[Zumie05]

Size of house and yard does not matter as long as you provide the dog with enough mental stimulation and exercise every day to keep the dog tired, well behaved, and happy.

Not every dog does well being left outside alone for prolonged periods of time, and definitely NO puppy should ever be outside alone. Read up about puppy raising and crate training, and you will not need to leave the dog outside alone when you are at work.

If you got a puppy, could you come home for lunch breaks to take the dog out to potty? Do you have any friends or neighbors that would be willing to stop by once in a while when you are at work to help you out for the first two months? (All this if you get an 8 week old). If the answer here is no, then I would consider adopting/rescuing a dog who is a bit older. If you still wanted a puppy, I would recommend to adopt one no younger than about 6 months. By this age a puppy can most definitely hold their pottys in for up to 8 hours. You would still want to do crate training though, as a pup this age would still want to chew up your house and get into trouble! Don't forget about older rotties too. Adopting one thats older than 18 months you will have a dog who is just getting past the teenage phase and is beginning to calm down.

Lots of thinking for you to do, but I'm glad you asked for advice! With any choice that you make, one of the most important things you can do is to get the dog (no matter what breed) into training. Create the leader/follower bond, and enjoy your new companion for the many years to come. Please don't be hasty in making any decisions though!