Building on what others have said already here. I think you would definitely want a 17' boat due to the dogs. Be aware that a longer boat like that can be more difficult to get off the car and down to whatever water you're accessing.

If you have the time to be on the lookout (I keep an eye on CL/FB marketplace for canoes) the occasional old town model in royalex material will show up. I believe they discontinued using this material due to the supplier not seeing enough demand for it otherwise. It is a significant weight saver and still very durable and patch-able. The modern old town 17' models are polyethylene and ~20 lbs heavier than a royalex model. You would definitely feel the difference loading/unloading and in my experience that will make you enjoy using it and want to use it more. http://canoeing.com/product/old-town-penobscot-17-rx/ You'll have to be prepared to pay for a royalex model since the folks who have them know they are worth it.

Canoeing in Maine is a great joy. My wife and I bought a canoe (royalex model) in spring of 2020 and it's been a major source of recreation/relaxation for us. I tried to over complicate it by getting a square stern with a small motor on it but we found we actually prefer to paddle.