If you want a family friendly dog that's not too big, you might want to check out the English Staffordshire Terrier. They are known to be very people friendly. My friend has one, is about 35 lbs, loves people and is very smart. I'm a big dog person, so aside from that breed, I can't help you out on any of the other medium sized breeds.

There are breed specific rescues, so if you decide on a particular breed, you can check with those rescues first if you want to go the adoption route. We just recently adopted a puppy from a rescue. Don't know the adoption rules in NY, but here in LA, all adopted pets have to be neutered/spayed by 4 months of age. The alteration, as well as their parvo shots, are usually covered by the adoption fee. I think a shelter is a little different as they don't cover shots with their adoption fee and I believe the puppies are already altered, but I'm not sure. Getting a pup from a breeder requires you to take care of the shots as well as altering if it's required in your area (it is here in LA if you're not a breeder). Good luck with your search.

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