If puppies were only sold to people who do not work, and can devote 24 / 7 of attention to the puppy, there would be very few puppies owned.
However, it really is not fair to the puppy to leave it at home all day long whilst you go out to work. In fact it would be cruel to do so.
If you do work, then you should be prepared to make some sacrifices and changes to your pre-puppy life so that the pup does not suffer.
If you ignore your responsibilities, you will inevitably encounter some behavioural problems - these may include nuisance barking, housetraining nightmares, hyperactivity, obedience issues due to lack of practice time, etc.
Many people work and bring up a child, and manage this by adapting to the parenting needs, and a similar approach is necessary when owning a puppy.
The owners who are willing to adapt to the needs of the pup can make working full time and owning a dog work out well. The ones that are not willing to adapt are the ones who often end up with problems.
You will need to alter your schedule to adapt to the energy needs of the dog.
This may mean getting up a half to three-quarters of an hour earlier for a good walk and training sessions before work.

So, when you leave for work, what happens?

The first question must be - is it safe and practical to take your puppy with you to work? Will you be able to exercise it regularly? Will your employer allow it?
Is it possible for you to come home during your breaks - 4 or 5 times per day to see to your puppy?

Assuming none of this is possible, what other options are there?

Well, if there are two or more of you in the household, can you stagger your working times so that there is only a short period of time when your puppy is on its own?

Can your neighbours or relatives help you by taking care of the puppy in their own house, or by coming into your home at regular intervals to tend to toilet training issues, taking the puppy out for walks, and socialising it with other dogs and other people?
If not, then consider the use of professional dog walkers. To find these, check the ads in your local paper; look in the yellow pages; ask dog walkers in the park or on your street if they know of anyone; ask your vet for advice, etc.

The length of time that you leave your puppy unattended is very important, and should obviously be as short as possible.
When you first get your puppy at 8 weeks and onwards, is it possible for you to take a week - or two - holiday from work so that you can supervise the "getting to know you" stage?
This holiday period will also allow you to set the basic routine which your puppy will follow.
A young puppy should be exercised 4 or 5 times per working day, with this frequency reducing as time passes to perhaps once or twice a day at 8 or 9 months of age.
Even with an adult dog, you should be looking at an absolute maximum of 5 or 6 hours to be left unattended.

Remember that puppies do chew, and chew a lot!
If you leave an unattended puppy loose in the house, then things are going to happen that you would prefer not to happen!
You can solve this by buying a puppy play pen or a crate. The expense incurred is nothing compared to the damage a puppy can do, and you will also have the advantage of the pen or crate containing any mess.
You will find that crating your dog will speed up toilet training almost beyond belief, and the crate will go on to be your puppy's favourite den throughout its later life.

Time off work.

At weekends - forget having a lie in!
Dogs do not understand weekends, and their expectations and bodily functions are the same on Saturdays and Sundays as on every other day of the week.

You can, and perhaps should, equate owning a dog to the bringing up of a child - both give you great reward, but both demand that you take your responsibilities seriously.

Do this, and you will have a great life with your pet, and still be able to go out to work.

All information on this site is given in good faith, but should never be taken as final authorative advice. In all cases of doubt or query you are strongly advised to check the position with an expert - and your vet is the person to see first.