Preparation for a Pup

I'll admit it, dog love is something that has never left me. I grew up w/ dogs, had a dog from birth to college. Then I moved out on my own. I barely had enough money to feed myself or my cocaine habit :), let alone a pooch. Well, stability not only allows for a good meal out, every other night (cuz cooking our meals would require effort), it also allows for the long awaited arrival of a furry, sloppy kiss giving, feet bigger than head, dog. The other half and I have long discussed this, and there always seems to be a way for us to put it off (him more so than me). We need to finish decorating the condo, we need to have more savings, we need to have the nasty lump on my brain looked @ first. Whatever! Well, I feel the time has come to make the committment. We aren't going to jump into it blind. We will have to prepare the home, and figure out where the dishes will go, the bed will rest, etc. But the big task, is finding the new love of my life. We have always wanted a Corgi, and the fact that two of my best friends recently adopted one, makes this all the more tantalizing. However, we do have a two story condo, and it is a spiral staircase that connects the two floors. Even for humans, this can be daunting. What would it be like for stubby legged, long bodied little ball of cuteness? I don't know. So that idea has gone by the wayside. We have a limit in our building, no larger than 30 pounds. That is do-able. Are we looking for a purebred dog (obviously we will look for rescues of a particular breed) or are we going with a mutt? All of these questions will be answered, but the bottom line is that the process has begun. I can really feel it. I know that my stress levels will decrease with the arrival of a dog, and I would love to be forced to get a little fresh air and exercise, otherwise I would be cleaning up special gifts from the dog, delivered fresh to my tan carpet. The other half has already bargained, that in the dead of winter, when the windchill is 80 below 0, that the dog will then be mine. When it wants to cuddle, and watch "Lost" with us, it will be his. Figures. But we all know that is exactly how it will end up. But the dog will love me more, cuz our excursions into the white noise of winter, will offer him relief, and that will not be forgotten! Any suggestions by dog owners would be appreciated. I will one day join your ranks to become another person bragging on and on about how beautiful my child with the overabundance of fur is. I look forward to it.