What car should I get as a 30ish female

Hi everyone!

I’m in my early 30s, and this will be my first car. I’ve always traveled for work and never really needed one until now. I’ll mainly use it for commuting and short city trips.

I’ve been practicing driving with my boyfriend’s SUV over the past few weeks, but I still feel a bit nervous about certain things. Parking and highways are my biggest challenges, especially in busy traffic or around pedestrians.

I’m torn between getting a sedan like a Toyota Corolla, a Hyundai Elantra, or a compact SUV like a Toyota RAV4. My budget is around CAD 20K (USD 14K), so I’m looking at used cars from about 2016 to 2022.

I also have a dog, so I’d love a car that’s dog-friendly for trips together. (She’s only 25 pounds but super active, and I’ve never had this experience before, so I’m not sure what to expect.) I’ve gotten some advice from friends, but honestly, the more I hear, the more confused I feel.

Surely, I want a car that can carry things or some luggage, but I also want something that’s easy to park. So, here I am asking for advice.

Any suggestions or recommendations? I’d really appreciate the help—thanks in advance!