Your dog will be part of our family while you're away. Able to run free in the yard, and play with my teenage boys. We typically do not crate unless the dog needs/prefers to be or has chewing behaviors. We had a labradoodle for 16 years and have not yet found our next pet, but miss having a dog around. I would prefer to have low to no shed dog, I do have allergies so not all dogs would be a good fit. Doodles or wheaten terriers would probably be best. I would love to take the dog for walks, we have a nice 4 mile loop that is great exercise. We are flexible with most things, assuming the dog is well trained and no aggressive tendencies.