Hello there!

I've seen a fair few people say they will not home a puppy to full time workers, regardless of experience/ways the enquiring parties will accommodate the needs of their dog.

On the one hand I understand completely. It's part of the reason I've told my partner we can't get a dog - he wants to follow in his family's footsteps and have a Labrador, I don't feel we are good enough to home a dog due to working. He disagrees.

His main area of disagreement is that because he works nights 4 nights a week, a 15 minute drive away, and I work days, with a maximum of a one hour period between my leaving in the morning/his getting back, we wouldn't be rejected quite so coldly as those who work the same 9-5 day shift.

I'm not convinced. Many breeders seem to have a very negative view of anyone who works full time, and that's their right as a breeder. I don't want to get my hopes up, only to be crushed each and every time. I don't want to go to the effort of explaining our situation, our experience, the fact our social life is made up of going for walks and entertaining the inlaws dog, only to be told by breeders (and many Labrador rescues) that we are simply not good enough to have a dog.

If we can't go through a reputable breeder/rescue, I don't want a dog at all. Which is why I'm posting here, because I would rather get some feedback then react accordingly than allow myself to believe his optimism only to be crushed.

Obviously nit going to go into detail on our situation, because the work arrangements I think will be the biggest issue. It just seems the moment "full time" is mentioned, everything else is dismissed due to suitability concerns.

So do those of you who refuse to home to full time workers do so on a blanket basis, regardless of schedules? Or is it more complex than that?

Ask yourself this question.  Would I leave a new born baby at home alone and go back to full-time work?  Answer would probably be no.  A puppy needs you 24/7 for at least 6 months to a year.   A puppy needs guidance and cuddles.

I think that's what my partner is questioning though; the pup wouldn't be left alone, even though we both work full time. At most an hour, and he had the luxury of arranging his night shifts so that the hour wouldn't exist and there would be a constant human presence.

Whilst I agree with the sentiment of your reply, it does tell me that there is more of a blanket "full time, no" view than perhaps my partner realises. He had thought people would take into account the fact our full time work falls onto opposite shifts, and our doggy backgrounds rather than immediately latching onto one thread in the tapestry as it were.

A puppy does not need you 24/7 for 6-12 months.  They need to learn to cope with being left alone, for a start - 24/7 company for 6-12 months is an excellent way to create serious separation anxiety.  Plenty of puppies can be taught how to be happy alone with full time workers.  The first few weeks, yes - that requires a lot more but taking time off to have those weeks gives an owner an opportunity to teach pup how to be by themselves in a gradual, kind way.  I absolutely do not agree with people buying a pup at the weekend then going back to work on Monday (or whatever work pattern they have) but with time allowed for adjustment, no problem.

Full time worker owners are not ideal, but it's more and more typical, and with the wealth of daycare, pet sitters and dog walkers available now, it's perfectly manageable.  Some will have family or friends to look after pup during working hours.  Obviously research has to come into it when choosing a breed, but even then, with the right input when the owner is home and care taken in those early days, it can be just fine.

I'd take it into consideration.....I don't think puppies are the same as human babies and to be honest I think it's a ridiculous comparison, I also think it's a big mistake to never leave them on their own.

There are far worse things you can do to a pup than leave it on its own for an hour a day.

1.   It depends on the breed.   I wouldn't sell a puppy of mine to anybody who worked full time.   I have to say one couple went away, arranged for half the neighbourhood to come in when they weren't home, I relented.    Generally speaking however, no way.   If you saw a puppy in his original home, with his siblings, you'd understand what it would be like for a puppy coming from that situation into a strange place, with strangers and then those 'strangers' disappeared too.   
2.   Yes it can work, but 9 out of 10 times it doesn't.   Housetraining takes forever, some puppies can be very noisy and destructive, and by the time they reach puberty, are just hooligans.  
3.   I know times have changed and far more people have to work full time these days, but the bottom line is having a pet, any pet really, is a luxury, not a necessity and priorities have to be set.   People who think taking on a dog is okay when they are not there for 8 hours during the day, and then 8 hours sleeping when they are, are kidding themselves.   Unfortunately we live in a 'want it all' world now.   And incidentally on the nights your husband works, he will presumably want to be sleeping during the daytime - what about the dog/puppy especially, then?

There was a recent survey done involving about 40 dogs in one town.   Cameras were set up in the homes where people were out all day (this was with adult dogs, not puppies too).   The results - about 6 were 'okay'.   Another 6 were showing signs of separation problems and the rest .... suffice to say they paced, howled, barked, were destructive (which obviously the owners already knew about) and messed (ditto re owners knowing about).   Many of the owners, being shown the results, were stunned.  Quite a few were actually reduced to tears watching.   Clearly most thought their dogs slept all the time they were out - which of course, they don't.   Even in the wild, those left behind when the main pack went off hunting, were on alert, watching for the return of the pack.   It's not often much different for our dogs.

Just to add had we not been able to afford for me to stop working, at least for the first 6 months, there quite literally would have been no dog (hound).   I went back part time (3 hours mid-day).   He went back to messing indoors.

I know you don't want to hear this, but quodos to those breeders who prefer not to sell to people working full time.   Because they know what could happen!

ps   To rely on others to step in when you can't be there isn't right.   It's not their dog and it may not always be convenient.

Oh no, what I want to hear are the voices of reason so I can tell my partner that I'm not being unreasonable with my "we can't have a dog" stance.

Obviously I'd love a dog. When I worked with dogs I saw the spectrum of dogs who had never learned to cope by themselves (those with 24/7 owners,  and those left alone 8 hours a day), and that makes me nervous.

He has a list of answers to most things, from dog walkers to the fact the nights he works I won't be working, but I just wanted a nice spectrum of reasons why even with our patterns it's not an ideal situation. I would love to go back to being active in the local dog training club, and I'd love to get back into canicross, but .... I don't know, I think he's being naïve to assume a responsible breeder would even consider us.

That sounds like I don't want a dog. I do. But I also want him to be aware of how the situation is likely to be viewed. I long ago accepted breeders would say no regardless of anything else on offer, and I think he's forgotten his family only had Labradors because his mother stayed at home.

"I don't want to go to the effort of explaining our situation.........." 

This is a huge mistake, it is so important that you do explain your situation and how you plan to fit a puppy in to it.  As you can see from the mixed replies, for some breeders it would be a definite no and for others they would consider full time workers depending on their individual situation.

Oh no, I meant here, on Champdogs. I didn't want to explain everything here, because I didn't want to write everything we'd discuss with a potential breeder when I'm just looking to see if my stance is as unreasonable as he thinks really.

If after all the discussions and showing him this thread we decide to move forward with the puppy searching that's different. But I'm not sure the ins and outs of our situation are necessarily important for this thread. I just know that if I encountered some of the responses here on my initial phone call I'd be heart broken. He would take it better, but I don't want to find myself coming back to feeling like we can't offer a good enough home for any dog.

Guess I'd rather face the negative opinions on a message board and show them to him, than ring up and feel like I was stupid for thinking we were good enough I guess?

I know I'm not a breeder so have no "right" to respond but I want to give my views all the same.  Firstly, your husband works nights so therefore he presumably sleeps during the day when you are at work.  What will the puppy do whilst he's sleeping and how will he (husband) deal with the housetraining?  You come home from work, have a few hours up and then you go to bed when husband is working.  More sleep time for puppy.  OK, puppies sleep a lot but they also have needs such as play and cuddle time, not to mention housetraining.  Maybe you need to persuade breeders that the waking hours a day/night there will be someone with the new puppy will be adequate?

No, no, everyone of us loves dogs so we all have a right to respond :).

We haven't talked to any breeders, it's more that we've been settled into the house for a year now and he wants to start the process of looking.

I on the other hand think he's being naïve. I'm reluctant to go into detail on our situation on here, because whilst the theory is sound puppies have a schedule all their own.

I think he just wants a puppy, is getting Labrador sick because he looks after our in-laws dog during the week, and he thinks my anxiety on being a good dog owner is clouding my judgement.

Might be worth sitting down with your partner and working out between you just how long each day a puppy would be left for.
When I first decided to get a pup I worked two part time jobs and my mother who I live with works full time. So I sat down and worked out  what times someone would be with the puppy (not including sleeping) and how long it will be left during work times and other times  ect. Turned out it was alot more time alone for the puppy than I though it would have been so much so the pup would spend more time alone then with someone. So I quit one of the jobs.

For me I wouldn't refuse someone as soon as I heard they worked full time however I would discuss it with them and find out the above and what they planned to do if this time alone was too long, like walkers ect.

There was a recent survey done involving about 40 dogs in one town.   Cameras were set up in the homes where people were out all day (this was with adult dogs, not puppies too).

Do you mean the TV program  "Dogs-their secret lives" ?

If so not a real scientific study, done by Mark Evans(ex RSPCA chief exec & PDE vet) & a Vet Nurse with a degree in canine behaviour.

If not the size of the survey, 40, is not a big enough sample to make any sort of valid scientific claims.

The growth of the Professional Dog Walking industry, shows that many working owners do make provision for their dogs. Dog Walking doesn't involve just walking dogs, but visiting, playing etc dogs in their own homes.

I'm not a breeder & never had been, I have worked full time, but luckily my dogs were part & parcel of my work.

I do not think you can paint a universal picture of full time working owners being unsuitable for puppy/dog ownership, every situation is different.& consideration given to individual circumstances & breed does come into it of course.

I have no thoughts cast in stone about the scenario, I can see both sides.

As above, not a breeder.

If someone asked me about having a dog and working full time, my inclination would be to say it's not a good idea speaking purely from the dogs point of view. However, my niece and her husband work full time and almost a year a go got a cocker spaniel pup. They each took two weeks off work, one after the other, in order to be with the new pup in those vital first few weeks. They employed a dog walker to come in and let the pup out and play with him for a while, several times a day. My niece came home at lunchtime and her husband is back home by 5.30 most evenings. So it can be done. The dog walker now only comes in the afternoon and he is walked both morning and afternoon before and after work. They've also found a good dog day care and he is going to go there twice a week soon. The dog is turning out very well, very social, and no signs of SA.
So, yes, it can be done if you are organised, can manage your time efficiently and have a bit of money to employ dog walkers (after all your husband does need to,sleep sometime during the day).

Is there any way that he could be persuaded to take on a young adult, not a puppy? My husband used to work nights and we found that after a morning walk our dogs were quite happy to sleep on the bed with my husband, waking up when he did. Although I must admit my husband could never sleep for 8 hours right through and would often sleep for 5 then get up, mouch around a bit and then go back for another nap before showering and going to work.
I'm getting the vibe from your posts that you aren't that keen on getting a puppy but don't want to be the "big bad wolf" by saying no. My husband wanted a Malamute, I knew it wasn't possible with my vallhunds, so I let him talk to owners at Discover Dogs and they made him realise it wasn't a good idea. Perhaps my suggestion could be the compromise.

Something worth considering: if you do sit down and work out the practicalities of taking on a puppy - don't forget to add 'feed times' into the equation. At first a puppy is going to need regular feed/toilet training/play times and as most of these happen during the day (3 to 4 feeds on a regular basis for starters), this will mean broken sleep patterns for a night worker.

> Do you mean the TV program  "Dogs-their secret lives" ?

I really can't remember and actually don't think Mark Evans was involved?   I have little time for that man.    However, even if it wasn't 'big enough' the results were significant and showed how many people didn't realise what they were putting their dogs through.  Which I feel relevant.   Of course circumstances change - at one point when we hit a bad spell, I had to go back to work which where it was, meant 3 days a week 9 - 5, with travelling added in.   I worked Tuesday - Thursday.   I started by coming home mid-day but by the time I'd driven home, the time I spent with my hounds was short and I felt did more to disturb them than anything else.  I couldn't ask my neighbour to come in but did leave my contact number in case the power went out or other emergency.   We had numbers so they had their own company but the result was once I could stop working again, which I did asap, if we went out during the evening for quite a long time after all that, they weren't clean where they had been - because they didn't know how long we'd be leaving them for.   Of course all situations are different and some manage to be able to work and have a dog but as a breeder, generally speaking I didn't sell to people working full time because I knew the limitations of my particular breed in terms of spending hours alone.

I'm a firm believer however in it not being possible, or taken as read, for people to have 'it all'.   Priorities.

Charlie Brown the only difference I found between puppies and babies is that one is hairy and the other isn't and I've had babies and owned puppies.    Just as an aside I believe you should always have a dog before having a baby to realise what hard work having a baby is.

> I wouldn't sell a puppy of mine to anybody who worked full time

Ditto.  My breed would be distraught.

If you are comfortable that you can manage the situation, is there any reason why you have to give chapter and verse on your life to a breeder? Who don't you just give the answers you need to give. You are not being evil / deceitful, you're making an informed decision.

> If you are comfortable that you can manage the situation, is there any reason why you have to give chapter and verse on your life to a breeder? Who don't you just give the answers you need to give. You are not being evil / deceitful, you're making an informed decision.

While of course everybody's lives are private, the trouble with that is some of the life-style of some people may well be relevant to whether or not they are suitable to take on the huge needs of a puppy (particularly).  And being comfortable about managing the situation may not be the case in reality.  Again, the huge needs of a puppy - some people don't appreciate what that really means until they experience this first-hand.

As said, I had a couple who went above and beyond with what they put in place for one of our puppies, to the point I gave in and let them have him.   It was against my better judgement, but it did all work out fine, thankfully.   When you meet people sometimes allowances have to be made, but generally speaking, putting a blanket no to working couples, is probably the best option.  IMO

I would, as a breeder, take the time to meet you and listen to how you are going to manage with the puppy during the first few weeks and then afterwards, I would much rather you told me the truth and convince me that you can manage than you lie to me. Even people that do all the questioning and homechecks can be fooled as I nearly was once, 2 visits, homecheck, vet reference and luckily I heard one of them on the phone when they didn't know I could hear.  They didn't get a puppy but they were so close to it, not everyone wants to keep in close contact with their puppies breeder and there isn't much you can do about it after the fact.  Be honest and if it doesn't work out then you have done your best.

Hypothetical question...
As a breeder I wonder what non breeders IMAGINE they would do if they'd reared a litter then had to find perfect homes for them?

Given the choice of one stay at home mum who works a few hours (and is there to answer the cries of the pup to get out to pee?) Can give company, feed according to schedule and take the pup out to socialise at different times in the day...
Or one who leaves the pup for considerable stretches ..alone?

Yes ...there will be plenty who would sell to both ...but I reckon supply is outstripping demand if they feel the second scenario is the perfect home for their puppy.

And unfortunately you have to factor in the breeders who are only breeding for income.   What they'd do, and do do, is a no-brainer.  And that's what is so sad about all of this.  I doubt any non-breeder can really know what it's like to spend 62+ days with a bitch who is pregnant (after spending hours pouring over pedigrees before actually doing the mating), and then rearing her puppies, with her, basically 24/7, up to 8+ weeks and then watching them go off in the back of a car with people that maybe the breeder has only met for 30 minutes!!  And hoping they have made the right decision about the new home.  

When we had our first 3 dogs we both worked full time (in the Army) hubby worked shifts, 4 earlies, 4 afternoons, 4 nights and 4 off, i worked days mon-fri 9-5. It worked out that generally pup was only left for about 3-4 hours a couple of days a week and it worked really well for us. i would also go home at lunch time and as i worked out and about throughout the day if i was passing home id drop in also and let puppy out for a week. We had 2 pus from the same breeder (at different times, not the same litter) and the first one was a Labrador from a different breeder. Once you explain how you plan to look after the puppy with timescales of how long pup will be left and who will do what in terms of feeding and toilet training i don't think it will be a huge issue. Plenty of people have dogs who work full time.

I now work from home running dog agility classes and a loot of the owners who come to classes in an evening all work in the day but their dogs still have great lives. For me in the right circumstances it wouldn't be an issue (working all day 9-5 with nobody home would be though)

In your first post, you specifically refer to getting a puppy. Would an older dog that is house trained and comfortable with being left for a few hours at a time be more workable? There are lots of older dogs looking for homes and many are not homeless because of any behavioural problems; just changes in owners' circumstances. Plenty of breeds crave human contact and creature comforts and an oldie would probably relish the idea of being your husband's hot water bottle in return for a couple of good walks a day!

Having said that, of course, as mcmanigan says, a puppy can work with enough planning and commitment.

Firstly thank you everyone for the range of answers.

He wants a puppy. He had it in his head that because we can take 8 weeks off between us, and I can work at home twice a week, it's not the huge issue I'm making it out to be.

I would prefer, if we were to get any dog at all, that we actively looked for an older dog who would fit our situation. I'd really prefer a mature dog who has a track record of snoozing all day because my gut tells me that whilst my husband means everything he says right now, and I would love to find myself with a new training partner so I can socialise with doggy people again (with dog, as opposed to being the clingy non-dog owner on dog walks), we have to be practical.

If I can convince him that an older dog would be more appropriate, that would be a huge step (in my mind at least).

"I don't want to go to the effort of explaining our situation.........." 


Most breeders will question you on your lifestyle, working hours etc.  Just be honest.  I think in many ways your situation is better than some.  As breeders, finding suitable homes where someone is at home 24/7 is an almost impossible task - the exception being possibly mums with young children and some breeders won't sell puppies to families with children under certain ages.
As I  see it, someone will be with the pup for the majority of the day and night, it will need to learn to be alone for periods so the change over between your working hours is ideal.  As long as you both have the commitment to give the pup quality time for walking and training, I think you would make ideal puppy parents.

Do you really need to take 8 weeks off if/when you get a pup?  I believe that the pup should learn its routine asap, if you take 6 weeks off, at 16 weeks he'll be facing another major change in his short life which could cause issues.
Puppies learn quickly, and if you are considering agility, gives you time to build a solid bond and basic obedience before starting proper agility.
What breed are you considering?

The 8 weeks was thrown around so we could ease hypothetical dog into a routine, so we could build up to him being left and continue with the groundwork his breeder/fosterer/previous carer had put into place. It may be a bit excessive, I think my husband said it more to remind me that we're not going to get a pup on Sunday, then set him up to fail for Monday.

Obviously if we moved forward and started looking for breeders we could get on with/felt comfortable around I think we'd be guided by them.

We would not be comfortable omitting truths from breeders (or rescues), they have the right to know what the prospective home can offer and they must do what is best for their dogs. I may take it far more personally than my husband, but that's life. People invest time, money, and love into their dogs, I wouldn't expect a walk in the park even if I get over my current mental block.

Must admit I just love dogs. I'm as happy with an Akita as I am a Yorkie.  My husband has a list, two of which he has lived with/have always been in the family, and one that he only recently expressed an interest in finding out about.

His top two are Labradors and Golden Retrievers. They're what he is familiar with, and why I really, really want to focus on finding either a rescue or responsible breeder if we go down that route. In my previous job I saw far too many Goldies who had issues that could have been avoided with responsible breeding, and the same goes for Labs.

Pembies have recently started to interest him, but I'm trying to arrange a visit to either a local(ish) breeder or one of the corgi meet ups because I'm not sure he believed me about the shedding/barking/herding tendencies. He has never lived with a herding breed, so before we go down the long road of finding a Pembie breeder/waiting lists he needs some exposure/reality buckets from those who love the breed.

> As I  see it, someone will be with the pup for the majority of the day and night, it will need to learn to be alone for periods so the change over between your working hours is ideal.

But (but,but) there is a world of difference between being with the puppy, and trying to sleep when the puppy needs to be 'up and at-em'.   Ie during the waking day when your partner may well need to be sleeping.   Do-able, but maybe not 'ideal'.   I do think that maybe an older dog might fit better.   Puppies are such a lot of work.   This is up to the individual concerned, and the puppy!!   Just to say I tended to hold onto those puppies I couldn't keep for that bit longer, perhaps, to find the home I felt was right for one of mine.   I hope you can sort this out.

My husband has requested I should stop trying to be vague and just put the details of our actual situation out there. He's worried I'm being rather negative and creating a self fulfilling prophesy of negative reactions (although there are some not so negative ones he has not hesitated from highlighting with glee).

My husband works 4 nights a week, currently Friday night through Monday night.  He does not maintain a night sleeping cycle Tuesday to Thursday, he has not done so for several years. On his work nights he leaves at 9:45 (in the evening), and comes back for 7:00 in the morning. 

When I'm in the office (Tuesdays through Thursdays) I leave at 6:30 to, and arrive home at 7ish. Sometimes earlier, sometimes later. When I work from home it is very flexible.

His argument is that we, theoretically, have more time and attention to give to a puppy than a part time worker/stay at home parent. He doesn't understand why such individuals would be preferable to an arrangement where the full time workers never really leave the house unoccupied for longer than an hour (barring accidents, etc.). He's listed the ways we'd keep pups brain entertained, the ways we'd accommodate his needs, the fact we've discussed this at length previously and we've always planned the best ways to keep our hypothetical dogs mentally and physically stimulated.

Part of this is because he knows I used to be very active in (non-competitive I hasten to add!) obedience and agility before moving here, and he knows I miss it (he also wants to discover the joys of dog training, as he now feels the family Labs have had their talents somewhat wasted over the years). He also knows I stopped going for runs because of the lack of canine companionship, and that I've struggled to find hobbies I enjoy quite so much.

Whereas I have seen a lot of negative opinions on any sort of full time worker, to the point where full time work would stop the individual from reading any further as that is something they cannot agree with. I know that if I still lived in my home area the local rescue would not think twice about rehoming a mature, suitably active dog to us because I'd been involved with them/they personally knew the dogs came first. But it feels like new and uncertain ground when it comes to puppies, breeders and our circumstances.

His argument is that we, theoretically, have more time and attention to give to a puppy  - He's listed the ways we'd keep pups brain entertained, the ways we'd accommodate his needs,

if I still lived in my home area the local rescue would not think twice about rehoming a mature, suitably active dog to us

I get the impression that you both would be happy to get a dog BUT from the statements above it seems that you have different ideas of actually what you want.
Plus it would be some time before you could sensibly take a Lab or G Ret out running with you

I was just wondering whether a foster dog might be a way to see if you could manage your ambitions, make friends with your local rescue and see if they might be willing to give you a trial?

We both work full time in this house and I have never had a problem getting a puppy from reputable breeders (3 of which have been Labs) nor have I had problem dogs or miserable dogs.  Equally do not take multiple weeks off work to begin with.
Things can be worked around.

My dogs get a long walk in the morning before I go to work then spend the day either asleep on their sofa or lounging round the garden.
I return from work and we play in the garden and they are fed and later on have another good walk or 3 nights a week training classes.

I'd like to stay home from work and care for puppies full time - however, were that the case my dogs would be most cheesed off as I would be unable to afford their expensive choices in life.

Just goes to show...depends on the breed.
If it were a boxer puppy..you'd need a new sofa.

> My dogs get a long walk in the morning before I go to work then spend the day either asleep on their sofa or lounging round the garden.

I just have to ask how do you KNOW what your dogs get up to if/when you are not home?    And as for leaving them with access to the garden - it's well known that when word gets round that there are unattended dogs in a garden, they risk being stolen.   Either to order, to for some other ghastly reason.   And how do you know they don't make a lot of noise when outside unattended?

I guess it's going to work for some, working full time, and not for others.   And again, I preferred not to sell my breed of puppies to people who were out more often than home.   As said, dogs are a luxury, not a necessity.

I would not place a puppy in a home where both people worked full time and away from the house.  Because when they are not working, they also need to eat, socialise with other humans, and sleep(!) - and sometimes raise children too - that doesn't leave much time for training a puppy, or much head-space. 

I know sometimes, some determined and organised super-humans manage it, but it is hard to identify those people beforehand and I wouldn't want to risk it.  If the person had other dogs and had successfully competed in a dog sport or shown and was a 'doggy' person, then I'd assume they know what they are doing and that would be fine - but for a general pet home, no...

I should add that I'm lucky in that I have 30 homes on the long-list for our upcoming litter (matings just happening now) so I can select only the best homes.

I know what my dogs do during the day as we have CCTV and on days when I have not been to work because of illness, or if my husband is working from home -  when We have disturbed my dogs I've seen what they were up to, very little. Well exercised, balanced dogs don't necessarily need humans home all the time with them.

I know they aren't noisy when left - they are trained, we have neighbours who would tell us and we have CCTV

My garden is secure and inaccessible to others and why would anyone be aware my dogs were there? If I thought they were at any risk - I would not have them out.

Breeders can choose who they sell their dogs to and all should be very careful when selecting homes - as indeed should buyers be careful when finding a breeder.

> why would anyone be aware my dogs were there?

Most dogs will bark when disturbed, so alerting anyone to them being out.

Of course if you are lucky enough to be isolated from neighbours and casual callers, then it's great they can come in and out at will.

I live in a suburban end of terrace, and it is important to ensure my dogs do not make noise, and react to outside stimulus including door knockers when I am out.  This means shutting in where they cannot see out with Radio on to minimise outside noise for them. 

This is a more common/likely scenario for most puppy buyers, which is why I immediately say no if outside kennelling is suggested by a prospective owner as a solution to owner absence.

I always thought people working full time should not have dogs, but looking at dogs stuck in kennels 23 hours a day with minimal human contact (some rescue/big breeders) or those "lucky" enough to live with some of the non-working idiots nearby, I think my dogs have been lucky!
I was able to come home from lunch, get someone to let them out in the middle of the day or work short days - in the days of flexi time! Now I work part time, and my old dogs were fine with me being out of the house just under 6 hours daily. I got a pup before Christmas and have employed some one to feed and let them in the garden and play with them. I think/hope my dogs are better behaved and better socialised than a lot of the dogs nearby!
It does mean my social activities in the evenings are limited but it is worth it

I haven't read all the posts but just wanted to say I wouldn't class you as 'full time workers' in the usual sense of 9-5 with your partner working nights so the puppy would not be left all day alone. An hour a day would not be a problem once the puppy has settled at your home.