I can't imagine every leaving adi for an extended amount of time alone in the house! I crate him. He's just six months and well, very well behaved... so a quick run to the store and back when he's not too energetic is as much freedom as he gets. I don't think he'll ever really get liberated, as I have two cats and just under 700 sq feet... He loves to chase and attack the cats. Which could mean I'd be walking into a disaster zone.
The scary thought it that the cage he is in now, which was passed on to me from my dad who used it for his labs, just won't be large enough as he keep growing. He's filling it out nicely now, but after the new year, we may have to go buy the next size up - the largest one available!
Good luck finding a solution that works for you. Adicus loves his crate and it guarantees that he won't be getting in trouble any time soon.