I leave my husky outside during the day. I live with my parents, so with their rules either he'd have to be in a crate all day (which he would hate) or outside.....no dogs roaming free in the house.

I have him in a large (10x14) dog run, it's covered, has an igloo, and I always keep it locked. He always has fresh food and water in there. He actually really likes it, he goes right in, never barks.

I don't think it's a problem to leave a dog outside while you are gone (as long as they are inside when you are home). Honestly, I think it'd be safer if you got a large dog run instead of the entire yard. It's much easier to keep such a small area secure...you can put a lock on it, cover it, and make it so they can't dig out. Good luck, and we'd love to see pics!

p.s. I wouldn't leave small pups out there just yet...I crate trained Nebo also, and left him in a crate while I was at work for quite a while, then transitioned it to the dog run...that way he was older, and used to be left alone for periods of time.