I hope you can help. My boyfriend has a one year old puppy (Georgie). Whenever she is left alone she eats and destroy everything! Consequently, my boyfriend puts her in the bathroom when he is at work, both as punishment and so she wont destroy his house. Sometimes she really acts out and just destroys everything, and I mean everything, if she doesn't eat shoes, socks, stuffed animals she will pull apart corners of the bed and eat the wall. His method of punishment is very old school, to rub her nose in it and say "NO". Now she is totally freaked out and afraid of him and he feels like a horrible pet owner because his dog eats his house and then is afraid of him. He has had dogs before but never had this problem. I am moving in with him in a few weeks and I think Georgie may have an attention problem, which will help because there will be another person in the house, but I am wondering how we can break her of this problem so they get along better! - Signed, concerned!

Right off the bat - get a crate for your puppy. Whenever you leave the home, put the pup in the crate (remove all collars) along with lots of safe, exciting chew toys. Don't give soft plush toys, blankets, pillows, clothing. I like sterilized marrow bones stuffed with temptations as biscuit, carrots or peanut butter. Your puppy NEEDS to chew things, we have to teach her not to chew our things.

You've already seen the effects of allowing a dog to do something and then spanking it after (sometimes long after) it has done it. With a puppy, it is best to prevent a problem rather than try to correct it. The crate will prove to be an invaluable tool.

It is becoming increasingly common for a puppy to use a crate during the first two years of its life. You've got some catching up to do.

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