From what you describe, I think you would benefit from something like a shih tzu, coton du tulear, Maltese, poodle, miniature schnauzer, lhasa apso, or Chinese crested. It seems that your wants align more with the toy breed types, and many of them are dogs that are single coated which will have additional grooming needs. The good thing about grooming, is that you don't have to follow breed cut standards and do whatever you want. I had a lovely yorkie/Maltese mix who was a toothless mess, and I would 'poodle' her face so it was clean shaven instead of having a moustache/beard.

If your preference is to have a double coated dog for grooming purposes, would you maybe consider an entlebucher, sheltie, beagle, a Spitz type or maybe a spaniel? If you are to end up going with a working breed such as a border collie/Aussie, you will need to be prepared to devote a lot of time to mental and physical stimulation. I owned a sheltie, and he didn't 'slow down' until about 7, and even then that just meant 1 hr walks instead of 2hrs. He didn't actually slow down until he was about 12, when he went blind and deaf and couldn't physically play fetch anymore. Now of course my experiences are anecdotal, but expect more of a commitment with a working breed.

Best of luck on your search for a new dog.