help finding right dog/ puppy

Question
Hi I stumbled across this site in a google search.

I am trying to figure out what type of shelter dog I should be looking for.

I am not sure what breed type would make a better pet for us.
There seem to be lots of hound, pit bull, labs, terriers  beagel,shephards etc etc out there.

There are just sooooo many dogs/pups of different types, looks and sizes its so hard to know where to start and how to go about the whole thing.

I am not sure size wise what I want.

I am hoping to get a dog/puppy with a calmer personality that likes to sit around if thats what I am doing or go for regular walks or just go outside and water plants , go for a ride etc.

I don't really want anything to active .
Although I do understand that a lot of puppies are balls of energy this is fine I am thinking of what I want my pup to be as a grown up.
I don't mind a playful puppy but I would like my adult to have a calm sweet temperament.

I raised two kids so I know that they do grow up in the end and it takes a lot of work to get them there in the mean time so I am ready and willing to raise a puppy.

We are home bodies that like our peace and quiet for the most part.
I do have cats so they have to get along with them.

I am home all day so I have plenty of time and love to give a dog/puppy.

I am just wondering what type of breed mix I should look for in general. I know each and every dog has their own personalities and that there are exceptions to everyone even pure breeds as far as that goes but I would just like to get an idea of what type of mix would be better to look for in general.

Also how do I go about picking the right dog/puppy for us.

And how about the male verses female issue????
I have been reading all over that males make better pets in general. Females are moody , bossy and a lot of times more dominate than males.
So I find myself leaning toward a male due to these things.

HELP!!!

I would appreciate any and all the info you can share with me on this.

Also should I go for an older dog of unknown everything pretty much ( background etc) at a shelter or a puppy of the like?

Need lots of help and advice.

Thanks hope to hear back from you soon
mel


Answer
Since you don't want anything too active,it would be best to avoid dogs such as Jack Russell terriers,Border Collies,Beagles,Huskies and pitbulls as these breeds are VERY high energy

I tend to lean towards shi tzus or Lhasha Apsos type dogs if people don't know what to get,as they are laid back and easy to train they are also not too large but are not tiny like a toy breed either,and while they do need haircuts they don't shed so thats another bonus

Another breed that is very laid back if you are looking for a larger dog would be a greyhound,they are couch potatoes and are happy to do whatever you want to do

I prefer male dogs myself,but some male dogs have a bad habit of marking in the house but getting them fixed generally gets rid of it

as for a puppy vs an adult it really all depends on what you are looking for,but puppies are a lot more work as you have to house train them,but the upside is they are too young to had any bad habit form

Adult dogs are often trained and you know what there personality will be and how they will look,but the downside is they have had time to develop bad habits such as problem barking or jumping up

With training though,this can be corrected-so it's really up to you if you want a puppy or an adult

I personally prefer to get adults as you know what you are getting and aren't as much work