First I'd rather be dead than not have my pooches and kitties so you probably already know my answer, lol. That said imo the biggest consideration for me is whether or not I could afford to care for them. Heaven forbid something happens to our mobility but in that case I'd gladly pay someone to come exercise mine if DH can't do it. Vet bills can also be huge so thats always my first concern.

Please, please don't support pet stores. Their stock come from puppy mills. I know it is a tough call because those sweet babies need loving homes also but I always look at rescue first. I'd bet there are thousands of poodles and poodle mixes on petfinder.com. Thats where both my pooches came from. One is a mix and one is pure bred.

What about a medium size poodle? or a greyhound? They are decent size and very mellow. Best of luck with whatever you decide and again as long as you can afford one I'd say go for it! We will be needing pictures.