What sort of dog should I get?

[Leanne]

Well for a first dog I would go for a Labrador/retriever. These dogs are brilliant for first time owners and families. They are very smart and loyal and want to please their owners. They don't need a massive amount of walking although they are fairly big dogs. And they are very social. So if they are left alone of with a walker/sitter, they would be no problem, and are very easy to teach.
As you can probably tell me favorite dog is a German Shepherd. I love them!! But at the moment I just don't have the time or the room and so getting one would not be fair to the dog. So I definitely understand where you are coming from