I’ve heard bloodhounds being compared to potted plants (i.e. low energy) - any truth to that?
Concur that you’re probably set to be a pretty OK dog owner, and hanging out at the shelter checking out the grown-up dogs and/or fostering one for a while might be the best way to try out that hypothesis.
Data points on the few breeds I’ve had significant experience with:
Friends of ours have a Shar Pei. Amazingly mellow dog - when someone comes to the door, she woofs a couple of times (she sees that as her job) but is otherwise VERY mellow. We’ve dogsat for them a few times and she’s great company. She’s a bit on the large side - I might be able to lift her if I had to, but she’d be heavy. She is on the larger side of the breed standard (might even be well outside it), for what that’s worth weight-wise.
She does enjoy going ouit for long walks, which might not fit your lifestyle. She does like to run around in the yard (their house has a small fenced yard), so your yard would support that need, and walks wouldn’t be as essential in that case (we don’t have a fenced yard so walking is the only way to get her exercise when she’s staying with us). She also tends to be fairly “needy” - got so upset when her humans tried kenneling her while on vacation, that she made herself sick (that’s when we offered to dog-sit on occasion); when she stays with us, she follows me around EVERYWHERE (I think because I"m the closest thing to a familiar face and she misses her real people).
Other friends have a labradoodle. The dog is 3/4 poodle and 1/4 lab (I think, I may have the ratios reversed) and is also extremely mellow. I once walked up to their house to drop something off on their porch. The front door was open with just a storm door. She was standing there, looking curiously at me, wagged her tail, may have woofed once if even that much. That was a complete surprise: I was, after all, a complete stranger, on Her Property and surely warranted at least a scolding from her :).
Again though, larger breed than I suspect you want.
And we were co-owners of a miniature schnauzer when I was growing up. Smart dog, but definitely yappy when someone came to the door. Loved to hunt - neighbors had no problems with rabbits eating their garden while our dog was on duty. Did not like small children - we had to keep her in another room when friends came by with their baby. Also very jealous when my then-boyfriend paid me undue attention. I don’t know if this is a common failing with the breed; I’ve met others who were much mellower.
Cocker spaniels: Subject (I gather) to overbreeding. I shared a house with one many many years back. There was a hierarchy in that house and that damn dog made it quite clear to me, thankyouverymuch, that I was not above her in rank. Part of that was her owner, who would say in a singsongy voice “now that’s not nice” whenever the dog snarled at me. It did not endear the breed to me. Again, I’ve met others who were much nicer animals.