I would say from reading your post that there's no way on this earth you could stand having an outside dog. The first time it rains and the poor thing is sitting in it, looking at the house, you'll be putty in it's paws. I say this from experience.
I'd say, go for a guard dog type and have it as a house dog. Unless you have valuable stock to guard at night, have your dog be an inside/outside dog. Nothing wrong with having a big barking, scary looking dog sleep on your bed at night.;)
Good luck. BTW, GSDs are great dogs. Get one from a rescue group.

I have both inside and outside dogs. Inside are 2 Shar-pei and one Corgi. Outside are 2 big hairy yellow dogs (Chow/Golden Retriever and a Shepherd/Heeler- both spayed females) and a few more Corgis. The Corgi's are kenneled but the other 2 are always loose. They sleep in the barn, on the porch, under the porch or wherever it suits them. The aged Chow-X (Sunshine) came from another horse farm and was raised in a barn. The heeler-X (Dee) I raised. She's never been tied or confined in her life. I think breed does play an important part- heelers tend to stay on their own property, as do shepherds. Plus my property is fenced, so it's easy for them to learn boundaries. Both are very friendly to 99.9% of visitors, but there has been a few that they didn't like one bit- and I ALWAYS heed the dogs' judgement. If Dee doesn't like somebody, then they are definitely asked to leave. Do you have much land? Be aware that your neighbors may not appreciate your outside dog if it wanders. Spay/neuter is an absolute must. As much as I love dogs, I will shoot any stray dog that chases my horses or ducks. Generally strays aren't a problem because of the yellow dogs, but there have been a couple...

As for breed, a GS or mix is probably a good bet. A Great Pyrenees might be a good choice if you don't mind regular grooming. Do NOT get a purebred Heeler(Australian Cattle Dog), Border Collie or Australian Shepherd unless you can provide them with a full-time job- they are extremely high energy and will invent jobs of their own- don't ask me how I know :) !! Other breeds I don't recommend- Chow or Chow-X (tend to have an unstable temperment. I love my Sunshine, but she'd be a biter if the Retriever genes weren't there to tell her no!); Hounds (tend to wander, and aren't very protective. Some of the larger hounds like Bloodhounds and Blue Ticks can be biters.); Pit Bulls (only because of their tendency to grab livestock and other small animals. I have yet to meet a Pit that is aggressive towards people).

I understand your concerns! I, too, love dogs and do not want to do anything that makes them uncomfortable. For years I lived in cities and always had only inside dogs. I still have inside dogs, two wonderful miniature pinschers who keep us informed as to what is happening in "their territory."

However, we now live on a farm with numerous predators around and about. We have two Great Pyrenees dogs that stay outside and are completely free to roam as they see fit. They are not affected by cold weather and if fact become almost puppylike when it gets cold enough to be uncomfortable for us humans. When I invite them in for a little loving they begin to pant almost immediately. When it gets very hot we have an old cellar (root cellar) that they can retreat to. They can go into the barn or come onto the front porch of our house to get out of the rain. We keep self feeders holding 50 lbs of food available to them at all times. Neither they nor I feel that they are mistreated......we keep Top Spot on them to keep off the ticks, give them heart worm meds once a month, the go for their yearly shots and get grooming on an as needed basis.

In return they keep our poultry safe from predators, watch over the house and farm 24/7. They do not bite, nor even growl, but few people will venture out of their cars when they arrive at our home without our presence. 8) A pretty good deal for us and the Pyrs, we think!

I was gonna post on this but everyone else seem to have covered it well. S I will say that we to have an outside dog and she has been one all her life and is really nervous the few times we have brought her in. she seems to like the outside best. If you have a decent house for her/him outside and can teach them to stay on the property then there is no reason they can;t stay out even in inclement weather. We have neighbors that don't have any outside houses for their outside dogs I hate that, I also hate to see a chained dog that never gets any attention or one that has a tiny fenced in area. I understand that not everyone can have a free range dog L but if you are gonna have a pet then you should be responsible for its happiness. Oh my I have started a rant I think LOL can ya tell this is a pet peeve of mine I guess S good luck with your decision I know you will be a good owner or you wouldn't even be asking the questions. S

chicken ingenue

My best farm dog was a golden retriever. I had two over the years and they were both fantastic but one of them, Max, was tops.

He slept in the barn or on the porch as he saw fit. On cold mornings I would go out on the porch to find him totally covered with barn cats. They snuggled up next to him for warmth.

He was very protective, more than usual for a golden, and it wasn't just the humans he looked out for. He watched out for the chickens, baby goats, cats, whatever.

When I went out to feed the horses in the dark of morning or check on them during a storm he always stayed by my side - even when I could tell he was tired and wanted to go back to whatever nest he had made that night.

One day Max, and 14 other dogs in a two mile radius, disappeared. The local sherrifs dog was among the bunch. He said he believed that it was people who are proffessionals at picking up dogs and selling to laboritories out of state. All of the dogs fit his description - farm dogs who could always be found at home.

My other golden was a sweetheart but none ever matched up to Max.

oh My that was heartbreaking

Thanks for the advice, I knew it would be a matter of opinion;) I know breed can be important but also the way an animal has been raised and like anything, the individual animal's personality. Shakeytail, I'm glad you've had good results with your chow mix dogs but also appreciate the word of caution. I hate to say it but that is one breed I would never have. Seems that both sets of neighbors that lived next door over the years loved chows. They have caused me more than a little grief. They just seem so unpredictable, even if they are loyal to one person or owners. Anyway, I've enjoyed reading your thoughts, I'm still thinking. Lori

I'm so glad to see you used the term dogs with and 's' (plural) as I believe you should never keep a lone dog outside. Two or more dogs outside can be happy and healthy. And if their home will be outside, whether they have run of your place or somewhat confined, please please please don't scrimp on training. Especially 'come' and 'stay' Enjoy your pups!

I'd like to get in on this thread. I have had two English Springer Spanels that have lived in our barn for 12 years. We have 100 acres on a lake and they are free to roam 24/7 I have never had one run away or get into trouble. I go on vacation every year and leave them alone with the exception of a caretaker who comes to the farm everyday to feed our animals. Last year one died and I've been looking for a companion for the other. I'm having a hard time finding the right kind of dog. My 8 year old daughter would like a smaller dog that she can have in and outside.
Any ideas on a small dog that would enjoy the freedom of a farm life?

My maltese/pomeranain mix lives inside, but she acts like a big ol' hounddog when she gets to go outside! LOL, she's a great dog to have inside, and to let her go out every now and then to play with the ducks and cats! LOL....but I definitely wouldn't recommend that kind.. Angel is very rare by the way she acts... She is a huge dog in a small dog's body.... LOL

What about an cocker spaniel? Since you've had spaniels you know how they act, and you could give it the right care it needs. They are med. sized dogs. Not too big...not too small. They are sweet, but some can be snappy with kids, but as long as they were raised with them I don't think they would be a problem.