good things come in smaller packages, too
I have had a German Shepherd dog, a Doberman, various mixed breeds, and loved them all. However, the BEST all around dog is... none of the above. It's an Irish terrier.
In WW I, Irish terriers were used behind the lines as messengers. They are utterly fearless and will defend their families to the death. But they are unfailingly polite, intelligent, and phenomenally good with children. They know perfectly well who is in the "circle of trust" (to borrow that great phrase from "Meet the Parents"...love that movie) and who is not. They are alert and watchful, and they can be L-O-U-D. My female Irish have both been "nannie dogs" to our children, and they will let kids come up to them and love on them and just be as happy as can be. But let some noise happen outside, and they are right there, barking that "threat" bark.
They stand approximately 18 inches at the shoulder, and weigh roughly 30 pounds unless they mooch too many goodies and expand their waistlines. They do not shed, either. Being double-coated, they need to be stripped which is a different sort of grooming, but you won't have a dog dying of heat in the Houston summer (I'm in Spring, just north of Houston), won't have to worry about problems with kids or others, WILL get a good watchdog, and should not have insurance agency issues.
Irish terriers have no genetic diseases inherent in the breed with the exception of corny feet, and that is almost gone from the breed now.
You CANNOT GET ONE AT PET CITY, however. You have to go through the Irish Terrier Club of America to get in touch with a breeder. The breed is tightly controlled to keep it out of the hands of the puppy mill people. If you do get one from a pet store, it will NOT be the quality dog you want.
Go to
www.irishterriers.com for a good view of the breed.
Anyway, there are other options, and the Irish is THE best!
Springmom,
slave of Jackson and Pippin, Irish Terriers par excellence