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Oh, they will sleep when you sleep in that case. Not a problem. Even when mine were puppies, they slept through the night after they had become acclimated to the house for a week or so.
I guess my thing is, I do very much like the *idea* of having a dog, I am just concerned about a number of the inconvenient real-world details, like expense and how to get it outside to do its business in mosquitoey or blizzardy/freezy weather
Expense is an issue. Dogs are not cheap. The initial costs are higher than cats, although the food costs vary with size. I spend $60/month/dog for two dogs on food, and $350/year/dog on vet visits.
The smaller ones tend to be more hyperactive, have more personality issues than large ones in my experience. It depends on the dog's personality. But then the large ones are capable of inflicting a lot more damage (to house, kids, innocent bystanders) just by accident. So, you have to research breeds a lot, even if you're looking for a mutt. It sounds like a longhaired breed would be good for Canada, though--the shorthaired ones can't stand the cold for very long, but then they don't get sufficient exercise indoors either. A doublecoated breed (Pyrenees, Newf, Collie, Malamute) can take any weather.
One pro you might not have considered: If you, like me, are not a huge fan of organized exercise, a dog will force you to get very regular exercise. I can't put off the morning/evening walkies, not for anything short of "DH, I am at death's door, my last request is for you to walk the dogs." It is more pleasurable in winter than other types of exercise. I have big dogs, so I took them skijoring last winter, and it was great fun. A big dog can also be trained to pull a garden cart and help you with chores, too. However, big dogs are also not really for homes with small children. Older children who don't mind being knocked down by a wagging tail, yes, small children not so much.
A dog's presence and scent are often enough to keep predators and rabbits and that sort of thing at bay. I found the coyotes kept their distance from the house as soon as we got our first puppy. Also handy for scaring off door-to-door salespeople, unwanted visitors, scamming "contractors," and other persons of no account.
ETA: I was very much a cat person before I got a dog. When I did get one, it was because the predators were so aggressive about people around here, and I am a lousy shot with a gun--foxes, coyotes, etc. will literally walk right up to humans in these parts, with no fear. I couldn't hit the broad side of a barn from 20 feet away, though, so gun was out of the question. I got a working breed known for its decidedly un-clingy catlike personality, and was quite happy with the result. Charlie, my Pyr, converted me to dogs, although I still like working dogs AND cats better than the little bitty toy dogs. But I did the same thing you are doing, contemplating all the bad parts (drool, fur, chewed furniture, housebreaking) before signing on. I think it's better, really, to consider all the bad aspects and THEN decide you still want a dog--there are so many dogs in shelters and getting euthanized because owners didn't expect or want to deal with the sort of usual things that dogs do. That you accept that dogs can be sort of crummy sometimes and are willing to deal with all that anyway, means you will be responsible and give a dog a forever home.
