D-
You have my sympathy with your chewing dog. My Honey chewed all of the insulation off my air conditioning pipes, has chewed up numerous hoses and still does, and if I dare to plant something in my backyard, even if I fence it with chicken wire, she finds a way to pull it up.
Here's what I did. I paid someone to fence in my a/c unit and hot water heater. Of course the vines I planted to grow on the fence are long gone. Next time I will plant them inside the fence! I also finally reconciled myself that I just am not going to have a lovely backyard until these pups grow up a little bit. My backyard is not huge, but Honey and Lilly run laps around the perimeter of the fence. I am fortunate that I now work from home, but I do have to travel too. On nice, sunny days, even if it is somewhat cool outside, I leave them out when I am gone, and much of the day, even when I am here. Of course, they play with each other too, so they get a lot of exercise. On rainy, really cold days, I leave them inside. That is a little selfish as they don't care if it is raining, I just hate all the mud they track in. I often gate them in my kitchen.
Why don't you allow him to be outdoors on the nice days and make sure he has good shelter for the colder ones. Bring him in every night and work with him and let him sleep in the crate. Carrie is right. You want to make sure he gets enough exercise by devoting some time to walking and playing with him.
I'm sure everything will work out. I believe that your weather is similar to mine and I don't see any reason why he can't stay outdoors in the pen or just in the yard on nice days. People "babyproof" their homes all the time and I've learned to "Honey proof" mine, inside and out. As long as he is getting a lot of attention from you when you are home and you keep him with you as much as possible, he'll feel secure and I'm sure he will be fine.
I've said this before on this site....if you ask a question of these dog loving folks, you need to be prepared for the responses and DON'T TAKE IT PERSONALLY. It is not personal. People here have had excellent experiences and you will learn from them.
I know some of the responses might sound harsh, I just think people are trying to better understand the situation. "Talking" on the computer can sometimes be misleading and people can get the wrong idea. Take it in stride and know that everyone wants the best for you and your dog.
Just know that you have a lot of sympathy from me as I have endured a lot of the same problems with my mischevious Honey.
Good luck and keep coming back here. We want to know how things are going.
Logan