Appropriate breed/breed mix for my family?

This may be a little bit larger than your desired size...but what about adopting a retired racing greyhound?  They don't require alot of exercise but would love to accompany you on walks or runs if that's what you do,  they sleep alot, most are very gentle and very sweet.

As jjsmom about them, she's got two.

I really wanted to consider a greyhound, but I was afraid that they needed too much in the way of exercising (I guess the long legs have me fooled?). There's a large greyhound rescue in my dad's house, which is part of why I thought that would work.

I will contact her, thanks.

Try taking this [linkhttp://dogbreedinfo.com/search.htm]quiz.[/link]

Mydogishalfgazelle, you can post here or PM me to say whether or not you are comfortable with the results.  If not, I can offer more help.

Actually, I think I like Ed's idea.  I've been hearing alot about those retired racing Greyhounds, and I think it would be a good idea for you to adopt one if you think you can handle it.

I really wanted to consider a greyhound, but I was afraid that they needed too much in the way of exercising (I guess the long legs have me fooled?). There's a large greyhound rescue in my dad's house, which is part of why I thought that would work.

I will contact her, thanks.

Mallory...the exercise thing is one of the biggest myths about greyhounds...mine have always slept more than my cats!![]
They just need daily walks, they love people and most other dogs (and even many do well with cats). They are a little bigger than the weight you were wanting but they honestly don't take up much space and the females are often only in the 50 pound range.  They only thing is that they can NEVER be trusted off leash...ever! But they are the most wonderful dogs to own.

Please feel free to pm me if you have any questions at all. I not only own these incredible dogs, but am a placement representative and volunteer for a greyhound rescue and adoption center. I would be happy to help you figure out if this might be a good breed for your family. []

Shelly

This may be a little bit larger than your desired size...but what about adopting a retired racing greyhound? They don't require alot of exercise but would love to accompany you on walks or runs if that's what you do, they sleep alot, most are very gentle and very sweet.

As jjsmom about them, she's got two.

Ed- JJ and Pru wanted me to “thank you” for recommending greyhounds so much lately and trying to get the word out about greyhound rescue and adoption.  They say they can#%92t thank you enough for helping to save their fellow greys from certain death and they wanted to know if they can start calling you “Uncle Ed” since you have been so kind?? [8D]

Bassett Hound was the first breed that came to mind.
 
They certainly would do fine with one or two good walks per day...are exceedingly friendly and always happy for a cuddle.
 
I don't think the sighthounds as a group are as demonstrative esp with people they do not know...as scenthounds tend to be. []
 
 

Cairn - I took the test, and it only gave me mixes that I probably can't find at a shelter. (A Westie-Poodle mix? I've never even HEARD of that.)

RW - Bassets sound like a good option too. I think that did come up in my search results. I just need to find some in the area.

What's making this exceptionally hard is that I'm in Louisiana and my dad's in New Jersey, so I have to look and do tons of research before the week I come up to visit. My dad told me I'm in charge of getting the dog, so I want a situation where the both of us can meet the dog. I know my dad well enough to know that he would just meet a dog and say "Yeah, sure!" and get himself into a situation he can't handle (that would be way too stressful for him) because he's overly optimistic about everything.

I think Bassets are a real required taste breed (although I have heard a lot of people say that about my breed...huh?) Bassets I think are a lot bigger than most people think (I groom one that must weight 90lbs!!!) and very, very smelly dogs and drooly.

How about a French Bulldog, Boston Terrier, Bichon, Papillon...there are a lot of breeds you could look into. Yeah I would try petfinder.com - that's where I found my dream dog Bobbie.

[linkhttp://tristatebassets.org/bassets.html]http://tristatebassets.org/bassets.html[/link]
 
New Jersey area rescue, they have some WONDERFUL looking young dogs! He (your Dad) sounds like a great home for a dog in need! Basset's are not small...they are medium...which was I believe the cut off?
 
They also are not overly active which makes them "live" a lot smaller than they are...vs say a small dog that is very active and thus 'live' like a bigger dog.

very, very smelly dogs
 
Lol...that was rather unkind. Any dog will smell if not fed, groomed, and cared for appropriately. Many Basset's, like Beagles suffer from owners who love them but know squat about what food does to the dog at all levels, and proper care of ears and skin folds which can lead to odors, not to mention obesity issues.

I like the idea of a Greyhound, but if your family decides that's not right, I wouldn't worry about breed too much.
 
Instead, I'd look to find a very honest rescue group and adopt an adult dog that fits the personality and exercise profile you are looking for. A dog that has lived in foster care is a much more known quantity than a dog of any breed or mix that hasn't been evaluated in a home setting. Do your parents have frequent child visitors? Do have potential plans to also someday adopt a cat? How much shedding can they tolerate. I personally like the mix of a dog that has some blood in either the sporting or herding group, combined with a less active breed.
 
I saw a lovely Cocker Spaniel--Golden Retriever mix the other day. She looked like a small Golden and was reasonably mellow at only two and a half. Although some Cockers have personality problems due to poor breeding, any dog can, and most are just fine.

How about a Pug?