Again?? Gandalf this is already second time you’ve done this

Nah, the hobbits were perfect for the job because they were naturally content, the ring didn’t have the same power because their ambition topped out at plans for a third breakfast but they could never find a way to fit it in before first brunch.

The pipe weed likely contributed to both.

Also Gandalf has been tracking the ring and knew that a Hobbit cousin (ancestor?) had held onto it for centuries in the past while just fucking chilling.

He had a sample size of one, but Smeagle is the real reason why Gandalf choose hobbits. He might be a methhead by the first book, but no other sentiment creature could resist for months, let alone the time it took to turn into Gollum, who still managed to live a relatively harmless life.