lab chewing...

Question
I have a 1 1/2 year old lab who has decided that our wooden deck and spindles are the thing to chew on!!  He has destroyed about 140 spindles!  He has plenty of bones / rubber toys to chew on and gets exercised daily. We have also tried hot peppers rubbed on the wood, "no-chew" / "mcnasty"...Every time I catch him at it, I tell him "no" and swat his nose...all to no avail!!   HELP...he's on his way to a new home if he continues!!!!

Answer
If he is being left by himself much of the day in a fenced yard, there is little you can do to stop the chewing.  You might try fencing off the deck.  We have our garden inside our fence, but a second fence not allowing the dogs free access to it.  that could be a bit of a pain if you are letting him out into the yard through a door to the deck.  

You could try the Bitter Apple spray, but if several other products have failed, it may too.  

Hitting a dog in the nose is not the best correction, but nothing is going to stop many dogs when your back is turned.