Destructive chewing can be a response to boredom, anxiety, stress, attempts to play, or inability to determine the difference between toys and furniture. You need to teach your dog to chew appropriate toys. If a behavior problem like separation anxiety you will need to work with your veterinarian and behaviorist/trainer to work through this problem. When you are not home your dog needs to be confined in a crate or kennel. If your dog is chewing things while you are home than this dog should not be allowed anywhere in the house unsupervised. It is important to stop this behavior. Dogs not only chew inappropriate things but also will then eat these things. This can cause a foreign body obstruction in the stomach or small intestines--this is an emergency and potentially fatal. Treatment of obstructions is expensive surgery. Be proactive to prevent foreign body obstructions and save your furniture.
