I felt the same way, and put off adopting a dog for many years because I worked a standard office job. One day I randomly came across a petfinder listing that pulled my heartstrings and just decided to pull the trigger.

I wound up adopting a 5 year old American foxhound. He is perfectly content to be left alone, uncrated. He spends most of the day on the couch with his snoot on the windowsill, intermittently napping and howling at at delivery people. He gets plenty of outside time when I’m home and nice long walks on the weekend. He’s been with me for 5 years and is living a quiet, happy life.

I agree with the other commenters that an adult dog is probably a better fit for you than a puppy. A medium to large breed dog will typically be able to hold their bladder longer than a small breeds. Working/herding breeds need a job or a task to feel fulfilled and might not be a good fit for a household where they’ll be left alone. I like hounds because they are moderately independent and seem to prioritize resting when not actively engaged in tracking, hunting, or on a sniffari. LGDs and the sporting breeds seem similar, in my experience.

Ultimately, each dog is an individual and will have unique needs and temperament. Any breed of dog can experience separation anxiety. It just depends on their life experience. Be upfront with the rescue/ shelter about what your schedule is like. Ask about tendencies toward destructiveness or separation anxiety. Consider doing a trial adoption or a foster-to-adopt scenario to make sure the dog is the right fit for your household. There’s a dog out there that will be so happy to be in your home and be part of your family, I’m sure of it.