I live in a newer development with a small-med sized fenced yard along with my husband and our 12 y/o daughter. I have a 12 year old and 2 energetic nieces, 8 and 9 who are with us a few days a week. I don't want to own a dog because we want the option of traveling but the kids love having them around so my dog watching is the next best thing for our family. We have our own business located near our home so we tend to be in and out throughout the day. When we go out, we can limit being away to a max of 4 hours to give potty breaks. We also have days that we are home more than out. I keep sofas covered so dogs can feel at home and hop up on them without worry of damage, but if your dog has been trained not to sit on furniture, I'll support that, just let me know.