I have massive guilt issues leaving Snickers home alone so I know exactly what you mean! Snickers gets up about 7am (I'm up at 6am, he snoozes with his Dad) and at 7am he needs to pee/poop. Then he runs right back to bed with Daddy and sleeps in bed until my husband showers until about 8:00. Then my honey feeds, plays, and walks him. Snick is then home alone from about 8-11am. My husband comes home for lunch from 11-12:15pm and then Snick is home alone again from about 12:30-3:45pm. We close all bedroom doors and he spends most of his time in our grandroom in his bed and looking out the window in the kitchen.
Then from 3:45pm onward someone is home and he has a blast. On the weekend if we try to leave him home he has a fit and barks up a storm b/c he knows it's the weekend. On weekdays he doesn't make a peep as long as his routine is followed. On weekends, if we are going out late, we will ask Snicks grandparents
to watch him and they always do. Both sets of grandparents adore him so we are lucky with that.
We are planning on getting a 2nd puppy this summer in June 2010. I can't wait to feel less guilty leaving Snick home alone with his new brother.
Hugs-
Snick & Viv