Well, we got the std. poodle because they're intelligent and wonderful and empathetic, and my mom is allergic to dogs (I wanted a greyhound, at the time
).
Daisy was one of my boyfriend's kenneled hunting dogs, the rest were beagles. I wanted a dog for my apartment in college, but wanted it to have a fallback plan if it didn't work out (I had roommates and it was my first dog that was "mine"). The basset just seemed like it would be easier to transition to being in the house than the beagles who were younger and more prone to wandering. Daisy has been my heart dog ever since.
The Plotts... well... the boyfriend wanted a coonhound, and after researching all 6 breeds, the Plott was just a little *different* from the rest (the only one not related to the English foxhound) and it turned out to be a perfect fit for us.
So no one really inspired me, except maybe the individual dogs