I am considering becoming a dog owner for the first time. There are a number of questions which I need your help with before I should go any further, as I want the best for my new dog.
Also, please don't take offense at my questions if they imply that I would not be properly looking after my dog.  These are the sorts of mistakes I wish to avoid.
1. Are some breeds specifically indoor/outdoor dogs, i.e. can they be kept outside in a kennel/dog house? (As you may have guessed from my username, the breed we are most considering is a beagle). 
2. What size of garden is necessary for keeping a dog in, (obviously would be taken for walks regularly)
3. I have read that beagles need about an hour a day of regular exercise to stay fit and healthy, is this correct?
4. Is there a valid reason for neutering dogs other than to prevent breeding, e.g. temperament?
5. At what age can a puppy be left on it's own for any length of time?  Both myself and my partner work shift patterns, so at least one of us should be there most of the time.  Alternatively, as both of us work, would it be more sensible to wait until we start 'breeding' LOL when my partner will be at home anyway?
6. What is the best way to find a responsible breeder, giving me the best chance of finding a good dog from good breeding?  Are there any certificates that they should have/give me?
Thanks in advance for all your help.
Matt

1/ you would not normally put toy breeds or short coated sighthounds outside, nor those with a lot of coat like Am Cockers.
2/Enough room to be able to take the wear from the dog running about when let out to relieve himself, this depends if it is hard standing like concrete or grass.
3/Most dogs do.
4/Not IMO - it rarely does anything to help with temperament problems.
5/A pup can be left for short periods once it can control it's bladder for the length of time it is left. If you intend to leave the pup the start with a few moments and work up to the time you intended to leave the pup, no more than 3 to 4 hours is my thoughts. Breeding should not be undertaken unless you are able to spend at least 8 weeks or until the pups have gone to new homes with them. Pups in the nest can not be left.
6/Via a Breed Club, who will also tell you the health tests if any that should be done.

Why are you talking about breeding???????? when you are first time owners and know nothing about dogs or being an owner why

I dont think their talking about the dog

You are correct, LOL, I read it wrong too but thought it was a sensible question even if you were not going to breed a litter it is as well to think about what is possible and what is not before you start. No point in buying an also ran if in the future you want to start breeding. Some people do breed from their first dog and it would be best if they buy the very best if there is any possibility of that.

Sorry have i got it wrong????

They're talking about breeding themselves - ie, having a baby! ;) :D

Hi,
1. All breeds will survive in an outside kennel (especially if it's heated) but very few will actually thrive. Almost every dog is happier being with people - that's what thousands of years of domestication does. If you want a dog to have a strong bond with you, the dog needs to be with you as much as possible. As beagles (being hounds) have a reputation for independence and unreliable recall, it would be better not to encourage it to be content alone.
2. The smaller the garden, the more the dog will need to be taken out for walks. It is perfectly possible to keep a large dog in a small house with handkerchief sized garden - but you need to do miles of walking!
3. Most dogs need at least an hour of exercise a day - even toy breeds. Hounds do indeed have a high energy level, and lots of stamina.
4. IMO there are few reasons for neutering a dog, most of which are benefits for the owner, not the dog. Only very rarely will it improve a temperament.
5. Personally I believe a young puppy shouldn't be left for more than an hour, rising to about 4 hours when it is fully housetrained. I would personally get a pup established in the family before I started introducing babies into the equation - puppies are easier!
6. Generally the best way to find a good breeder is to contact the relevant breed clubs (lists available from the KC) whose members have to abide by Codes of Conduct. Different breeds have different health problems which parents (and often puppies before sale) should be checked for, with certificates available to view.

Hope this helps - good luck!
:)
6.

Hi all,
Many thanks for all the replies.  My partner and I had lots of laughs at the confusion over breeding.  Yes, I was referring to us starting our own family, not trying to become dog breeders, (your concern for this shows how much you all care for our canine companions).
The idea behind the kennel was for an alternative to leaving the dog couped up in the house when we went out.  The main reason we want a dog is that we want to have a 'family' pet, and decided we should start with the dog before having children.  To this end we would want to spend as much time with it as we could.  This also lead to me thinking about the space in the garden to run about a bit etc.  Having read earlier posts about beagles, I realise the garden would need to be like Fort Knox, beagles being the escape artists of the canine world, so our minds on this are far from made up.
Thanks again for the help, and I look forward to hearing more advice as and when it comes in.
Matt & Caroline

Sorry about the breeding mix up Matt and Caroline :-)

No probs, although Caroline is now running down the street in her nightie after reading about us having children! LOL

keep running caroline :D

Yep, I'm sorry too that I asumed you were talking breeding dogs, now I know a bit about dogs but you are on your own when it comes to breeding childred.

Seems to me you've got at least one of the vital ingredients for dog owning - a GSOH! :)

I have a Rottie cross and an AM cocker Spaniel. Both of them are house dogs, But, When I am at work, or have to be out all day, they have a kennel and Run they go in.  It is a large kennel and a large run. I find it works great with my situation. And both my dogs are very happy. They come back in the house as soon as I get home. I do tend to keep them both inside when it is raining, just because my Am's coat gets filthy in the rain.
~HTH~
Lea :)