While when I first got Smudge we tried leaving him in the kitchen but that was when his "issuses" were still quite major so he found a way out of the kitchen and ate my mom's mochasins well just the fur. So he ended up going in his crate. but by the time we got Winter Smudge had graduated to full run of the house so we just left it like that, we still dog proof the house though otherwise they trash things. And luckily my older sister is home with my dad most of the time so she keeps an eye on their water and lets them out, otherwise they cuddle with my dad on his lazyboy or play and stuff.

Have you thought of maybe finding a doggie daycare for Malone? that way he wouldn't be alone and he would have other dogs to play with.