I have to agree that a Mutt is the best breed. I had one Cocker Spaniel that came with a lot of medical expenses. The mutts are usually healthly. Their are a lot of dog that need rescuing - that's where I get mine from. My current dog is named "Chance" - we gave him a second chance at life and we took a chance taking him, a pun on his name.
His size is intimidating, but he is just a big teddy bear.