggesting a cat; ha - for me, the transition from completely empty, huge studio; to having a little fuzzy companion, made all the difference in the world.

As someone who has recently become a dog owner: It's like walking around with a t-shirt that says "talk to me!". It's pretty wild. I get into all sorts of conversations now, with dog owners and not dog owners alike.

Yes, many people use dogs to ease their loneliness.

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