Why do I want a dog now..!

I would recommend some of the mastiff breeds. I have owned a Mastiff, French Mastiff (Doug De Bordeaux), St Bernard (Swiss mastiff). A lot of the mastiff breeds tend to be more low key, but you can also get them excited and hyper (although they don't stay hyper for very long)

In terms of Pits. I love them, but if you're looking for a dog that's not hyper, you may need to stay away from them. Pit bulls tend to have a lot of energy so that's something you may want to think about. :)

For me Jen crate training is always a must with a puppy. Our dogs as they matured had a crate to retreat into but it was more of their choice, their "den" and the door was always left open with their old blanket in there. It gave them a place to get away from the kids more than anything (the kids were "crate trained" too...if the dog went into her crate...you must not bother her).

I don't like seeing big mature dogs crated for long hours, I just can't see how that's terribly good for their joints if they can't leave the crate and move about freely. We did use baby gates when we left the dogs at home. They could have easily scaled them but Labs tend to be very rule oriented dogs and they knew they weren't allowed to do so.

The people that bred our Lab Maggie had the best setup I think I've ever seen for a farm dog. They attached a big run to the side of their barn, with a doggie door into an unused stall. Maggie's mom and the pups could exit outside for fresh air and confined exercise but head back into the nice warm stall with it's deep bedding if the weather wasn't nice. When the farmer wasn't busy they came out of their pen of course and had free run time and a daily trip to the pond on the farm weather allowing. They were also brought into the house, a few pups at a time with their mother for some house manners training. Because they lived basically with the stock, they never thought to chase them or bother them at all. What a great life for a dog! Maggie was likely the best adjusted, most calm and easy to deal with pup I've ever owned. I think her lifestyle when she was still a nursing pup helped instill that in her.

When it comes to purebreds I tend to like this type of breeder over someone that is a pure "show breeder". Maggie was a great example of her breed but not papered.