All I want for Christmas...

...is a dog. But I'm going to have to wait. I know that if I want a young dog, puppy and the like I will need a LOT of time to dedicate to training and so I will need my summer months to do it.

Step one. Get my own place.
Step two. Settle in. Save money. Read puppy books. Research breeds. Find a dog.
Step three. Celebrate my birthday with a new dog instead.

Some breeds I'm considering...
Bichon Frise
Yorkshire Terrier
Maltese/Shih Tzu
Papillion

I need a dog that is hypo-allergenic or as close as one can get... so non-shedding. A dog that is small, not too barky, is friendly, doesn't need long walks in sub-zero weather etc.  I think I'm in the right ball park with these breeds. We'll see.