"Starter" dog?

[Certix]

I'm thinking of adopting my very first pet dog! All my life I have had pets. Cats, birds, newts, snakes, spiders... Yeah, but I have never had a dog before!
So, a few questions! (I did look in another similar thread and checked out a few sites posted.)
I have 5 acres of land with nothing but grass. And trees. but mostly grass.
I want a smaller dog, but it must be an outside dog. (All this land, yet our house is TINY!)
I have a cat. I know some dogs are bred to chase cats and other animals, so I really don't know which would be easier to train not to chase the cat, or those that come "pre-trained" so to speak.
So, what would be a good dog that could be easily trained not to be a cat chaser, would work well in a large field of grass, is not a huge dog (I think my limit be 50 lbs and only if the dog is severely obese LOL), and should I begin with a puppy, young dog, or elder dog?

Thanks for any tips. :)
Actually, I should say that I LOVE German shepherds. My dad owned one for almost 15 years, and she was the best. She wasn't really mine, but for the first 7 years of her life I was growing up right along with her!
Since I'm not sure how to reply to other answers (if that is possible?) I'll answer a few concerns.

By outside dog, I do not mean to banish it! My family is not THAT animal-hating.
But.. think of an apartment. Now add 5 people. That's my house. A dog wouldn be extra crowd.
As for bringing it in, it WILL be in the house! Our cat is an outside cat, but we allow her to come in whenever she wants.
My idea is to build a small dog pen in the backyard to keep it in during the night and when there's no one at the home. While we do live far from the road, there are always accidents.
If it was my home, the dog would be an inside dog regardless of size/specie/gender/etc. But it is not.
One half of my family has no problem with having an inside dog. The other half refuses it to be an inside dog. I am literally in the middle; I can go both ways! :)

[BigLover43]

why don't you go and have a look in your local shelter? They temp test the dogs and should be able to tell you what the are like with cats, Make sure you have good fencing too. If you go to a shelter you don't have to look for something in particular, one will just all of a sudden take your eye.....and your heart.

[DavitO]

Get a german shepard if you love them.

Get a puppy so you can train it the way you want, this way you can train it right from the start teh chasing th cat is a big no no.

I have 3 kelpies, one being very tall, one being very skinny and the other being chubby.

You won't have to worry about exercise though because you have so much area.

Check out this site for dogs avaible.(If you're in Australia)
http://www.dogzonline.com.au/breeds/puppies.asp

[daytoday]

What about a border collie. They are wonderful working dogs and would love the room to roam around.

[CapGun23]

I would advise you NOT to get a dog.
Why? Your statement that it must be an outside dog. You cannot banish a dog to the outside, They need to be part of a pack. Also you want a smaller dog ~ how are they to fend for themselves against other animals outside? What about weather? I think that the cat is the least of your problem. My 2 dogs and my 2 cats are fine together. If anything, the cats rule. But they are all part of the same pack. I think you need to rethink this some more.

[Boomhowwer]

I want to say dogs are pack animals and love to be inside with their owners! Try to reconsider the outside thing.
Your place sounds great otherwise for any dog to love. If you are planning on adopting from a shelter tell them about your cat, some dogs are just fine with cats and other animals. If they know your lifestyle they will be better able to help pick the perfect dog for you.
In my opinion a little bit older dog is what you would want.

[celebritymobile]

Congrats on getting your first dog! Obviously, don't get a working/herding dog. Though they do well with land, they may herd your cat. (I have an Australian Cattle dog who thinks he is the dog park police.)

German shepherds can be a lot of work for your first dog. It really depends on how well they are bred. They also have a tendency to have hip dysplasia, which can be devastating to you and expensive. Labs and other dogs can have this too.

Mixed breed dogs from a shelter or rescue group are great b/c they have less congenital (from birth, genetics) health problems. For example, my german shep-golden retriever mix is 4 yrs old about 45 lbs, and she has the cleanest whitest teeth and no health problems, whereas my ACD has had irritable bowel disease and has to have a special food.

I'd get a puppy from 6 mo.-2 years. Actually you won't have to house train it much since it's staying outside, so you could get a puppy too. Read up on positive reinforcement training; it's the best. If you get an older dog, they could have had a rough upbringing, and that means issues.

Good luck!

[choicepick]

Don't get anything that is a Terrier! Those are bred to hunt and will want to "exercise" your kitty. So that being said, no Terriers :) I also would not get a herding breed such as an Aussie, Border Collie, Kelpie or any other herding breed. This is A LOT of dog that NEEDS a job! You have to train lots and be willing to exercise it everyday. They may be smart, but they can learn bad habbits just as fast as good ones.

I would suggest going to your shelter, or a rescue. Be careful with the German Shepherds because they can have bad hip problems since they are being bred to ride so low in the back end. Labs and Goldens are also good dogs, but can also have hip and elbow issues.

I think it's best to get an older dog. Some rescues won't let you adopt if the dog has to be an outdoor dog. If you go with an older dog, you know the personality, if it will be good with your kitty friends and if it'll be easy to train. Most rescues will test the dogs with cats and tell you if they are good or not.

I have found it best to get a dog who is over a year. They don't have puppy issues such as chewing and getting into trouble. Also if it HAS to be an outside dog, a puppy is not a good choice. It could easily get cold, run out in the road or get into some other trouble. Puppies are a ton of responsibility and they need a lot of training. Puppies need to be indoors where is warm.

So check out the shelter and www.petfinder.com

Good luck