Help me choose my fit!

Have any of you gotton the April Dog Fancy issue? I just got it, and I was reading the part in what it says to find your perfect match(breed of dog). I need some help! Even though I love my Cocker Spaniels, and I think they are great, I am looking researching different breeds to figure out one that would be even better for me. I read that the athlitic one says you play outside, sports, etc. Well I play soccer a lot, and I swim(for fun, used to do it at meets, etc). And I used to do solfball.And I would love to have a dog that would run with me(maybe not everyday, but almost everyday) Even though I play sports and like playing outside, I also watch T.V. like most people. I really don't count myself as an athletic person(because I watch T.V. about the avgerage). Should I count myself as athletic, active, or whatever the other choices were? These are the ideas in what I want in a dog, also:
* large dog or medium(don't want it too large, but not too small, like a smaller large dog, or a larger medium dog. Confused? Some people count say Aussie as a bigger medium dog, or a smaller large dog. My parents don't like large dogs, so it might be best to go with a medium since they would take care of it for say 1 or 2 years, when i am in college in a few years).
* sutible for hotter climates(in Georgia, it gets about the lowest 30 somthing in winter(sometimes) and sometimes it is so warm in the winter that I wear tee shirts, and shorts. It also gets about 90 somthing -100 degrees in the summer.
* I don't have a "fence" around my yard, but I do have 5 acres, and trees surrounding it. But I do have a fairly large pen, (which I hardly ever put my dogs in)
* Dosen't matter with children, becuase the youngest person in my family is 13 years old.
* gets along with other dogs
*I don't want long hair, I want either medium, or short hair.

Don't worry, I am doing plenty of homework. It will probley be in a year or two! I was maybe thinking of a golden retriever. I live not in the city, I know they shed, but I can deal with that. They have about med. hair(the books I've read sound like they have less brushing than a cocker). Many people in my neighborhood have labs, so I was thinking not a labrador. I see it, I've only had sporting dog breeds(cockers, and grown up around labs) I need a dog in the sporting breed. The kind of house and environment thta I live in should be for sporting and hounds. Herding dogs probley like jobs, and like fields. Then I don't really care for terrier, and toy group(not what I'm looking for). And since I don't have a "fence" around my yard, maybe not a hound. Oh, to say what you considered, I train dogs myself. If I couldn't handle a dog, I would def. sign it up for training lessons. I have have many dogs before who lived a long time, so I am not a first time owner. So what I'm looking at is really either:
Golden Retriever
Lab
Aussie(minature seems to fit more though)
Border Collie

I've had experience will all the dogs on your list. I used to have an aussie, and my gradparents used to have a border collie and now they have a lab. I now have a golden retriever and a collie. The ones on your list have BAD puppy stages. They dig, bark, chew, and can be destructive if not given the right amount of attention ESSPECIALLY Border Collies. I'm not trying to keep you from choosing one of them, just warning you. ;) If you STILL decide you want one of those breeds, thn I think your best bet would be a lab. They have short fur for surviving hot climates, but they shed a ton. They are also very active and love to spend time with people.

BTW, Whatever you decide, please DON'T BUY FROM A PET STORE!

If I got an older dog, I would get it from a rescue, but if I got a puppy, I would get it from a breeder.

You can recommend any breed you like. On Border Collies, I am not sure if I could handle the "driven, working dog" since I have never owned one before.

Out of the rest, I think Goldens and Labs would be good, but besides hair, what other differences are between them?

The Mini Aussie would probley be what I would get if I did get a Aussie because of it's size...

I voted Golden, then I would say Lab, Aussie, Border Collie.:)

What about a Toller? They are supposed to be like Goldens, execpt smaller...

Tollers are very rare in the US, so u'd probably have trouble finding one. I have a really good Toller site where u can learn more about the breed, let me see if I can find it......

http://dragonrest.net/elvenwood/index.html
Try here, also where do u live? There are some breeders in Virginia, where I live.........

http://www.hyflyerkennels.com/
http://www.kyladorkennels.com/index2.htm
http://www.toller.ca/
Try these sites also..... :)

I am so not sure what i like I am parsaled by Aussie and Border Collie as usual! :D

Oh Ok. I do think Goldens would be best for me, I put the Aussie(minature) because I was wondering because of the size...

I would either go with a golden or a lab, but preferably a golden :)

I like both but I like Goldens more and everyone else in my neighborhood has labradors, so sometimes I get tired of seeing them.

I do love both breeds though. What color is your favorite out of all labs?

My fav color of labs?

Chocolate. :)

You should go online and take a test to see what dog fits you best!
www.petplanet.com

I tired going there and it kept asking for a password and username to go onto site...