Crenelate said:
And yeah, I'm a fan of bigger dogs. Small ones are annoying. I like my dogs looking like dogs.
Now, this is a terrible misconception, though admittedly one encouraged by teacup dogs, ridiculous pampering of obsessive owners and, of course, media attention.
While some small breeds admittedly display a lot of energy, like the jack and parson russel terriers, in a healthy environment with a complementary owner, they should maintain a friendly and relatively calm disposition.
Small dogs often wind up with owners who are incompetent because of their size; yapping and biting and signs of distress can be easily ignored when you can easily overpower the creature. Big dogs on the other hand, are a blatant threat and are much more likely to be gotten rid of at early signs of behavioral issues.
Small dogs can be just as brave, loyal and as intelligent as their larger counterparts. In fact, some smaller dogs are even more intelligent or longer lived than their larger counterparts, such as the miniature schnauzer to the standard and giant breeds. (according to general tests and age averages, of course)
That being said, there's nothing wrong with having preferences with breeds, but dismissing a majority of dogs out there over inaccurate stereotypes just does them no justice.
That being said, I would personally go for the Shiba inu. I could better handle the size of such an animal, and while the breed tends to be
very headstrong, I prefer that sort of personality in a dog. I don't want a pet that's all too eager to please.
Bull terriers are not my cup of tea, my mother would be furious if I ever got a german shepherd and didn't have a very disciplined relationship with the dog, (she was bitten pretty badly as a child and is hyper aware of potentially dangerous large breeds) Samoyeds are a bit too simple and require a lot of grooming, and while I like malamutes a lot, they are a lot of dog, and I'm never planning on living in a climate that comfortably suits them.