1. It's really up to you. Some people get two crates, one for their bedroom and one for the general living area. Some just get one. Personally, if I had just one, I would put it in my bedroom.
2. Some dogs like a covered crate, and some don't. You can certainly test it and see if it works for your pup.
3. Again, up to you. It might work better for you to have two.
4. It's not something I would spend money on. Most likely, in 2-3 years the pup can be trusted to just hang out in the backyard by himself while you are home. If you are gone, most adult dogs, barring medical issues, can hold it a full 8-9 hour work day. And if you work from home he'll probably be alone for less than that, so will be fine in a crate.
5. At 6 months old, your pup is probably large enough to jump over/knock down an ex-pen. Some pups will respect a barrier even though they can go through it if they want, so I guess it wouldn't hurt to try. I would baby gate an area (doubling up, one atop the other if he tries to jump them) off for him so he is near you, but can't leave your sight. Make sure he has plenty of chews to occupy himself, and just make sure to take him outside for a quick potty break every 30 minutes to an hour. It may end up being longer for an older pup, and know that the frequent potty breaks are only temporary and will go away as he learns that he has to wait until he gets outside to go potty.
If you can't commit to potty breaks that often, then I would crate him. He will be fine with a break at lunch.
6. Again, is probably too big for an x-pen. Refer to number 5.
There really are so many different ways to do this, you just have to find the right one for you. If the pup is reasonably behaved loose in the room with you present and doesn't get into anything, I would say keeping him within sight is good enough. If you find that he's still finding ways to chew on things he shouldn't even with you in the room, then I would crate him in the room with you, and he should only be loose when you can 100% supervise him.
As for a routine, you may want to take him for a walk and play with him and make sure he has gone potty and been fed in the morning. A break at lunch. Then more walks and playtime in the evening. The rest of time, he should be expected to chill while you work.
2. Some dogs like a covered crate, and some don't. You can certainly test it and see if it works for your pup.
3. Again, up to you. It might work better for you to have two.
4. It's not something I would spend money on. Most likely, in 2-3 years the pup can be trusted to just hang out in the backyard by himself while you are home. If you are gone, most adult dogs, barring medical issues, can hold it a full 8-9 hour work day. And if you work from home he'll probably be alone for less than that, so will be fine in a crate.
5. At 6 months old, your pup is probably large enough to jump over/knock down an ex-pen. Some pups will respect a barrier even though they can go through it if they want, so I guess it wouldn't hurt to try. I would baby gate an area (doubling up, one atop the other if he tries to jump them) off for him so he is near you, but can't leave your sight. Make sure he has plenty of chews to occupy himself, and just make sure to take him outside for a quick potty break every 30 minutes to an hour. It may end up being longer for an older pup, and know that the frequent potty breaks are only temporary and will go away as he learns that he has to wait until he gets outside to go potty.
If you can't commit to potty breaks that often, then I would crate him. He will be fine with a break at lunch.
6. Again, is probably too big for an x-pen. Refer to number 5.
There really are so many different ways to do this, you just have to find the right one for you. If the pup is reasonably behaved loose in the room with you present and doesn't get into anything, I would say keeping him within sight is good enough. If you find that he's still finding ways to chew on things he shouldn't even with you in the room, then I would crate him in the room with you, and he should only be loose when you can 100% supervise him.
As for a routine, you may want to take him for a walk and play with him and make sure he has gone potty and been fed in the morning. A break at lunch. Then more walks and playtime in the evening. The rest of time, he should be expected to chill while you work.
