No offence but I don't like aggressive looking dogs like Pit bulls

Ideally:
Low maintenance, like 1-2 walks a day
Not too big
Smart
Not too lively

Corgi?
Beagle?

Any new young dog is going to be lively.

The pit bull is an illegal breed in any case. Apart from that, I don't know what you mean by an "aggressive looking" dog.

No-one can tell you what dog (if any) will suit you. Best thing is to pay a visit to your local dog rescue, look around, and see what type you are attracted to. Quite often a dog will choose you.

You need to give a bit more than that. You say you want a smart breed but not too lively, but you won't get that. The smart breeds are extremely intelligent, their brain is always on the go so they need to be kept active and occupied, otherwise they start being destructive, barking, howling, uncontrollable or even aggressive from boredom. What type of exercise requirement do you want in a dog , 1-2 20 min lead walks a day or 1-2 long free running walks? What coat type - something than can be kept tidy with a quick brush once or twice a week or something that needs regular grooming? Do you have any other pets? Good with children? Puppy or adult? What types of look are you after? If you work, how many hours will a dog be on its own for?

So maybe 1-2 lead walks per day.
Definitely a tidy coat
No other pets, no children, pup or adult
The dog will rarely be on its own as I work from home

Shih Tzu or Yorkshire terrier?

Miniature Schnauzer. Our dog Dexter is calm, does not shed hair, has two walks of around 20 minutes a day, he weighs around 18lb.
http://i67.tinypic.com/23wtkkk.jpg
http://i64.tinypic.com/16ba9oy.jpg

I don't that it's finding the right dog for you but what are you prepared to put into the work in owning a dog? Have you owned a dog before? Can you afford insurance and do you have someone to care for the dog if you needed this? None of us can guarantee we're going to be around forever.

I would read the advice from the Dogs Trust here
https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/help-ad...%20a%20dog.pdf

And here
https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/help-ad...eforadog05.pdf

I highly recommend the Dogs Trust and the adoption of a rescue. They have an excellent support system for dogs after adoption and good training advice. Plus they know the dog. A rescue may already have basic training and if you don't have children, cats etc and prepared to perhaps make adjustments to your home such as securing the garden then you're in a good position to adopt a dog.

BUT please do be aware that dogs need company and whilst 1-2 walks is the bare minimum, they must be trained (ethically please) which is a life long skill. You, as the owner, will have the skills to manage the behaviours. Smart may mean lively!

You might find petforums.co.uk useful too. There are lots of threads in Dog Chat on what to expect with a new dog.

A retired greyhound would tick the boxes for 1-2 lead walks a day and a easy tidy coat, but unfortunately their very big. As you don't mind if it's a puppy or adult, and are home most of them time, a rescue dog might be a good choice and you should have a pretty good chance because the dog won't be alone much. Look about for a decent, reputable rescue and see if anything catches your eye. If you tell them what your after, a good rescue will try and match you with a suitable dog based on your requirements.

I echo what JeffG1 has said.Go to your local rescue centre. Let a dog choose you.

I'm in Scotland but have looked on the SSPCA website and there are 1 or 2 dogs which I like.

Would anyone recommend buying a normal dog rather than 1 of the rescue dogs?

Why do you want a dog OP? It is good that you thought to post about it as many just run headlong into this decision. But - please don't take this wrongly - simply by the minimal information you gave us at the start - it sounds as if you weren't aware of the basic dog owning issues spelt out by Colliewobbles.
This last question (and the wording) makes me wonder even more. I am even asking myself if we are being taken for a ride here.
But taking it as genuine - it's not so simple as 'normal' v rescue. Some people chose rescue on principle, because it gives a homeless dog a new chance in life. But usually you can't just walk into a rescue and pick a dog off the shelf - they may want to do home checks.
Others prefer a dog with a known history, or a puppy that they can train - and where they can experience all life's growing stages.
Within those options there are further choices such as type of dog and individual temperament or maybe simply whether the two of you gel, whether you can give the dog what it needs and whether it will fit with your lifestyle. If it's a rescue dog you can only know that by spending some time with the dog and talking to staff.

It's up to you. There are no definitive rights and wrongs.

I just feel that if you are asking at this level maybe it is not a good idea right now?
Either that or we are being strung along

I mainly want a dog for company mrsgrumpy49

My advice is this - go visit the nearest rescue centres and have a look at the friendly mixed mongrels with a good temperament. I'd suggest not going for any pure breeds because of health problems or any of the known violent breeds. I'd think carefully about this matter because a dog can be a 15 year commitment.

On the positive side, you will get years of loyal companionship from another living being and dogs are great icebreakers when you are out with the dog and people speak to you more easily.

Just to echo this. They are a huge emotional (and possibly financial) commitment.
They can enhance your social life but restrict it to. Think about holidays for a start..
As for money, I made the mistake of not getting pet insurance. So just on Saturday it was another £100 at the vets She has a chronic liver condition - you always imagine your pets staying healthy but as with people, things go wrong. However she might just make it to 16 years old in June. So do think about this carefully OP.

Walks are best counted by time and distance rather than number per day. 1-2 walks per day is meaningless as they could be 10 minutes or an hour each.

The Kennel Club have a "find a breed" tool that will ask you a bunch of questions and then suggest some possible matching breeds. Give it a go:

http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/serv...d/Default.aspx

What do you mean by a normal dog? . If you mean an actual breed of pedigree dog, I would recommend one if your requests were for:

A puppy whose history and background you knew
Had strict requirement for adult size/appearance and wanted to know exactly what you were getting
Wanted a well bred dog whose parents had all the relevant health tests
Were for a specific breed
A specific activity, showing/agility/field & trial etc, where getting a breed that excels at those tasks will put you at an instant advantage
Want a specific breed that has a minefield of health problems , as going to a decent breeder will help you eliminate those as much as possible

However, your requirements aren't for any of these (or you haven't said if they are), so a rescue dog would suit your needs adequately, if you do your research and choose the right dog, and the right rescue.

I will say if you want a dog that isn't too active or demanding exercise wise and will sit by your side as company whilst your working, I would be looking at dogs from either the toy group who are naturally bred to be companion dogs (though can still be spirited) , or the utility group which consist of breeds that originally were bred for a task but have gone out of purpose and are now just kept as pets. The other groups are full of breeds bred to work not sit by the fire and aren't going to be 'low maintenance and not too lively'.

Have you thought about a cat OP?
Just throwing that in there....

My search came up with a smooth collie and that's what I have!
On the walking issue I think most dogs need time off the lead. I don't think a walk round the block on a lead is sufficient.

Hmm I tried that and if I listened to it I would have a breed that was nothing that I wanted and not at all suitable, so I'm not sure how much reliance I'd put on it. Also it seems very random, if I put in the answers for a small dog, it brings up Pekingese and Yorkie but not a chihuahua? Think I'd take it what it says with a pinch of salt.

Mine came up with chihuahua which is what I have, searching on behalf of my husband came up with Labrador which is our other dog so looks like we have perfect dogs for us.

I just did the search and come up with 0.

Well smaller breeds tend to be a little more high maintenance then larger breeds.
I would definitely avoid terriers though based on your limited requirements,

Bulldog - Fits what you are looking for apart from smarts and in looks
Greyhound - Fits every one but size
Japanese Chin - Fits mostly what you are looking for but can be a little Barky
Bassett Hound - May need more then a couple of short walks a day but probably your best bet in terms of a breed and your requirements

Otherwise I suggest you just go to rescue centres and get advice about the dogs in residence.

Just throwing this in, you aren't going to get a breed that perfectly ticks every single box. It's a live animal, not a robot programmed to your specifications, your going to have to be prepared to compromise, especially as what you've asked for contradict each other. Smart but not too lively or high maintenance for instance, don't go together, your not going to get a smart dog whose happy to lie about doing nothing. That's like saying you want a jack russel but you don't want something yappy - it's not going to happen.

That's so true.

We have a 42kg Bouvier des Flandres and he's as daft as a brush and loafs around all day. He's had a hour and a half walk/charge about in the park today and that's all he needs really - at the moment he's lying on his back in the hall with his legs in the air!