Sudden destructive chewing

Question
So Claypool will be one year old on March 13th (yay!) but suddenly he has started to act strangely... and by strangely I mean destructive chewing. This JUST started this past weekend when everyone (I live in a house with 5 people) went out for the evening. We have left him before and he hasn't torn up anything but Saturday he chewed up a Nerf gun, 5 wicker coasters, the holder for them, and a lip gloss. The next day he found a chapstick and destroyed Paul's wallet. Today he ate the plastic off of a pair of scissors, a menu for a local restaurant, a dental tool, and assorted other crap. While we were all playing poker last night he actually had the nerve to go into our bedroom and bring out a valuable to chew on. Granted the house ISN'T dog proof but it never had to be with him. He has never behaved like this AT ALL! He always has food and water available and TONS of chew toys. AHHH! I'm so embarrassed and confused. I have no idea how to punish him for this..... or break him of this new found habit.

We have a few theories on what it could be. The leading one would have to be that he is almost a year old and its time to be neutered. We haven't neutered him yet because the surgeon who performed his knee surgery told us that he shouldn't be neutered until 1 year. Apparently the testosterone is supposed to speed along recovery from such surgeries.

Meh. help plz.

Answer
Dear Alicia,
Sorry I took so long to reply I saw your question late one evening and was going to answer it in the morning and well with a tiny baby and a farm to run I forgot.
Its a tricky one. He is eating the chap stick and lip gloss because it is yummy to him they love the fat in it. But the other stuff well perhaps it is a product of anxiety. Have you changed anything significantly recently?
You said he did most of this damage while you were all out initially, then he has realized it was both fun and yummy too. You see any kind of attention to a dog is good attention even if you are mad at him. Its a hard habit to break, prevention is the best cure and if you dog is a Malamute as I thought, they can be very destructive chewers.
Get him some bones if you can believe me if he chews hard on a bone all day he will have less desire to chew on your stuff later. Pack things away and dont leave the temptation laying about.
He is not doing this because he needs desexing though, that is for sure. Its either boredom, anxiety, or attention seeking behaviour that has suddenly caused this to start.
I hope this helps, and I hope he stops soon.
Faye and Husky Crew