Be really careful in your screening of the "doodle" breeds (goldendoodle, labradoodle). I've been a dog trainer for years and the variation in these dogs amazes me. I've seen from aggressive, to well adjusted, to super-fearful. They can range from horribly hyper, to absolutely lazy, from nippy to calm, and everything in between. The retrievers are very mouth oriented and the poodles have a nervous energy that can come out in nasty ways. If you want a dog that doesn't chew this breed could be your worst nightmare, or may never chew... you just don't know.
Working at a doggy daycare, the one type of dog that I had to tell the owners they couldn't come back with the most often were doodles. They'd "nip"/bite during play and break skin (other dogs occasionally needed stitches), which was obviously grounds for instant removal from the daycare.
So meet the breeders dogs, ask to meet some of the puppy owners from previous litters (remembering you'll only get to meet satisfied customers), and get an idea of the temperaments they are producing.
My general "good family dog" recommendations are (in no specific order): Golden Retriever (from NON-WORKING/hunting lines), cavalier king charles spaniel, pug, basset hound, greyhound (choose carefully if you have cats), boston terrier.
I wouldn't look at housebreaking speed as a consideration, but definitely take chewing into consideration. Look at what the breed was bred for. Was it bred to put things in its mouth? If so, chewing may be a bigger issue. This is one of my biggest peeves as a trainer, when people truly seem shocked when their dog does what it was bred to do (my beagle barks, my border collie nips kids when they run, my terrier digs, my retriever chews... well not surprising!). So read about the breeds, think about what this means to live with this. Some of it it trainable, absolutely, but you're fighting an uphill battle.
As far as housebreaking, read up on some of the positive ways to housebreak. It involves preventing accidents, rewarding appropriate elimination, and being consistent . It shouldn't take too long, but EVERY dog is different. My one dog took 6 months (and hasn't had an accident since), my other dog took 3 days. I had a foster pup that was reliable at 5 weeks old! It's like kids, some get bladder control early and are good about it, others wet the bed until they're 7. It is a learned behavior, but it depends on physical development as well.
Here's some great info:
http://www.patriciamcconnell.com/product/way-to-go-how-to-house-train-a-dog-of-any-age
And her Puppy Primer is one of the best "how to raise a puppy" booklet, that I've ever read.
And she loves the kids too, kids are fun and throw sticks for her. She is a great dog.
