Going back to work---doggie daycare?

We didn't have the luxury of 2 months to "break my dog in" it was more like 2 days. My fiance and I both work, and since we weren't sure how Gunner would behave while unattended we started crating him during the day right from the start. It took him 2-3 weeks to adjust, but now he goes in on command and sleeps or chews his bone.

My fiance has an hour lunch break so she's able to take him for a 35-40 minute walk in the middle of the day. But I also get up early and walk him for at least 40mins/2miles in the morning, and then we walk him again for 3+ miles after work.

Everyone is different with their preference of crating v not crating, that's up to you. But keep in mind it's not just about protecting your belongings, it's also about protecting your dog. We have a great dog who is totally fine while left out, but we choose to crate him. I don't think you necessarily have to go the doggy daycare route, but you should consider a dog walker 1-2 times a day. Actually where I live the price between daycare/dogwalker is close, in which case I think daycare makes more sense. But it may be different where you are.

In general I'd recommend that your dog get outside at least once during the day.

This is kind of a tricky one, if it were me I'd probably start with just the crate and then move up to the play pen. (also, I'm assuming you're talking about an indoor playpen?)

Most people think it's cruel to crate dogs, but like I've said before if your dog thinks of his crate as his safe-haven then he'll love being in there. My friends dogs sometimes choose to sleep in their crates at night rather than their doggy beds.

I also think there's a possibility that you'll come home to quite a mess if you have a crate in a playpen area. You may or may not know that it's recommended that you have a crate that fits your dog, because if it's too big your pup will actually have enough room to mess on one side and sleep on the other... that's not what you want.

In the end it comes down to personal preference, even though my dog is awesome when left alone I choose to continue to crate him. I know people who thought they had great dogs and decided to start leaving them out alone and came home to find that wasn't the case. Not that your pup may not be great, I'm just saying.

I think if you stick to the basics, always feed him in his crate for the first few months, and hide treats in there for him to find, you'll build a strong foundation and increase the chance that he loves his crate. Then if you feel like he's ready for some space give it a shot on the weekend to start... leave him in his playpen area for 30 minutes and see how it goes.

Realistically after a few months no one will know your dog better than you, but if you start slow with things like this you've got a better chance of dodging bad habits before they start.