A good breed for my lifestyle...

I'm looking more for a cat in dog form.

then you need a dog like my Ben


he is more "cat like" than any dog in its right mind should be....
however that is BAD! a cat the size of a dog is horrible to live with. Ben does what he wants, when he wants, gets affection when he wants and mostly could care less if you are around and you can forget the whole "sit stay heel lie down stuff". you ever see a cat do any of that because someone told him to? but he is your best buddy when there is food in your hand. he is also not objectionable to stealing your food. and he will not be contained by any electrical devices unless they are set to "crispy critter" when he crosses the line. he also marks things, and takes a dump where ever he feels most comfortable.
he is also not an indoor dog, nor is he an outdoor dog. he is an in&out dog. "lemme in, OH CRAP, lemme out!" is the game we play with him.... he is active and yet he is not active. our walks consist of ... walking, then sudden stops which are jarring and uncomfortable, and then tugging to convince him that moving forward is the best method of getting from point A to point B. He likes being outside if you are outside, and only sometimes likes being inside with you, but only until he is bored. and he doesnt exactly think its necessary for you to be outside with him. his idea of a good day is running madly across the lawn into the neighbour's yard, frightening the min pin that lives there, peeing on all four tires of their car before heading off down the street to repeat the process with those he feels are worthy of his intentions.
Ben is my own dog. and despite his vices i love him dearly and dont intend on giving him up....
So this is the true story of the dog that wished he was a cat..

.. the end.

I also have a "cat in dog form" (he's a black and tan coonhound) and he's great and I love him to pieces, but I think most people would question why one would want a 55 lb. cat. When my two cats want to come sit in my lap and rub their faces on my chin, it's cute. When Marlowe wants to do it--oof! And just like a cat can't be taken out in to an unfenced area and be exepcted to stay with you, nor can Marlowe. He's a hunter, like cats, and a hunter he will always be. Ever hear the saying, "it's like herding cats?" to describe something chaotic and difficult to manage? Cats go their own way and do their own thing regardless of what you want, which is fine in a 5 lb. animal who instinctually uses a litter box. It's not so great in a 50 lb. barking, slobbering, pooping, peeing, canine.

Might I suggest a change of species altogether? What about a Maine Coon Cat? These are the most dog-like cats you'll ever meet: large, vocal, affectionate, trainable (my friend has one who plays fetch), velcro-cats if there is such a thing. My friend with the Maine Coon and I often joke that someone switched our pets brains at the factory: she got the cat with the dog brain and I got the dog with the cat brain.

Also I wanted to regale you with Conrad's story: Conrad is my bloodhound mix. We got him from the pound at about a year old because the family that originally had him got him for their kids, who promised to care for him. After a little while the dog got boring, wasn't so cute any more, was a lot of hard work (ANY dog is), and the kids stopped taking such an interest in him. The family took him to the pound, where we adopted him the day before his scheduled euthanasia date. I'm not saying you'd do such a thing, but it is an example of getting a dog for the kids going horribly wrong. It doesn't always--we have a couple iDog members here who are very young and are very responsible dog owners. But dogs are a huge responsibility--more than any other domestic pet outside horses probably.

Also, even a 4-5 year old dog is probably going to live for 10 more years (a few of the giant breeds have shorter life spans but you can usually count on at least 12 years for a healthy well-cared-for dog...even longer for the smaller breeds). You say your son is 13 now? What's going to happen in 5 years when he goes to college or moves away?

I have a lab mix and have to say he has endless energy.  Endless!!  I will say he is a very good dog and obeys extremely well and is very smart.  I walk him every day about 3 miles.  We also  play fetch or soccer a couple few times a day and that is still not enough.  We got another dog to help out with Sampson and he still gets his long off leash walk every day and wears the new dog out.  She cant get a break from him cuz he is non-stop wanting to play.  Although he is the best dog and a lot of fun, he is a lot of work cuz he requires so much exercise.
On the bright side, he has really increased my exercise too.

I grew up with doxies.  They are stubborn, LOUD, and like you said prone to back problems.  Our free rehome doxie ended up costing my parents over 5 thousand dollars for back surgery.  I agree with the basset hound suggestion, and the greyhound suggestion. 
 
It's great that you are here asking advice.  Is there any reason why you want a purebred dog, and not a mix breed?

Is there any reason why you want a purebred dog, and not a mix breed?

just gonna go out on a limb and guess and say i think most people think pure bred first because they are under the impression that all pure breds think and act alike.... heh... if only!

instead of going for a pure bred i say go for a mixed dog. generally dobie mixes are on the calm side - all the ones i owned were anyway, but i dare not generalise!

i read all of this stuff last night, but i'm gonna ask again, what exactly are you wanting a dog for and what do you want it to do? play, guard, companion?
you dont have any requirements except that it should just.. basically leave you alone and be a good dog..... that takes YEARS to get a dog to just lie there and wait for you to get up and move.....
maybe you should either get a chihuahua or like hound suggested - think of a different species.
since you're allergic to cats, how about a rabbit? rabbits have great interactive personalities and yet they like to do their own thing too. except they arent massively huge, dont require being walked outside the home(however it is fun to have a leash trained bunny - i used to have two bunnies i could walk), dont bark or cause liabilities.
you have litter box train them and do all kinds of things that are fun.

I have been reading the posts for this listing. I am also a dachshund breeder. I have 16 dachshunds with 3 litters on the way. A dachshund like most other dogs has their faults and the benefits. For us, a dachshund is a better choice than many that others have listed. They are portable dogs with big dog attitudes. They are great family dogs, wonderful watch dogs, and with the right training for the dog and the family you can reduce the chances of back injuries greatly. Doxies get a bad wrap for that and while it is a concern it isn't any more or less than other dogs.

A large dog, requires either a large yard or a lot of walks, plus there's the clean up factor. And lets not forget hip dysplasia. A small dog can be yappy or nippy. And then there's the fact that many toy breeds need a lot of grooming. The flat face dog, as has been mentioned, has breathing issues.

Another thing to remember. Your son is a teenager and it won't be too long before he's out of the house. So make sure it's a pet you want. Training and socialization are key no matter what type of dog you choose.

AKC.org can give you a good over view of different breeds so you can compare.

I thought I'd put in my 2 cents and keep up the doxie end. They are wonderful dogs. And most people never get to know that. Everyone thinks they are smooth hair, red and fat. They do in fact come in 2 sizes, 3 coats, should never get fat, and come in a rainbow of colors and patterns.

Well I'm just a little late on this thread! lol I'm sure the OP is long gone, but I just wanted to comment (for any lurkers that may be looking for a similar breed) that in my experience, Shih Tzus are usually catlike in a good way. I think of them as kind of "catdogs". They're typically independent enough to not be constantly under your feet, but usually in the same room as you. Although not always! Plenty of times I'll look around wondering where Gingerbread is and he'll be in the bedroom snoozing! lol He sits on the top of the couch and chairs like a cat too. Obedience is usually not a Shih Tzu's strong point. They tend to look at commands like suggestions and there really has to be something in it for them- not just pleasing you. They're naturally well behaved though, so it's usually not a problem. I think the bigger a dog is, the worse it is for them to have a catlike temperament. It's easy to manage a little 10 pound dog; 90 pounds could present some challenges. EVERY dog really does NEED training though.

Go to a shelter and ask to see laid back dogs, whether it is a purebred or a mixed breed.  If it is a purebred you want, what about a Pomeranian or a Chihuahua?  For something larger, a greyhound rescue could be a good place to look, though greyhounds can't deal with extreme cold.