Maybe you could look for an in-home boarding and work out a rate with them if you are their regular client then it could cost less but probably still more than $12 for a day instead of an hour walk. Its pretty good value considering there will be someone with them most of the time while your at work.

I keep the pups in the kitchen behind a child gate while at work. Then they are with us when we are home (no crates at all)
I had Lucy for 4 years by herself - she did fine. BUT when we got her a sister, she has been become very happy & more active!

The x-pen idea with pee pads is super except for one thing...

You'd have to make sure the pup(s) don't have ANY intestinal parasites. My boy is still working hard to get over coccidia, and we've had him on meds for it for a week and a half. If the pup accidentally eats any of his poop, or licks his dirty bum after a poop, or even steps in his poop then licks his paw clean later, the parasite will re-infect him. That would definitely be an issue in an xpen unsupervised all day, IF your pup were to have a parasite. We have to be constantly watching Nikko, cleaning up his poop right after he goes then bleaching the area, and also washing his paws and bum immediately so that he doesn't have the chance to lick them.

There are good reputable breeders that you can get a dog from who will hopefully not have any parasites, but nothing's guaranteed I guess, probably. I was a fool and bought Nikko from a backyard type breeder that I didn't know enough about - at least don't make that mistake! I know I never will again...

Lauren & Nikko

Suri has an x pen with her food at one end and her potty pad at the other. (I use the kitty food and water container, like the ones you fill up for dogs just smaller. I was always scared to put a dog bowel cause she may knock it over of drown in it, so these work perfect) I am in nursing school and my hours are all over the place and she gets along just fine. (2-8 hours at a time, but not usually that long because I have study groups at my house) just be very careful what you put in with your pup, most toys should only be given to dogs being supervised and can potentially be lethal when left alone. So before you put anything in there ask yourself is it safe. I know I worry too much, but as long as my little girl is safe I don't care. I also put a kitty snuggle sack with her to sleep.
As far as crates, she sleeps in a crate at night with her snuggle sack. As soon as I open it she runs in and gets snuggled in for bed.
As far as two dogs, male sure you can care for one before you add. You sound like you have everything under control and will make great parents!

Buttons is 3 and has always used the doggie door while we are gone. My hubby comes home for lunch a few time a week ( has his own business) to keep the little furbutt happy. Sometimes I take him to work with me. He mostly sleeps in the sun during the day. I wish I had gotten 2 at the same time, so they could keep each other company. Good luck.

My dog is crate trained, and stays in her crate while I'm at work (I work a full time job). If you get a dog accustomed to a crate at an early age, they view it as a den rather than a cage, and feel quite content and cozy inside it. I feel that crating is really the safest option for the dog, since it eliminates the possibility of eating something dangerous while the owner is away or knocking something over on themselves.

The real key to making working long hours and owning a dog work is to spend the time that you *do* have with your dog being very, very active. I get up in the morning a full hour before I need to leave for work. 20 minutes of that time I spend showering and dressing. The other 40 minutes, I run around outside with the dog. After work, I run around with the dog even more. On the weekends, we will hike for miles and miles or go to the dog park to burn off energy. I do the very best I can to wear her out, and I feel really satisfied to see her flop in her crate when we're through with our crazy games and it is time for me to go somewhere.

In an ideal world, we could all stay home with our dogs whenever we like-- but it is still entirely possible in the imperfect world to have a dog and a busy life too.

crate training is NOT good if you can't be there to let them out every couple hours. Some do pee and poop in their crates(they don't like too), but, you can't expect a 12 week old puppy to stay in a crate all day. They say 1 hour for every month, so, if your dog is 4 mos old, 4-5 hours is the longest they should be in there. If someone is working all day, imo, an xpen is the way to go, they need to be able to move around and not be in one small area for the whole day. I sure wouldn't want someone putting me in a little cage for the day with no where to potty or move around

Maybe the caveat on my post should be that she is full grown and a rather large yorkie-- she really has no problem holding it until we get home at night. I got her when she was about five months old, and for the first few months I would come home twice during long work days to run her outside so that there would be no accidents. She's nearly two now and no longer needs to go out as frequently, but if I am working a really long day I will still drive home during my lunch hour to take her outside.

There's not anything mean about crating a dog when it is looked at from a dog's perspective. It is their den. If the crate is appropriately sized (i.e., large enough for the dog to stand up, stretch out fully, and comfortably turn around) and if they have some safe toys and cuddly blankets in there, crate trained dogs are usually happy and well-adjusted dogs.

My brothers miniture pinchers are crated during the day.. he started off keeping them in the blocked off kitchen, but Rocky decided the table would be his new chew toy :rolleyes:

Casey and Rocky both absolutely LOVE their crates, all you have to say is "kennel up" and they run for it. Sometimes when you get home and open the door to the crates they don't come right out because they are just so comfy. They sleep in them at night as well.

As long as the crates are the correct size, and your puppy is physically able to hold their bladders that long, there is nothing wrong with crating. I plan to crate my yorkie, although she won't have to be in it often as someone is usually home. If it gets to the point where she is alone more than a couple days a week, I will probably get a x-pen so she has more room to move around.

I would adopt an adult dog. So many need homes and the price is better. The 2 rescues I have right now are 5 years old and can hold it all day. Also I can trust them to have free run of the house without worrying if they are chewing and getting into things. The great thing about getting a rescue is you can ask for a mellow dog that will be fine alone all day. Its a win win for both of you :)

I agree with phfgrl about the sleeping and playing so I think it will work if you decide to get one. I am home but they do spend alot of time sleeping.