Beyond just starting a romance, dogs are often the glue that holds a partnership together during difficult times. They provide a "surrogate child" dynamic that allows couples to practice nurturing and shared care.
For example, a "grumpy" hero might be cold toward the heroine but incredibly gentle with her senior Golden Retriever. This allows the heroine (and the reader) to see his true heart before he is ready to express it verbally. Similarly, how a couple interacts with a pet often foreshadows how they will handle future challenges, such as co-parenting or shared responsibilities. The Shared Responsibility Trope video title dog sex link
The character has to choose: trust their logical mind, or trust the animal that has loved them unconditionally for years. Beyond just starting a romance, dogs are often