Choosing a dog
Dogs that can handle being left alone
Let's start with the honest part: no dog should regularly spend a whole working day alone. Dogs are social animals, and eight-plus hours is a long time for any of them. But some breeds genuinely cope better with a few hours than others — and if your week includes a commute, that difference matters. Here's the realistic picture.
The honest ground rules
- Four hours is a sensible everyday ceiling for most adult dogs; six is the occasional stretch, not the routine.
- Being alone is learned, not inherited. Even an independent breed needs alone time built up in minutes, then hours, from the first weeks.
- A walked, settled dog rests; an under-exercised one dismantles your kitchen. What happens before you leave matters more than the breed.
- Puppies, seniors and rescue dogs in their first months are a different question entirely — they need far more company.
Breeds that typically cope best
These breeds score highest for independence and alone tolerance in the same trait data the matching engine uses. Independent often also means less clingy — and sometimes less interested in obedience.
Great Pyrenees
Bred to watch flocks alone for days — calm and self-sufficient, but giant, sheddy and fond of night barking.
- Time alone
- High
- Independence
- Very high
- Energy
- Low
- Trainability
- Low
Chinese Shar-Pei
Naturally reserved and content with its own company; skin and eyes need an owner who stays on top of care.
- Time alone
- High
- Independence
- Very high
- Energy
- Low
- Trainability
- Low
Chow Chow
The most cat-like of dogs — aloof, quiet and undemanding indoors, but not a cuddler and not for first-timers.
- Time alone
- High
- Independence
- Very high
- Energy
- Low
- Trainability
- Low
Lhasa Apso
A small, independent watchdog bred for monastery life; the coat is a lifelong commitment.
- Time alone
- High
- Independence
- Very high
- Energy
- Low
- Trainability
- Moderate
Shiba Inu
Fastidious, quiet and happy alone for reasonable stretches — with a stubborn streak in training.
- Time alone
- High
- Independence
- Very high
- Energy
- Moderate
- Trainability
- Low
Akita
Dignified and self-contained; powerful, protective and best with an experienced owner.
- Time alone
- High
- Independence
- Very high
- Energy
- Moderate
- Trainability
- Moderate
Basenji
Famously barkless and independent — but clever enough to invent mischief if under-exercised.
- Time alone
- High
- Independence
- Very high
- Energy
- High
- Trainability
- Low
Rhodesian Ridgeback
Athletic outside, settled and independent at home; needs real exercise before any alone time counts.
- Time alone
- High
- Independence
- Very high
- Energy
- High
- Trainability
- Moderate
The trade-off is real: the same independence that lets these dogs rest while you're out often makes them less eager to please when you're home. If you work long days every day, the kinder answer isn't a tougher breed — it's a dog walker, daycare, or waiting a few years.
Your week is the other half of the match
A shortlist is a starting point, not an answer. The Find My Dog quiz weighs your home, your time, your experience and your week against every breed's traits — and shows you the reasoning behind each score, so you can judge it for yourself.