I think researching what you want is a good idea. There are a lot of breeds that are high maintenance, meaning that they need a lot of brushing and care such as huskies and golden retrievers and there are a lot of dogs that are high energy. If you do not care for a dog that is jumps alot, never seems to tire, steer clear of dalmations, weimeraners, jack russels. Personally if I lived in Texas, I would probably chose a short haired dog because of the heat and humidity. Humane societys and rescues often have a lot of pups but you don't know what size they will really grow to. But I would not rule them out because that is where Snoopy, Taggert and originally Dazzi came from.

Choosing your first dog is very exciting! Enoy