My wife, 2 kids(12 and 15) and i would love a dog but the trouble is all of us are out from 8am-4pm due to work and school. I am able to come home for around 40mins at lunch time and it would get a long walk in the morning and after work and would get lots of love and attention. Is there any dog that could cope being left this long?? We would love to get a puppy and i am really sure we can give it all it needs and more. I had a X-breed before we had the kids and this routine worked out fine.
Thanks
Paul

I'm afraid I would not be happy for any of my puppies to go to this sort of lifestyle.  You will, undoubtedly get posters telling you how it has worked out very well for them unfortunately the posters that we get here sometimes with problems stemming from this sort of thing will tend not to post on this. 
The problem as I see it is, whilst some dogs may adapt and accept this level of human contact (although it does not necessarily follow that they are happy) other will not and unlike trying out blankets instead of duvets, for instance, if it doesn't work out to everyones satisfaction you can revert and put down the cost of the wasted blankets to experience if this experiment fails that is a real live living creature facing rehoming.  Rehoming is a very unsettling event for most dogs particularly if they have already developed anxieties about being left, the next home if they are not terribly experienced may also find it difficult and may also be forced to give up and so it goes on.......... not to mention the upset for the children and pain for yourself.

I agree with Isabel, about having a pup.  However there would be older dogs that could adapt to being left so long and the breed of dog that instantly comes to mind would be a retired Greyhound, they are notoriously lazy and infact some are just happy to laze around all day curled up on the sofa.

They make wonderful companions and are great kind gentle dogs who love children (well most of them) I find them enchanting dogs. :)

Yes, with an adult at least you know how they have developed emotionally and the rescue, or whatever, can really assess them as to how they might adapt to this lifestyle with pups it is such an unknown quantity.

I believe a lot of people recomend greyhounds for this type of lifestyle.  If you get a adult one then you will be helping to save ones life as so many are disregarded once their racing career is over.