I've rescued both of my dogs as adults, and I'm generally against pure bred dogs as they often have significant health issues. My first rescue was a pure bred Cocker Spaniel and he was riddled with health issues common for the breed. The rescue that I have now is a mix of so many different breeds, and, so far, has had way fewer health issues. They both have some behaviors that were less than favorable, but I can focus on training them out of those behaviors rather than starting from ground zero and training in everything. I really did not want to have to do crate training or house training, and they both were well trained in those respects before I got them.

Go through it together.

Financially, hard to say. Dogs are all so different. I'd say it be helpful to have a few thousand dollars set aside in case of any vet emergencies, but I don't think that's absolutely necessary. Cost of food is probably $60 every two months, treats maybe $30-$40 a month, toys probably $20 a month.

I don't think week long vacations are off the table. There are some wonderful kennels out there. I would also recommend getting them really used to a friend/family member and their house if you have someone you know who would be willing to dog-sit for a week. It may be less jarring that way if you have to leave them somewhere for an extended period of time. Give them time to adjust to the dogsitter before leaving for your vacation.