Boxer eating toys in crate

Question
I have a 10 month old male boxer who is extremely well behaved when I am home.  He is always trusted in the house when I am home and is loose in my bedroom during the night and never any problems.  I crate him when I go to work.  He is CONSTANLTY chewing up blankets, beds and toys.  For the last month he has been in his crate with nothing to lay on because he eats everything and then trows it up.  Everytime I leave toys (nylabones, ropes, fire hose toys, etc..) he destroys them.  He is never left alone for more than 4 hours a day because my mom walks him in the middle of the day.  I feel bad leaving him with nothing to lay on and without toys but he ruins everything.  I feel like he is frustrated about being in the cage and want to try to give him run of the house.  My fiance says no way because he is afraid he will ruin all of our new furniture.  What do I do???

Answer
Christine,  I have to agree with your fiance and say definitely don't leave him uncrated YET.  He is ok without a blanket and it doesn't seem like he is crated all that much.  If he is chewing things like toys, blankets etc.... you definitely don't want to leave them in there.  He could swallow them and instead of throwing them up -- he could get a blockage and would then need surgery.  I know people think - oh that will never happen -- but take it from someone who has had to pay for two surgerys.  One ate their bed and one ate a toy.    You should try a sterilized bone that you can get from any petco or petsmart - a large one.  They are very strong and most dogs can not destroy them, making it a safe thing to leave in the crate and dogs will chew on them for hours.   

When you do try leaving him uncrated -- try gating him in a room of the house where he can't get into anything and start out for real quick trips out - like a quick run to 7-11 or something.