Need some breed suggestions

At this point, I'd say go to a shelter that keeps their dogs in foster homes.  Tell them what you are looking for, look at some pretty faces, and take your pick of 40+ dogs that will meet your criteria!  Plus, the dog you give a good home to will really appreciate it!  Trying to find all you want in a purebred seems to be only partially what you want here, and partially what you want there, where you may find a "perfect" mutt!

Did someone say Am Staff? One of my favs, along with Goldens, Basenjis, Dobies, Belgians, and...all the others!

I rescue primarily "pit bull" type dogs, and they're a great one-size fits all sort dog. Up until my last growth spurt (currently age 17), I was smaller than my biggest Golden mix (I'm a coxswain, if that means anything), so I like the fact that smaller Am Staffs can actually fit in my lap while still capable of carrying my stuff, pulling a sled, and otherwise being a BIG dog.

Just a note on energy levels: they vary! I had a foster that was go-go-go all day and night long - very fun for the right family (which he got) but dizzying for the wrong one. I recently placed another dog with a college student in a small apartment with no yard and two cats. Silas is very calm, a complete lap dog, fearless yet submissive, loves to play with other dogs, snuggles with his kitties, and...is still game for anything after I've run him for 6 miles at 7 minutes per mile AND had a long session of fetch AND a play session with other dogs! But now, yes, he is perfectly content in his little apartment. Basically this - the fosters I've been around really vary in their minimum activity levels, but most have practically no upper bound.

I can't really say, though, about actual, purebred Am Staffs.

Good luck!

P.S. I especially love these guys for therapy work. BIG dogs in little bodies lets them pull wheelchairs and then turn around and squeeze underneath.

Greyhound is a little out of the size range, but they serve as MAJOR lap dog, are VERY low maintenance, and the ones I know are some of my favorite dogs. They can deal with 1 walk a day, or even a run in a fenced in area. The only problems are their larger size, and their unreliability off lead.

Underdog - I lived in MA up until last month, and I didn't know AmStaffs had to be muzzled there! In Boston I never saw that... is it a town or county law?
 
Personality-wise, as a cocker owner I think the cocker suits you - but the grooming is not for the faint of heart and I think you said you're not keen on grooming? Now that my dog has his full coat I have to comb his hair at least every other day - if I go any longer it gets really tangled. I don't blame anyone for not wanting to deal with that kind of upkeep! []

ORIGINAL: Underdog_19
while I want a "normal" sized dog

 
Define "normal".[]  Look, I would recommend a small/medium dog.  I have to go now, but I can help you tomorrow!

I can enthusiastically recommend hounds-cant get much better for sheer cuddle quotient.  As hounds come in a variety of types and sizes, you could specifically check them out at dog shows and pick the type that fits the size requirement.  The mellowest of the hounds is the bassett, so for couch potato time that might be a great starting place.  They like to amble on the leash and sniff along at a relatively liesurely pace

ORIGINAL: aussiegirl

Greyhound is a little out of the size range

Actually racing Greys vary greatly in size. I had the pleasure of having a Greyhound rescue's booth near my own vendor booth earlier this year. All the Greys had to pass by my booth as they were changing shifts. The size variance had nothing to do with male-vs-female or age, some were as large as 32"-36", while others were only 18"-20". I'm sure you could state a preference for a smaller Grey on your adoption application. Greys are very quiet; even with 6-8 in their booth for 4-6 hours shifts and dozens of people milling around there was never a peep out of them[]

Other suggestions: Miniature Bull Terrier & Boxer. Both are great family dogs!

Re the scenthounds: some individuals may be pretty quiet but as a general rule scenthounds are all quite vocal. Neither of mine just bays for the hell of it--they always have a good reason, but the beagle next door rarely shuts up. And even with quite ones, when hounds do bark they tend to be LOUD.  Like, they are turned up to 11.
 
I love my hounds and would recommend them to anyone who doesn't live in an apartment. They are snuggle bunnies to a ridiculous extreme (wanna see my 50 lb. lap dog?), are happy to relax while inside but have wonderful stamina for outdoor activities, have easy to care for coats and come in a variety of sizes and shapes.
 
But for apartment living, I wouldn't recommend a hound unless you get one from a rescue that fosters and the foster parents can attest to the dog being a naturally quiet individual.

I said a couple of days ago that I would come back to help, and I should keep my promise![]
 
Take this quiz, because I don't know what to tell you.
[linkhttp://www.dogbreedinfo.com/search.htm]http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/search.htm[/link]

Have you taken the quiz yet?  Has it helped?

ORIGINAL: jones

Underdog - I lived in MA up until last month, and I didn't know AmStaffs had to be muzzled there! In Boston I never saw that... is it a town or county law?

Personality-wise, as a cocker owner I think the cocker suits you - but the grooming is not for the faint of heart and I think you said you're not keen on grooming? Now that my dog has his full coat I have to comb his hair at least every other day - if I go any longer it gets really tangled. I don't blame anyone for not wanting to deal with that kind of upkeep! []

A few cities and towns have specific laws, but it isn't statewide by any means. 
But, insurance companies here are discriminating against Pits and Rotts.

Hey everyone...

Sorry I haven't replied lately, been busy. The muzzle law is a town specific law for the AmStaff. We really really wanted one. Maybe one day when we live in another town.

Thanks for the help, I have taken that online "quiz" before along with several others.

The dog we've agreed on now is on that list and was reccomended several times in this thread. We're looking now to get a whippet. Everyone has said they're great dogs and all my research has come up favorable. A breeder in MA is having a litter in the time frame we're looking at so perhaps everything is falling into place.

Thanks again for the help.