I've got 2 older cocker spaniels. One is 15, the other 10 (that's the younger one to the left). Great companions 24 hours a day. Told my wife it's OK if she leaves, just as long as the "girls" (our 2 cockers) stay.
Unfortunately, that won't happen -- they both are really momma's girls.
We used to also have a cat. It was great fun to watch the dogs and the cat play chase. The cat would sneak up behind one of the girls, swat her (claws retracted) and run. The swatted dog would chase the cat to the other end of hallway. They'd stop and reverse position -- the cat would now chase the dog back. This would go on for quite some time. When they got tired, they'd all curl up in a huge dog bed together and nap.
Then we moved to a house in the city and installed a pet door for the dogs as part of the remodeling. The dogs didn't quite figure out how it worked until the cat showed them. Then it became a gateway for freedom for the cat. Although we live on a very quiet street with minimal traffic, the cat liked to hunt. one night it went out to hunt and became roadkill.
The only thing I really disliked about the cat (and why I don't have a cat now) is that they go anywhere. I got tired of having the cat walk across my keyboard as I was editing a manuscript.
