I was a veterinary technician for 5 years before becoming a stay at home mom. I have chosen a Basset Hound as our family pet. He is very loveable, NEVER puts his mouth on my child no matter how rough they play, and is totally low maintenance. We brought him in when my child was 2, and he was 6 weeks. It was a great match. Since Bassets are large, my other suggestion would be a poodle. They are the smartest, most laid back dogs ever! Easy to potty train (I even know breeders who sell all their pups potty trained at 8 weeks!) In my opinion, they are companions, not dogs. That is very important to me! Someone else suggested getting a pet through petfinder or a rescue group. That sounds all well and good, but you never know what kind of personality you will be getting. And, since you already have concerns/reservations I would NOT recommend that option! For example, years ago I adopted a beautiful little mixed breed who was only a couple months old. She was so sweet and gentle. She ended up being terrified of my husband, digging up our yard, disconnecting the satellite and telephone wires (which were buried by the way) I can laugh at these things, and we've kept her, BUT this is not always something a working mom/dad can handle. It's hard to train a dog and takes a lot of time! (or money if you want to hire someone) So, in my opinion, I'd go with a poodle 1st, or Basset 2nd. The only reason I dont have a poodle in our family at this point is that we have a pet-free house due to allergies. Also, when you speak with or find a reputable breeder they can tell you with almost certainty the traits your pet will have. Hope alll this helps!