Can we talk about dogs?

[HappyHoya]

Oh, we're definitely getting a dog.  The question is just what kind and when.  I'm making DH read the books I read on dogs, and when he finishes we'll start getting serious about it.  It'll be a big dog (but not so big it has a shortened lifespan/I can't help up the stairs), but beyond that I'm starting to loosen my breed restrictions.

I'm glad to hear that you're getting a dog, and also that you're loosening your breed restrictions. If you don't mind one more piece of advice: make sure that you don't substitute your preconceived notions about the breed for understanding the individual dog's personality. If you're going to have breed preferences, fine, but don't end up missing other obvious cues to how they will act because "[insert breed here] isn't destructive!", meanwhile the bars on their crate have clearly been gnawed on. This is where adopting a dog who is with a foster is an advantage, IMO, because the foster family can give you a lot of information about your particular dog, and in my experience they're very candid because they want to make a permanent match.

[elaine amj]

As a recent adopter of a rescue dog, I just want to add something. Most popular advocate rescue, something I wholeheartedly agree with. But it's not all roses and sunshine with a rescue dog either.

Mine is very similar to what the foster mom described, but he also quickly adjusted to our family and started displaying other quirks that she never had to deal with.

I remember when we first got him, he wolfed down his food in 2 seconds flat. Also, carrots were apparently his treats of choice. Within days, he realized he didn't have to compete with other dogs for food (he grew up with 16 other digs in a hoarders home and his foster mom cared for several rescue dogs at any one time). He started getting picky and we have starved him out through several hunger strikes as he doesn't always like the food we provide. (we do mostly home prepared food). He has also since refused to eat another fruit or vegetable. Grains and meat are all he will eat.

My rambling point is, puppy or rescue, dogs are a lot of work. There's always something to work on.

I love having an adult dog. He was potty trained and crate trained. He is quiet (an absolute must for us) and overall he is a good boy. The downside? He is not very snuggly, preferring to sleep 1-2 ft away. He has no idea how to play, although we are working on it. He adores tag.

Have fun! Whatever dog you get, I'm sure you will adore it.

[Jamesqf]

The downside? He is not very snuggly, preferring to sleep 1-2 ft away.

This is not really a downside, at least if you have two.  Mine like to snuggle on opposite sides, creating the dog vise effect.

[Katnina]

I agree with getting 2 if you are worried about being away during the day.  My dog, Nina, had very bad separation anxiety which disappeared when we added a second dog.  Our vet said it made perfect sense- she's no longer lonely, so she no longer stresses about being alone!  They play together and snuggle together and it was a great decision to add the second pup to our family. 
And it sounds to me like you would provide your dogs with a fantastic life.  Living in a home with loving people, who give them lots of exercise, even if they are home alone from 7-4:30PM is WAY BETTER than being stuck in a cage in a shelter.  If you adopt 1 or 2, that frees up space at the shelter for another dog or two to wait to be adopted. 
If you are worried about vet bills, there are a few options to help defray costs: 1) get pet health insurance if it makes sense for you 2) don't get pet health insurance but create an account just for the dogs where you put in what you would have spent monthly on pet health insurance 3) foster dogs, don't adopt- this is a good option because the rescue group will pay for vet bills and you can see if having dogs works for you guys before committing fully (but let's be honest, you'll probably fall in love with the dogs you foster and want to adopt them) 4) in all 3 instances, feed your dogs high quality food and keep them slender and in shape with lots of exercise.  High quality food makes a big difference.  Feed them veggies and fruit as snacks, and keep them vaccinated and flea and tick free.   

[Kristin]

I know that having pets is not considered to be mustachian, however, we have a dog and two cats.  All three are rescues and we cannot possibly imagine life without them.
Our dog is a great dane/lab mix who is now about 9 years old (we think).  He is officially an old man dog but still has plenty of energy to take long walks twice a day.  He is home alone on week days for up to 10 hours, but when we are home, we make it a point to sped lots of quality time with him.  He gets a mile plus walk at least twice a day, and he gets lots of cuddle time on the couch with us.
On the weekends, he comes with us while running errands, and often takes trips to his grandparents house for good quality time.

The one thing I will say about rescue dogs is they tend to have separation anxiety issues.  This is common in all dogs, but I do agree that it can be easier to have 2 dogs instead of one if they will be left home alone for several hours daily.
We used to have an older dog with our current dog, but he passed a couple years ago.  Fortunately, our dog is currently just fine as an only dog.  He does have his own room.  We have a little mud room at the back of the house where we keep his bed, food and water.  He stays there anytime we are not home and at night and he is perfectly happy.  Crating also works well to make sure they don't destroy your house during the day.

I am a big advocate for adopting rescues.  When you walk in and make a connection with a dog, you will know immediately that they need to come home with you.  And the best part is that they are SO grateful to have a new loving home.
Best of luck!