Growing up, we owned a Siberian husky, so I'm used to big, hairy dogs who shed. My wife had several dogs as well, but they were all small breeds. Our 4 year old daughter loves dogs (and animals in general). We can host your dog in a big backyard and s/he will have plenty of interaction and fun. One of my wife's best friends is a veterinarian, so we can also reach out for advice as needed, if she's not in the midst of a procedure (she often does surgeries for an amazing number of animals). Another of her closest friends is a zoologist, who works at the Bronx Zoo - and who also has dogs and a cat. I do prefer dogs who are friendly with children, as they'll be around my daughter - and I appreciate the fact that children who grow up with dogs have 60% stronger immunity system than those who don't (which is 10X stronger than the 6% boost gotten from growing up around cats!