chewing

Question
I have a 6 month old female toy poodle she in in the crate for approx 6 hrs during the day and at night when we sleep.  She has started chewing the fur off of one of her legs and any toys she chews up.  Should we get her toys without stuffing to put in her crate to keep her occupied when at work and the kids are at school?  Or do you think there is some other problem?

Answer
She definitely needs more stimulation.  6 hours is a long stretch in a crate.  Could you find a neighbor or professional dog walker to give her a mid day break?  If possible, doggy day care is a great solution.  Spending more time with her when you ar around could help too.  Long walks, a trip to the dog park, playing fetch, whatever.  Depending how food motivated she is, leaving a Kong filled with peanut butter in the crate may help.  It will last even longer if you freeze it.