I chose the dog thinking it would be useful in some way but all it really does is sit around all day. My suggestion is the pets become more like the ones in dungeon crawlers like Fable and Torchlight. They could be dungeon companions that protect you while you mine and help sniff out items in the dirt that you might miss. Another thing they could do is herd animals back to their pens or chase off the crows depending on how they are trained. This would give them something useful to do on the farm as well.
