Having had pet cats and dogs for my whole life (40+ years), here's a breakdown of my opinions. Take them for what they're worth.
Dogs:
I prefer male mutts. Males because I like their dispositions better and mutts because they tend to be more intelligent and have fewer health problems. When I say that mutts tend to be more intelligent than purebreds, I don't mean to impugn all purebreds. Many purebreds are incredibly smart, but many aren't. On average, I've found mutts to be more intelligent though. Don't get a dog unless you have the time to spend with them, both as a companion and for exercise. They are a lot higher maintenance than cats, and a lot of dogs don't do well if they're left alone all day. Don't get a big dog unless you have the yard and space for them. Right now we have a mid-size mutt and he's great.
Cats:
Mutts or purebreds are equally okay, although I have a personal preference for purebreds. At the moment we have an Egyptian Mau and a Bengal ... both females. I advise getting a female as they have a lot fewer health problems than males. The disposition of both males and females are fine, as long as you're a cat person. One of the great things about cats is that they're so low maintenance. That doesn't mean they can be neglected, but they are fine left alone all day while you're at work, and can even be left alone over the weekend once in a while. Heck, I sometimes think they don't even notice we're gone until their water gets stale.
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