[EmmaB]

Okay I wasn't really sure which thread to post this in, but here you go:

My family and I are interested in adopting a dog or puppy. However, we want to do our research before we commit. My husband and I both work full time, and would be gone for about 9 hours a day. We both work about an hour away from home, so running home on lunch breaks would not be a possibility.

However, the dog would be with us in the mornings before work, and would be able to play outside or go for a walk before we leave. We are home in the evenings and rarely go anywhere on the weekends. If we do, we would take the dog with us. We definitely have the attention to give him/her when we are at home. My question is, would leaving the dog for 8-9 hours a day be alright, or would it be too much for it to handle? It's possible that we may be able to afford sending him/her to a doggy daycare once or twice a week, but I'd have to look into cost.

We have a large house where it could roam...but I'm told it'd be better to crate the dog as to avoid them chewing/destroying things out of boredom. Is this true? We have a large fenced yard, so we could also provide a doggy door for him/her to go in an out as it pleased. In our situation, would it be better to get an older dog rather than a puppy? Are there certain breeds that aren't as active, or may not need as much human attention during the day?

Anyways, I guess I'm just looking for any advice anyone might have. Thanks in advance!

[Lara's mom]

It's pretty hard to raise and train a puppy when you're away for that amount of time five days a week. I'd look for an older dog, preferably one that has been paper trained so that if he or she can't wait for you to get home, you won't have so many messes. You might also look into hiring someone to come in and take your dog for a daily walk.

It would also be helpful if one person could arrange to be home with the new dog for at least the first couple of days until he or she feels comfortable in the new environment.

[Lunareclipse]

In majority of cases, a larger brred dog can hold it longer than a small breed. So I wouldn't suggest a small breed for someone who is going to be gone for 9 hours.

[pinsnpugs]

I disagree with the small dogs have smaller bladders idea....

My suggestion based on your info, would be similar to the others. Consider an older dog. One that is housetrained already and out of the puppy stage of destruction and boredom.

Either a much older well trained puppy or an adult would be ideal for you.