9 week old lab puppy

Question
My girlfriend and I just bought a 9 week old chocolate lab. The problem is that we both work full time jobs and have to leave the puppy in his crate for 8-9 hours monday through Friday and have no other alternative (friends to walk him during the day, ect.). We give him lots of attention when we get home and love him very much but we both feel so guilty about leaving him caged that long. So my question is, will leaving him crated for so long have any effect on our dog in a dangerous way? If so, we are considering giving him back to the breeder but its definitely not what we want.

Answer
Many people who work full time jobs have dogs, and get them as puppies.  Is it ideal?  No.  Many breeders won't sell a puppy to a family that isn't home all day or can't/won't make arrangements to let the pup out during the middle of the day.  Can it be done and still have a well balanced dog.  Of course.  Crating him for 8-9 hours won't hurt the dog physically and mentally.  My ONLY concern is potty.  Are you having any problems with him going in the crate?  Dogs naturally won't go in the place they sleep, but dogs that are kenneled alot when they can't hold it can sometimes cross that line, and once it's crossed, they have no problem peeing/pooping in the crate.  If he's not going in the crate you should be fine.

Do you live in a neighborhood with kids or teens?  You could possible look into an older child coming over after school to let the dog out for potty for a minimal fee.