Terrible Tens?

Does any body want a male Norwegian Elkhound? 10 months old. Approximately 48 pounds.

Because I am sick of him. Dylan and I both are.

In the last five days he has eaten two pairs of flip flops, tried to eat a third, taken out the insoles from 5 different shoes, eaten part of the good couch, dug up the dirt to the roots around the apple tree three different times, eaten the bottom branches on the apple tree, eaten the blue laundry container and I am sure I am missing something.

In the two months prior, I think he really only ate two remotes and maybe a little more of the crappy couch.

WHY?! Why is he doing this?

We have been walking the dogs almost every day and usually twice a day. A thirty minute walk in the morning and an hour and a half walk and trip to the dog park in the evening. In the whole two episodes of Dog Whisperer I have seen, Caesar always says to exercise your dog. So we are. And it makes no difference.

He has plenty of toys; he has Freya to pick on and play with.

I don't get it. Even worse, the majority of the instances above happened WHEN WE WERE HOME.

So it's not even acting out about us being gone, he apparently just likes chewing our stuff.

Is he teething again? Is he sick? I just don't understand this massive wave of destruction.

So I did some basic Googling. Yes, they do go through a second wave of chewing at 6-10 months old. Guess we just need to encourage him to chew with and play with his own toys. Which is fine and which we do (Dylan is especially good about getting down and playing with the dogs).

This is the adolescent phase, which is ages six to eighteen months. After reading it this makes sense, since he is also testing is boundaries much more with Freya too. We just need to keep making sure he knows Dylan and I are the Alphas and that we have a loving and fun home. 

Guess we will keep at it... More puppy time it is, after we brush him since his summer coat is coming in full blast right now. Hopefully there is a light at the end of the tunnel!