You should consider that a puppy has
an absolute right to chew whatever they can get at in your absence. You must
put the puppy where either it cannot do any damage, or you do not care about the
possible damage. Puppies can eat kitchen cabinets, destroy furniture, chew on
carpet and damage a wide variety of other things. Besides the destruction, the
puppy may well injure itself, even seriously.
Please put your pup in an environment it can't destroy. Puppies are too
immature to handle temptations. Depending on the breed, most dogs begin to gain
the maturity to handle short stints with mild temptations when they're about 6
months old. Consider the analogy with a baby, where you keep it in a crib,
stroller, or pen if you are not holding it.
It is essential to puppy-proof your home. You should think of it in the same
way as child-proofing your house but be more thorough about it. Puppies are
smaller and more active than babies and have sharp teeth and claws. Things of
special concern are electric wires. When puppy proofing your home, get down on
your hands and knees and consider things from this angle. What looks enticing,
what is breakable, what is sharp, etc. The most important things are watching
the puppy and of course, crating it or otherwise restraining it when you can't
watch it.
Another step in puppy proofing is house proofing the puppy. Teach it what is
and isn't chewable. The single most effective way to do this is by having a
ready supply of chewable items on hand. When the puppy starts to chew on an
unacceptable item (be it a chair, rug, or human hand), remove the item from the
puppy's mouth with a stern, "NO" and replace it with a chew toy and praise the
puppy for playing with the toy. If you are consistent about this, the puppy
will get the idea that only the things you give it are to be chewed on! Keep
the "NO" to a single calm, sharp noise - don't yell or scream the word.
A short checklist:
-----Breakables up out of reach
-----All wiring and cords put out of reach behind furniture
-----Anything small enough to be swallowed removed from floor
-----Block access behind furniture wherever possible
-----Put children's toys and stuffed animals away