Well, none of the breeds suggested for me were the ones I ever considered :( Shiba Inu - geez, give me a break.... and I notice it has Dobermanns as the picture for the extremely large dogs. My sister's female Dobie is only 65 lbs. Good thing I wasn't swayed by "expert's" suggestions for breed choice... And I think it was put off because I WOULD like my Boxer babies to have a longer lifespan and be a more healthy breed in general. After all, who's going to say "health isn't important to me?" And, BTW, "I don't want a dog that lives too long..."
When we chose the Boxer we did lots of reading, went to dog shows and talked to the breeders. There were several breeds we were considering - Dobes, Chocolate Labs and Boxers based on our criteria. I think these type of things can be a help if you are totally in the dark about which dog breed to get, but the best source, IMO is dog shows, and talking to people who have a lot of experience with the breed. We found that they are candid and tell you the breed's strength AND weaknesses. After all, they don't want you to get one of their breed and be disappointed because there is something about it you didn't expect and don't like.