Labs were bred to be active dogs. Crating leads to a sedentary lifestyle that is extremely unhealthy, both physically and mentally. You should be able to trust your Lab with the run of your house while you are gone. Train him early, put up with a few chewed items, and you will have an actual family member – not a parrot in a cage.
I guess then I shouldn't leave my young extremely active border collie in a crate when he is home alone for 5 hours.

If the lab is loose in the house when alone, who is going to exchange the tv in his mouth for a peice of wood? LMAO