That's a good way to do it. I knew I wanted a pit bull, so I looked through a rescue website and fell in love with this guy, but there are tons of dogs in need of a good home. You can also ask them which kind of dog would be good for a first time owner. And I'm becoming less and less surprised with the cruelty of people. Yes, a football player DID have a dog fighting ring. People are pretty gross and stupid.
Ahh, yes I remember that story. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make it sound jokey.