Thanks for the replies and suggestions!
Mom of Jato, that's pretty much what I've been doing too - crating Meenah for a couple of hours in the AM and again in the afternoon. I do let her play outside on her own when she really wants to stay out there, but not more than half an hour. Our yard is completely fenced in and I keep glancing out the window to check on her. She has a great time running back and forth and sniffing around. She has toys out there too. She doesn't necessarily want to be played with but wants the company. On the days my husband is home, he'll simply sit on the deck and read and she is happy as a clam. When my kids get home from school, they play with her outside but after a few minutes she wants to do her own thing and just wants their company.
Ashley, good points. She knows that if she stands in front of the door, I'll let her out. Not all of our potty outings have been followed by playtime. First thing in the morning, she wants to potty then come right in for snuggles. Her evening potty and last potty of the night are just quick outings. But the ones during the daytime we've always followed with a few minutes of play. I had read and been told that you are supposed to let them play after pottying because if you go right back inside, they'll start holding their pee in order to stay out longer and will have accidents inside the house. But your points are well taken and I will try to judge whether or not she really has to go, like if she's peed less than an hour ago.
ChristyB, that's a great idea about trying to distract with a toy. I will give that a try too.
Karlin, thanks for the clarifications. Meenah will be 6 months old on May 29. The breeder had told us that she will be very mellow like her mother, and we did notice that she is not as active as other puppies. Nevertheless, we've always engaged her in play outside and taken her for walks even if she doesn't want to go! As a matter of fact, yesterday when it was time to go for our noontime walk, she saw me putting on my sneakers and she turned around and layed down in her bed! Wouldn't even come to me when I called her! I had to go put the leash on her and then coax her out of bed! She has toys in each room that we spend the most time in - rubber chewing toys, kongs, sheepskin toys with squeekers, nylabones, balls. I take her to the busstop, which is almost a quarter mile each way, in the morning and afternoon. We do two or three training sessions every day, lasting 10 to 15 minutes each. We take daily noontime walks that have been 1 - 2 miles (building her up to my daily 4 mile walks), varying the routes we take. These are not strolls! These are brisk walks at an exercise pace. We play in the backyard with balls and frisbees. When I can take her in the car somewhere, we do that too so she can experience new people and places. I work fulltime and have three kids, but I give her as much attention and interaction as I can. Regarding the crating, I have tried putting Meenah in an ex-pen with a bowl of water and some toys. Her crate is actually inside it. But what she'll do is just curl up inside her crate! At this stage of the game, I feel that if I confine her to a whole room and not be there to watch her, she'll have an accident. It has been almost 5 weeks since she's had an accident but she is still young.
Caraline, thanks for the idea of a doggy door. We were thinking about it for when she is an adult. But would that work for a dog this young?
Overall, it sounds like Meenah isn't unusual. She is trying to talk to me in the only way she knows how - by body language and her actions. She wants to be outside a lot and wants me to be with her. I have to figure out how to communicate to her that I can't provide her with outdoor companionship as much as she wants me to. I'll try distracting with toys, not letting her out every single time she asks, confining her to the room her crate is in for short periods (so she doesn't have an accident), eventually a doggy door.