My Lumix is just about dead, i have had it about 2 or so years now but have used it way more (5000 + photos) than the average occasional snap shot .

I find the Lumix camera's are not good for low lighting situations, and the sports mode is not great for catching clear sharp running dogs (i use P - Program AE for action shots).

The Nikon D40 or D40X are pretty good entry level DSLRs .