Your opinions on good dog breeds please

I have a lab shephard cross, at least that's what the pound said he was and he's been a great dog. I got him at about a year old and he wouldn't come near me for the first 3 days. He didn't have a problem with the wife or my 2 daughters though. I figured out in a very short while that his first master must have beat him with some kind of stick a lot. I had a buddy visit from the coast for the weekend years back who was on crutches for a broken ankle and as soon as Chris dropped his crutches Mutley quit barking at him so I picked up the crutches and he started barking at me. Now he's over 12 years old and will not leave my side and is my best bud in the world. He tolerates the rest of the family now.:-D