I would consider a feist and the various cur breeds. They make great companion dogs and very loyal. also you mentioned you hunted squirrels, there aint nothing like hunting squirrels and coon behind a cur or feist. I have a 2 yr old boy and the dog and him get along fine. the feist are small, they dont eat much and dont require very much space. I would stay very far from a Jack russel, they tend to get aggresive and hyper active, plus if you want something to hunt with also dont leave the house with out a shovel if you get a jrt, they will go down any hole they can fit into. go to sqdog.com and read up on the curs and feist on the message boards
Terry