Never had a Giant but we are on our second black Standard Schnauzer and would go for the same again (hopefully not for a good few years - ours is only 4!). Both bright, always interested in what’s going on around them. Learn pretty quickly once they have got the idea that you really mean it :dubious: and a great temperament. Only down side is her tendency to try to drive off anyone approaching the house! She’s fine once she’s met them but hates random strangers in her territory. The coat has never really been a problem apart from her beard which can get matted - yuk!. She’s clipped every few months but loves the attention when we brush her and strip her between times.
I love my Scottish Terriers and will likely have the breed for most of my life.
Also had a tri-colored Basset Hound and she was an awesome dog. But they are large dogs with small legs and can be quite a handful. You ever try to chase and catch a basset hound? Heh-heh… it’s a LOT harder than it sounds.
If I was to get a dog other than a Scotty, I would probably get a larger dog - retriever, german shepherd, etc.
Corgi. They remain puppy-shaped as adults, which makes them the best dogs ever.
With my lifestyle and activity level, I would want a small dog wit an easy care coat. As far as breeds go, I’m partial to Chihuahuas, mini dachshunds and pugs or a mix including any of these.
A Keeshond would be my dream. But they are super rare out here. 
This. With the added qualification of medium-to-large sized because what good is a dog that you can’t get on the floor to bap around & 'rassle a bit. 
Norwegian Elkhound
Unless there’s one hanging around the shelter when I’m ready for another dog, I’ll probably end up with another mutt.
I love Weims, but they can be a handful: bright, clingy, high energy. I laugh at remembering a question in some Cosmo-ish compatibility quiz I was taking along with my wife, a long time ago.
I didn’t grow up with many cats as pets, and so I thought ‘C’ was hilarious, as I’d never seen such a thing before. (I grew up with Labs, and ours would lick a cat to death before harming it.) Then I had a Weimaraner…
Anyway, they’re challenging and I’ve been informed the next dog, when we are in a place to have one, will be something a bit more user-friendly. It’ll be something with big eyes, on Death Row at the pound. Preferably as big or bigger than an Aussie. I love Pits, ahem, ‘Lab-mixes’, but they, along with Dobies and Rotties, are a stone bitch to try and rent an apartment with. I’d try a Giant breed, but I’m leery about the short time they live compared to other breeds. 13 years wasn’t long enough with our last dog.
It’d really depend on the types of hobbies and time I could devote to the dog.
They don’t struggle to breathe. They make funny noises and grunt and sneeze in your face and grumble a lot (in fact, I’m pretty sure the Dutch work for “pug” means “grumbler”) but I’ve never felt like my pugs struggle to breathe unless they were actually sick. As in, when one had pneumonia. Other than that, they breathe just fine.
Awww! Now tell me something bad about them so I won’t feel bad that I don’t have one. Yet.
Boston Terrier. I’ve owned 3 in my lifetime. Great dogs.
I had trouble finding a small one. I ended up getting a very small one from a breeder out of state. She’s 10 lbs. She was only sold to me because she’s too small to safely breed. I had her spayed.
Bostons can vary in weight from 25lbs down to 12lbs. 18 to 20 lbs is the most common.
Um…they shed a lot. Of course, it’s tiny fur that you can hardly see, and ultra straight so it’s really easy to pick up with the vacuum or a lint roller… wait, I’m not helping…
They’re so adorably pitiful looking that they do tend to beg themselves to fat, but they’re also reasonably trainable, so if you’re strong of spirit, you’ll train them out of that as a pup… umm…
Their thick coats and “I’m not a small dog!” confidence means they have no fear and little sense of pain. Ours killed all our raspberry bushes by simply running through them until they fell over, and trampling then to death.
There! You can have raspberry bushes or a pug, but probably not both. Unless you keep the pug leashed. 
I’ve never owned a dog and I’m a little afraid of them. Are there any breeds that might work? My eldest child wants one so it’s under consideration for her birthday next month. We have two kitties. Perhaps a beagle or a basset hound? My retired dad has a sweet cocker spaniel he utterly adores.
I’ve always been fascinated by Shiba-Inu dogs but have never met one in person. Still, their breed descriptions sound awesome, and I like their looks.
In Fantasy NeverNeverLand, I’d absolutely love to have a big ol’ Irish Wolfhound, but as mentioned upthread, they live a short lifespan. (Like rats, unfortunately: the bestest pet in the whole wide world, IMnotsoHO, but their lives are so brief, so brief.)
In RealityLand, I’ll probably wind up with a pittie mix. I have a soft spot for underdogs (ha!) and I like their medium size and short coat. Somewhere in between RealityLand and NeverNeverLand, I suppose a Doberman. Why? I dunno. I just like 'em, is all.
No smush-nosed brachyhoweveryousayit breeds (pugs, Frenchies etc.) even if the ones I’ve known in person have all had great personalities.
LavenderBlue, can you pinpoint the source of your fear? Most of the stereotypical “sweet” dogs are larger (labs, goldens, etc.) and the little breeds can be less intimidating in terms of size but are often hyperactive. Beagles are known for having good family-dog dispositions and are a nice medium size. Poodles are smart as hell so any of the “-oodle” mixes usually tend to be quite easily trained.
I’m five feet zilch. The idea of an animal taller than me when it gets up on it’s hind legs is just a little scary. My neighbor’s golden is sweet but enormous. My dad is a retired mailman and he was bitten on several occasions. So I’ve seen the consequences of dog bites firsthand. But my eldest really wants one so I’m prepared to take it under consideration. I figure if my dad can have a dog, why can’t we?
Afraid in general or afraid of something in specific?
You might go visit a rescue and tell them about your concerns. Many of them are really good about matching up a dog to a person. And better about not putting a dog in a house where it won’t thrive. That is, if a specific breed tends to be low energy, so you think it might be good for you…say a Greyhound (I know, weird, right), they might say ‘ummm, not this one though, she’s usually pretty wound up and needs a yard and a house without kids or other animals…but this corgi is pretty mellow’.
Also, you’ll have a good chance of getting a dog that’s halfway trained and you’ll have a good resource if you need help with your dog.
My mom and dad had a sweet little Bichon Frise. And I mean she was sweet. She was friendly, good with kids, and absolutely not spoiled. She was well-behaved and low energy and not yappy at all. They’re on the smallish side, my parents’ weighed only about 20 pounds. She was easy to pick up and lift and was just the right size for your lap. They’re long-lived, too. Heidi lived to be around 16.
I had a Shiba. In fact, we ended up with our first pug because the Shiba needed a playmate, per our vet. Seriously, he told us “your dog needs a pet.”
Shibas are great dogs, but they are also difficult dogs. Ours never really seemed happy in his skin; he wanted to be out running a million miles a day. Even with a large fenced yard to play in, he wanted to roam, and we could never get him enough exercise. In fact, that was his downfall. He was about 5 years old and just starting to get to be a relatively happy dog, but he got out one night. Instead of running north, into our 10 acres where he would have been safe, he ran south, onto the busy road, at night. I hope he never knew what hit him.
So unless you are committed to running your Shiba a whole lot, or if you have a huge area for him to run himself, I’d go for a different breed. Not to say they’re not great dogs in a lot of ways, but they require a certain lifestyle to be really happy doggies.
Miniature Bull Terrier I always wanted a full size BT but the older I get the more I want a dog that will fit under my arm for a quick get away.
My first cat was a Siamese
My first dog was a Lab
Am I trying to cast “The Incredible Journey?” (the book not the movie)
Given a chance, I’d think about getting a Toller. They look like great dogs.