(inspired by the Italian Greyhound thread)
This thread is hypothetical – we’ve already got a low-key Bichon Frise at home. However, I am wondering what breeds are recommended to folks who desire a quiet, lie-around-the-house dog with low-prey drive and low-end exercise needs? Size of the breed is not important for this hypothetical – the race goes to that breed which most completely and consistently possesses the qualities above.
Pugs. The ones I’ve met are incredibly lazy.
The rescued greyhounds that I have been around have all slept most of the day. They like their run once a day, but don’t seem to have a lot of energy the rest of the day. They are also a joy to walk.
My sister has bulldogs and they don’t move around much.
I had to bribe my Great Dane out of the bed in the morning with treats. My Vet pointed out that She’d stay in bed too if she knew someone would be soon arrive with breakfast.
He was a very lazy dog though.
A French or English Bulldog, older than 2 years. Before that, you better pad the walls.
Basset Hound or Bloodhound.
Yup, I came in here to say that.
It’s not so much that they’re incredibly lazy, though. Mine are both playful and energetic. It’s more that they do pretty well taking their lead from their owners. When I’m laying around watching TV, they’re happy sleeping on their doggy bed or nestling in my lap. If I’m more energetic, all I have to do is pick up a toy and they’re ready to play. About they only thing they really seem to crave is companionship; they’re always in the same room as one of their humans, just sitting in the corner looking cute (or better yet, in my lap, but that’s not always possible.)
St. Bernards, if you’ve got the room. Seriously, they are huge, but they really don’t have much urge to run about, except when they are puppies. I’ve known people with Saints in a moderate apartment and the dogs were quite happy.
Second the Great Dane idea. If you like small calm horses, that is.
Oh how precious!! 
Mastiff, if you can stand the drool and can afford the food, the extra shots due to their size…
I don’t have a pug, but the behavior Athena described fits perfectly with our Boomer, a Lab mixed with something slightly smaller. People who say they aren’t dog people love Boomer. He’s quiet and well-behaved, but when you want to play and run, he’s up for it. Good with kids and cats too.
If you want lazy and laconic, I’d go to the pound and get an adult dog. Puppies of just about any breed are high energy. My 5 year old beagle loves to run when he can, but he’s also very content to sleep. And sleep. And sleep.
Yep. Here’s a good example of their level of activity.
Cute video. The comments on the other hand make me despair. Apart from the ten-year-old internet hardman ranting, some posters think that that’s a video of a cat.
I’ll second English Mastifs and Great Danes.
That’s completely opposite to my experience with Saints. Ours was an energetic, rambunctious dog her entire (too short) life. Not excessively barky, though she’d wail any time the fire house sirens came on. But very boisterous. And at over 200 pounds, you felt every second of that energy.
We have a golden retriever who would be content to never exercise beyond bouncing for meals or treats. He just has to be in the same room with a person, and if possible sleeping on the couch touching someone. Granted, he’ll play if he’s given the opportunity – like when we take the dogs to the dog beach (we also have a much higher energy lab, although he, too, can be a true couch potato) – but if we didn’t make the effort to get our golden to exercise, he would be content to never move more energetically than to walk around the house attached to the nearest human. I usually have six legs when I’m moving from room to room. 
