I'm new to most of this stuff. I have a cat but I've never had a dog before. I guess I joined to learn more about dogs before I actually adopt one. Plus I'd be ok with making some new friends :3
I am sure you will find many friends here, especially if you poke around in the Fun & Games section often. That place is kind of like the "bar" of ZooVille.
Plus, there are many articles on this site written by DogLuver101 that may be just what you are looking for.