dog breed for country living

[2ndGear]

I recently bought a 5 acre wooden lot on a really quiet dirt road in the Ottawa Region. I will only build a house in a couple of years, so I have PLENTY of time to choose the right breed, but I would like to start researching right away. I want to make sure that my dog will be extremely happy where he is.

So here are some specific wish-list items. (I realize there is no perfect dog, I am just trying to narrow my choices down. )

1. He must be good with other breeds, including small dogs, and young children (my sister has a yorkie and they need to get along fine.)

2.The breed must be independant. There will be nobody around from 8-5 on weekdays, and I don't want to come back to a sad dog. He needs to be able to entertain himself in that time without demolishing the house/yard.

3. Because there's squirrels,deers and birds and bunch of other exciting things going on in the country, I'd rather not have a dog that barks too much.

4. I prefer medium to large dogs.

5. I'd also like him to have a low-shedding coat. Brushing once a week or less would be ideal.

6. As mentioned, I don't want him to be fenced in, and because I don't think my neighbours would appreciate unanounced visitors, it would be great if he would be of a breed that sticks to their territory, even unleashed.

7. Exercise wise, I don't think I would find the time to go for a walk everyday. I'd most certainly take him outside and walk around the lot, but his exercise would mostly be being able to be loose around the yard when I'm there to romp around.

Last but not least, I would love the dog to really enjoy the country living. Few dogs have the opportunity to live on a quiet rural road where they can explore little critters and stomp in puddles freely, and I want to make sure he'd be in heaven in that type of setting. My sister's yorkie walks around the lot and tiptoes around the muddy areas asking to be picked up...haha..she's adorable, but I'm looking for a more robust country-loving breed.

Suggestions for outdoor dogs are also welcome. I think it would be great if I could find a breed that would love to be outdoors on our cold winter days and our warm summer days (it's never too bad in the forest..) nd not be too miserable if not around his family.

Thank you in advance for any suggestions!