Getting my - somewhat - first dog, I want to be sure that every base is covered

Starting with the title - although I had dogs before, I was never responsible for their education. My parents were responsible for pretty much everything, but I did grow up with dogs. For the past 3 years, I haven't had a dog - living with a flatmate, houses in the area are very restrictive regarding pets, etc.

In September, though, I'm moving to south of France on my own and I feel that this is the perfect time to get a new dog. Moreover, a friend is likely having puppies (Rough Collie) to give away at around July, which means September would be great for me to adopt one of his puppies.

Now, I know puppies are usually a headache at the start - I'm not totally unaware how troublesome they can be. I'm prepare to pay for a pet-sitter for the first few months and also, maybe 2 days a week, I'll be working from home. I'm also prepared to pay for a professional trainer for the most basic stuff, particularly because I know Rough Collies enjoy mental stimulation and, when the dog is old enough, I have the ambition of having the dog join me in my daily jogging.

However, I don't want the pet-sitter to be a constant in the dog's life and, unfortunately, I'm always more productive at the office, meaning that eventually the dog will be alone for 8 hours. Now, I know that some people are fans of crating. I'm not though - I'm fine with the dog having a crate as long as the door is always open and the dog is free to choose where he/she wants to be. So, those 8 hours, the dog will have full access to most of the house. Nevertheless, I don't want the dog to feel alone. I was thinking, therefore, of either adopting another dog or a cat (when the puppy is a bit older). I'm more inclined to adopting a cat just because I find them fascinating and I never had one. At the same time, I would feel more relaxed if I could have a cat that I could always have at home - I already checked a cat association of the area and they do have cats that match this profile. The problem is that there is a chance that I'll be getting a house with a small garden. If I have a garden, then it feels kinda obvious to allow the dog to have access to the garden. But if the dog has access to the garden, so does the cat and I'm a bit afraid for the cat's safety. Of course, none of this matter if it's an apartment.

Any tips? Am I missing any important detail?

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from Pets https://www.reddit.com/r/Pets/comments/bkmy9h/getting_my_somewhat_first_dog_i_want_to_be_sure/