What dog do we want?

[WillowPups]

My boyfriend and I are looking at getting our first dog together. We have recently moved into a flat with a garden and our work schedules now align in a way that I think this would be the perfect time if any.
I finish work at 4pm-5pm, and my boyfriend starts at 2pm, so they will only ever be alone for 3 hours tops.
Ideally, I would give them a 30ish minute walk in the morning, then leave them with a kong with my boyfriend once I leave for work, my partner will then walk them again around 12, probably for a big run about for around 45mins-1hour, then leave them with another kong when he leaves. Then once I return home from work, we will go on another long walk (there are tons of lovely walks around here). A training session in the evening, and dinner on a snuffle mat before bed.
Basically, a dog who enjoys their exercise yet will happily snuggle with my boyfriend in bed once we get home, willing to be trained and likely to be social with friends dogs.
I work with dogs, so I have lots of experience with them however I want to make sure we do this right.
We are open to adopting.

@WillowPups
My show cocker spaniel wouldn't eat any treats or food in her Kong when we were out. She would only eat it when we got back.

Your day sounds like it could work with an older toilet trained dog, but you need to think about if something happens and you can't get back home after work. Transport issues, a break down or crash on the route home for example.

The other thing you might need to be flexible over is the long lunch time walk. In the summer your boyfriend wouldn't be able to walk it at lunch time as that's when it would be too hot and you'd need to think of you are able to do the long walk before you go to work.

Also, don't be too rigid about walk times as dogs can get anxious if they get into a routine of walks at X time and it doesn't happen.

I love spaniels, and plan to get another one when I am ready (just lost mine) but another dog I love are whippets and Italian greyhounds. Might be worth a look

We have a miniature australian labradoodle, they have spaniel too, can walk miles but if some days doesn't get walked doesn't care. Can be left for hours, but we rarely do. There are a couple on the doodle aid site at the moment for rehoming. Ours is just brilliant. Especially if you rescue a few hours alone or a lifetime alone in a cage, there are some perfectionists that hang around on the doghouse...

On Mumsnet, leaving your dog alone for more than 30 seconds is considered neglectful and abusive (I'm exaggerating of course, but you know what I mean). I think this is because MN skews towards MC and UC households who have the privilege of a non-working or remote working adult home with the dog almost 24/7. In reality it's not healthy for a dog to be unable to be left alone for appropriate periods without getting stressed.

In the real world many, many dogs lead fulfilling lives whilst having an owner who works full time/lives in a flat/whatever. Perhaps not perfect, but whose life is? Including gundogs. As long as a gundog gets the exercise and stimulation it needs it should be content to be left alone for a few hours. I have a young field-bred Springer and live in a ground floor flat with a garden. She gets at least 2 hours a day of good quality exercise. As she's not running laps around my house, she doesn't need a big house. When she's in the house she's playing with her toys, chewing a chew or sleeping. She's also left alone for appropriate periods during the day whilst I'm working. She is very happy and content. I slowly built up her leaving time and she's great. Doesn't even look up from her food when I leave. I watch her on the camera and once she finishes eating she sleeps, chews or otherwise entertains herself. She is not stressed. Her parents are working dogs who were kennelled outdoors when not working, so I don't think a few hours alone in the house is going to break her. She's a dog, not a child.

There's no issue with kongs either. I use them mostly to slow my spaniel down eating. Obviously, you put the dog's normal food that you'd feed them anyway in them not 'treats'.

Our rescue lurcher was brilliant at being left at home as and when needed - perfectly happy if she had been out for a walk and fed. Loved going to the beach, cafes, meeting dogs and people. Some lurchers are more aloof but plenty are more sociable. I don't think they are as lazy as greyhounds - I would say lurchers are ideal if you like a good walk, greyhounds are ideal if you are not really into long walks. There are always plenty of both looking for a home.

They're marvellous - we've had several and love them to pieces. Our current is a 6 year old 'emergency adoption' - previous owner died suddenly, having had our girl from a puppy and raised her beautifully. As a result (but bear in mind, we're retired and so she's not left alone often) we've had no separation anxiety, she's adorable, etc etc.

BUT - she requires a lot of stimulation, as PP have indicated earlier. And destroys ALL toys - including the very tough Kongs, which she can strip bits off within a minute.

As PP have also said - yes, dogs can be left - but it can take quite a while of careful build-up to ensure they don't turn into separation anxiety wrecks. I will also add that rescues aren't always fully cognisant with whether or not a dog can be left - the dog not becoming anxious in kennels doesn't mean they won't shout the house down, chew everything and damage themselves once rehomed.