Is this really Crate Training

Question
Good Evening, I am a new puppy parent of a 9 week Shichon (Shi Tzu/Bichon Mix)and I want to housetrain him. I work 8 hours a day and wanted to try this, but don't know if this will be successful in training him, so PLEASE ADVISE. I have measured a small area in my living room, with tile, that I will close off for the puppy. I will place the crate in this area and keep the door of the crate open with a pee pad outside of the crate. While I am at work, the crate door will remain open and the puppy can have reign of that small, confined space and use the crate as his den when need be and use the pee pad to potty. In the Morning, he will get his first meal and some play time outside the area (VERY supervised), eat once during the day (on my lunch break) and in the evening when I get home and have our play time and exercise. For the night, I will close the crate door and wake two times in the night to let him go potty on the pad. Is leaving the door of the crate open ok, or is that defeating the whole point? Even with the confinement of the area? I want to eventually train him to go outside, once he has had all his shots. Is this really crate training him? I just don't want him to not have any free area during the work day, but want him to be safe and confined at some point. Additionally, I want him to be comfortable being in a crate because we will travel fairly often.

Answer
Hi Tiffany,

I think if he cooperates it will be fine. I would not use the crate in the daytime and then again at night, that is way too much IMO. Hopefully he will not get confused and use the crate as a bathroom area.

The term crate training means to get him acclimated with it and that sounds like exactly what you are doing.