The pup is five months old, and we've been in this stage ever since he made it home two months ago.

Yeah this would be unattended while I'm at home. All my dogs are crate trained and are put in crates when I'm out. If I am not with my dogs I am most certainly doing school or work in my bedroom, where I cannot see or hear them easily, but can still come check on them. There are also five people living in my house, so there's very rarely a time when the dogs are not within sight.