Female Black Lab - chewing up our backyard...

Question
We have a one yr. old black female lab...sweet as can be...the problem we are having with her is...she is chewing up our backyard...we have a fenced in pool and she has chewed up our fence, waterhose, etc.  we have tried putting her nose in the areas she has destoryed, we have tried sprays, but so far no luck..the thing is...that she knows when she has done something wrong...so what are we not doing or what are we not following through with???? HELP

Answer
Hi
It sounds like your backyard could use some TLC!  Chewing is typical of puppies and most grow out of it in a couple of years.  Rubbing her nose in the spots she has chewed will not help at all, she just wont understand why, its like rubbing her nose in a urine patch - she'll just smell the urine and be re-inforced that thats where you urinate.
The problem is one of boredom for the most part.  I dont know how much exercise she gets at the moment but a one year ol labrador needs walking for around two hours a day minimum, split over three separate walks, as well as a few formal training sessions a week.  If she's tired she wont destroy things.  
To occupy her while she's in the back yard I would suggest putting some of her daily kibble ration in a treats ball.  Since labradors tend to get very fat very easily I would not suggest using actual treats but part of the daily ration she would get anyway will be healthy enough.  It will also provide her with more exercise when she pushes it around to get the food out.  I would also recommend some very robust chew toys, every time you see her chewing something reprimand her and hand her one of the toys to encourage her to chew appropriately.  A kong is excellent as are tug-rope toys.  Denta stix or flouride chews are also good options.
I would also look at her diet.  Tinned diets are high in sugar and will make her more hyperactive. A high-quality human-grade kibble is the best option for most dogs, I would recommend Eagle pack or natures choice orsomething similar.  Most foods that can be bought in supermarkets and run-of-the-mill pet shops tend to be low quality and often high in sugar and protein which will also contribute to any hyper-activity that could be causing her to chew.
Hope this helps.
Sarah