Rescues! I've had two. First we got at 11 months old, it was a runt of a Mastiff+Lab (only 83 lbs). That dog was only trained to act as an LGD, and was as good an LGD as the best. Mastiff is a great dog because they're very gentle. Ours was more like a co-worker than a dog: no fuss; no need to really give any commands as she'd just do everything automatically. Our current dog we got at 8 weeks, OK, a puppy. She's a [primarily] American Staffordshire Terrier + Lab (with Australian Cattle Dog, Bull Dog and Rottweiler mixed in) and is not a runt (pushing 95 lbs). Pure DOG; does all the doggy things. Most loving animal I've ever encountered. Funniest too. And agile/quick like you wouldn't believe. All the physical characteristics that would make for a formidable foe (can really look the part), but first sign of trouble and she comes running to you!
A thing to note is that one's situation and tempo changes as one goes through life. The same type of dog throughout might not match such changes. I KNOW that if the order of our two dogs was swapped it would have been a totally different situation. First dog didn't require my attention: I was extremely busy. Had I had our current dog I would have struggled to get things done. Today I now have time to play with a dog and our current dog loves to play (demands attention): she's very active (Terrier part?). Most likely I'll have to scale down on a next dog as I won't be as physically able to manage a big one (esp a younger one).
The gentle, wise, fearless and legendary Xena (Mastiff+Lab; survived two knee surgeries [picture has her in a harness for rehab- first time she was off-leash following first surgery] and never a scratch from tangling with anything [and she'd take off into the brush chasing anything]; cancer got her just before she turned 8):
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The clownish, devious, highly athletic and powerful DOG (Kisha - she'll have you crying one moment and then laughing the next! she's ridden in everything I've operated here, even rode on an excavator for many hours):
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Both dogs were inside+outside dogs. Inside for the night (short coats) and out as much as possible during the day: depends on my schedule. Xena was the ultimate LGD, though Kisha is coming along (hard to get her to think to look up- most predators are aerial). Xena would look to walk around puddles/water, whereas Kisha will seek out any water to splash through (even running with her head down in tall, wet grass; stuffs her head in water and blows bubbles).
I waited until after I was 50 to get a dog, until after I got out into the country (only would have a dog if I had room for it to run- always wanted a bigger dog). Well worth the wait. Couldn't have turned out better. My life is great because my dog's life is great!

When my wife and I were at the vet's on Xena's last day I told the vet that I didn't think I could go through that again and the vet looked at me and said "but dogs bring us so much joy." And shortly thereafter it was like Xena sent us Kisha...