Chows are gorgeous-looking dogs and I am still trying to remember what the puppies were my Mum used to take me to, when I was a small child and I was entranced with them - they were snub-nosed and fluffy and yappy - either Chows or Pekingese . .
Dogs who have a dense fur, are not really suitable for Australia IMO only, of course. They get hot and the fur needs looking after.
I had a Kerry Blue at one stage, taken over from my daughter after her divorce (no-one wanted 'the dog') and it had never-ending skin problems - and eventually I had to have her put down. She was a wonderful dog, though, and I made her last day so beautiful, she never knew what was happening, loved going to the vet etc. - except I suffered and cried for weeks beforehand and even after. They become so much more than just pets.
So checking out the fur and what problems it could cause is very important. I have some acquaintance with mini-Schnautzers and they can be delightful dogs - but need regular trimming of fur, in the typical Schnautzer style. The original and larger variety of Schnautzers are intelligent but very wilful dogs, needing a lot of exercise, so checking out the temperament of the breed is important. In England, Europe the latest craze are those devilish looking ugly 'things' called French Bulldogs - all the 'would-be' socialites seem to have them and gather in small exclusive huddles in parks . . . . experienced this myself.
@Juliia, it pays to listen around for a while, check out people's dog preferences, ask them - lots of hair always means lots of work, too. The best dogs are often 'bitsers' - and they are going cheap, too. I myself am partial to Spaniels, only because a good friend of mine will having nothing but a Spaniel, but they need lots of exercise. A popular dog choice seems to be rescued racing hounds - they are a peaceful dog, who don't bark a lot and just like to laze around.
I had an Afghan once - to just take care of for a while - and he was a wonderful dog, lazy, could run like the wind when on a walk, but generally lazy, got on well with other pets, too, - but lots of brushing involved - my then youngest loved brushing him.
