Originally Posted by
smartrock
Mine didn't automatically fall asleep on the floor and by mid to late afternoon would seem to get over tired and a little wild so I put them in the crate for a morning nap and an afternoon nap, kind of like a little kid. Once they woke up, we went outside to potty and play a bit then they'd be out in the house as long as I could keep an eye on them. If your pup is housebroken, you might stretch the time out of the crate a bit longer as long as you can keep an eye on her and she isn't getting in trouble. If I needed to take a shower, fix dinner or anything during which I couldn't keep an eye on the pup, I'd use the crate. That isn't to say I didn't restrict where they could go when they were out of the crate. I'd use baby gates or doors to keep them in the room I was in so they weren't off chewing wires or table legs or baseboards where I couldn't see them but they weren't in the crate either. They'd play with toys or we'd do some short training sessions. I left the door of the crate open when they weren't in there so they could go in and lie down if they wanted to, which they often did/do. I don't know where your crate is, I had one in the kitchen and one in the bedroom so if they were in the crate and I was at home, I was usually nearby so they weren't especially isolated.