Don't give any strange ideas too much weight just because they come from a vet. Vets disagree, and many of them come up with strange ideas not supported by the majority. I have seen the argument you don't need the crate if you train the dog. I think it mostly comes from people whose limited experience has not included more difficult dogs. It seldom is accompanied by instructions on just how such training is done. More experienced dog trainers don't claim to be able to train dogs not to do things when you aren't around. How long a dog can go without relieving itself is very dependent on how much exercise it it is getting. Look at the answer I gave in
https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/dogs/p...wet-88698.html
The "shut the puppy in a safe room" is a fallacy. Very few houses even have a
Safe room. How many of us have a room with a hard surfaced floor and nothing
Else? Most rooms have electrical cords to chew if nothing else. In addition
To destroying anything a bored puppy finds to chew, it may choke or have
Intestinal blockage from the pieces. I had a friend that left her dog in a
"safe" room. It ate a hole in the floor covering. The safe rooms fail to
Give the dog the comfort of the enclosed space their instinct requires. Nor
Do they restrict activity, extending the time the dog can go without relieving
Itself.
I hate to see a dog go 8 hours in a crate. If nobody can make it home for a mid day break, see if a neighbor or a professional dog walker can. Doggy day care is a great idea if available and affordable.
Trained dogs don't need a crate? The service dog school I am raising my Lab, Holly, for sends a crate home to the client when they deliver the trained assistance dog. They give the puppy raiser a crate, and then the same crate follows the dog to its new home after it is trained.