Sandy,
You asked for opinions, and boy did you get them! I think what has come through loud and clear in this whole post is that everyone has their preferences. Large, small, quiet, wild, it's a free for all!!

And you and your mom will make the right decision, I'm sure of it. I grew up with a Boston Terrier as a small child, and she probably was my mother's "dog of a lifetime". Her name was Sput (after Sputnik), and she died at 13 years old. We then switched to an English Bulldog, and he was my favorite ever! One day, I will have another one. But mom followed him with another Boston, Missy, and she was a wild one, but they loved her to death. And now Mr. Darcy has come to live with Mom and Dad, and their lab mix, Scout. And I will tell you that my retired parents could not be happier! Yes, they take a lot of training, but the key is, that they can be trained. You know the difficulties associated with training any breed. I have Golden Retrievers and the people on this board who have known me the past year know that I have plenty of challenges with them, and they are much bigger to handle than a little Boston.

My final thought is this: if something happened to Mom and Dad tomorrow, I would step in and provide a home for Mr. Darcy and Scout, without a second thought.

I expected you to get many different answers. And one thing we know about this board, and expect, is that if you ask, you shall receive, and you'd better be ready! I don't think anyone has said anything offensive, just their honest opinion, just as you asked.

Keep us posted, and whichever breed, or mix, that you and your mother choose, it will be her dog, and she will love it dearly, I'm sure. Good luck and know that all the comments made here have been made with honesty and caring in mind.

Logan