Son wants a dog!

A lot of people struggle with the trade-off between toxic flea+tick prevention treatments and the risk of a pet bringing those critters into the house. I opted for Revolution during warmer months, reluctantly. We also didn't let our dog on the furniture (she had her own ottoman beside the front window, and beds on the floor) so we worried less about her transferring illness vectors to shared surfaces, but of course vectors can crawl and leap. (Shudder.) Once we had to stay with friends for six weeks who lived in the woods, and our poor dog didn't get much exercise!

Greyhounds are awesome, if you have the space for them to do a few laps in the yard, and you don't have any small pets. Their fur is really short and velvety, so they require winter sweaters in a lot of climates. But even dogs with very short hair will manage to pick up ticks, and they are hard to find. (Just think how many of us with no fur miss the tiny ticks!) I think you are right to assume shorter fur is preferable, though. A breed that does well expending energy on walks on pavement, and a family with the energy to go on as many long walks as necessary, does mitigate the risk somewhat, as opposed to a dog playing in a grassy yard or woods. The greyhounds I have known (10) all have needed space to run, and are not content with just walks, but many other dogs are. I don't really want to dissuade you about greyhounds, though, because they need homes, and they have such lovely personalities!

Dogs are constant work and grossness. With any dog, you have to love them a lot, and/or have help, because they are a ton of work. You have to assume your kid (of any age, really) is going to do much less than they promise they will. You have to be okay with constant excrement, gross illnesses, rolling in roadkill, eating things they shouldn't, emergency vet visits, constant constant fur and drool and dirt on the floor and furniture, extensive relentless training, playing, non-optional walks when it's freezing and raining and really late or really early, extra planning and expense for vacations, dealing with anxiety and boredom behaviors (barking, whining, chewing...) and on and on. You have to adore your dog and be ready to commit to them, even on days you don't feel like it. The companionship, cuteness, and charm all have to outweigh the rest. For some people, they do! For others, they really don't, and people end up rehoming, neglecting, or resenting their dogs. I'm not saying you would do that, just saying it's common.

I had the most wonderful dog ever, and she still was just too much some days. Taking her out, picking up poop, walks, mess, feeding, scrubbing out the gross water bowl, figuring out which food allergy she had this week, etc. Much of her care fell to my partner after I got sick, which is not what any of us planned, and she did not get the attention she deserved because my partner was spread thin by caring for me, our child, the house, etc. It was unfair to the dog, and I feel terrible about it, so that's where I'm coming from. I love love love dogs! I just want them to be a good fit for their families.

Right now I'm really wanting a new dog, too, as my wonderful dog died last summer. I've been thinking about these things a lot. People tend to be really encouraging when others say they want a dog, so I like to play devil's advocate.