[SomeplaceElsewhere]

Care to help? In a nutshell, I'm looking to adopt to my suburb apartment life a very sociable, trainable and sporty adolescent puppy, that could in the future stay alone during normal workhours. The ideal would be a spirited companion.
As a novice in the matter, despite my naturally good attitude I not only spend a lot of time in shelters trying to get a feel of what I'm looking for, but also consult a lot and research breeds. Problem is, I've so far disqualified such wonderful dogs as an Aussie Shepherd mix (would be miserable jobless) and a Saluki mix (can't be trusted in the city and would be miserable always on-leash), but also haven't connected with natural choices such as wolfdog and German Shepherd mixes (and not really sure why). I'm also not fond of pitbulls, for example.

Am I right in thinking this only leaves some herding dogs (i.e. Collie) and Lab mixes? Canaan, perhaps?

Anything I might be overlooking?

Insights would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

[Ginbail]

I can tell you one thing ... You're absolutely going about this the RIGHT way!
By learning all you can about all the dogs you might be interested in, and asking questions at every opportunity, you'll continue to narrow down your choices. It's difficult, in fact impossible to recommend with any certainty the perfect dog for another person. I'm sure that in the end, you'll find the right dog for you and your lifestyle.
Good luck. Write back and let everyone here know what you did, and how it goes! You'll do more service here than many of us.

[brindle]

try a retired racing greyhound. they must always be on leash when not in a secure fence, but they are surely not miserable. though most are quite and low-key, there are always a few that love to go jogging or play fetch for hours. if you contact your local adoption agency, you can describe what you are looking for and they can make a match.
another plus is that even the most active greyhound is calm and quite indoors.
please research them. www.adopt-a-greyhound.com is a good place to start.
i wouldn't really call a wolf dog a "natural choice".

[Karen W]

Have you tried online Q&A breed selectors? Here's one example, do a google search and I'm sure you will find others:
http://www.doggiedealer.com/dog_breed_selector.php
Weims would fit every aspect EXCEPT the leave-alone-all-day part; they suffer a lot from sepapation anxiety...in spite of their size they are a good indoor dog, though they do require a lot of exercise.
Boston terrier perhaps?