Therapy dog

A dog you take merely for emotional purposes, to make you feel better. Usually to make you feel less lonely.

Miles broke up with his girlfriend, and he took a therapy dog so he wouldn't feel so lonely all the time.

the real thing

The n-word, but the real thing. When you want to make clear that someone said the real word, and not just "the n-word"

"Felix just said the n-word, but the real thing, while on the bridge"