crating my shepherd puppy

Question
i just bought a 13 week old gsd. from day one i put him in my bed with me and he loves sleeping there. i have been doing alot of reading about puppies and it says it is best to crate young puppies. i have a large home and doors are always open so i never have felt the need to crate him and he pretty much has free reign of the house but dont worry there is always someone watching him. i am wondering if doing this will affect his trainability. and if crating him is better is it too late to start now? i feel like going and buying one and trying to put him in it will feel like more of a punishment to him than anything. he has not been a problem so far.. well at least not anymore of a problem than i would expect from a young puppy. i just want to know what would be best for the puppy. thanks for your help

Answer
I can't imagine having a puppy and not crating it when you can't watch it.  If you aren't having any problems with housebreaking or a chewing problem, perhaps you don't need a crate.  The crate is an essential tool with many puppies, but some people, with some puppies, they do just fine.