chewing dogs

Question
Hello,
I have two puppies, both about 4 months old. They are a Shepard Mix and a chiuaua, both rescues. They are angels when they are alone in the house, but the second me or my boyfriend leave they tear it apart. They chew everything! Theve' ruined a couch, chewed the television cable wire, pulled up the tile from the kitchen floor and now they are working on the doorframe! Ive been through basic training with them, and they behave obiedently to everything but the chewing. I cant afford much more training that wont work. I work at a pet food supplier so Ive tried the no chew spray and powders from almost every line. I need help and fast! Im afraid one of these days my boyfriend will snap and want to give them back up for adoption. I would appreciate any advice at all. THank you so much for your time!

Answer
Hi, your puppies are going through a teething stage, so it is very difficult to keep them from chewing as nature is telling them to chew to relieve the teething pain.  When you are gone you should start crating them to keep them out of trouble.  Lots of chew toys and rawhides will help.  Basic training is mostly obedience training, not problem solving as that has to be done in the home.  I would definitely crate train them so that they could be left home alone in a crate when you have to be away.  If you need more help, just let me know.  Good Luck.

Dawn