Is the crate great?

Mollie continues to amaze us. She has adapted to being in her crate. She pees and poops regularly on command. She sleeps through the night.

We keep the television on all day so that there is some noise near here. While watching Animal Planet, I saw a show on dog training. Based on the show, I am now confused about how long Mollie should be in the crate.

Right now, she is in the crate all the time except for her excursions to the backyard to P. We get to play with her after she does her business. Is this what crate training is about? Can she be let out of her crate to explore our home under our supervision.

Rachel and I tried this this afternoon. Mollie was excited not to be confined. But after a few minutes we put her back in the crate and she whined.

Any and all advice would be appreciated.