Is this SA?

When we go out Chip seems to look for something to chew. He's always got toys and usually Dale for company. Today they were left for about an hour and I found he'd jumped up and helped himself to a clothes brush.
When we come back he's perfectly settled, usually dozing in bed.
I'd been putting it down to puppy chewing but he doesn't chew at other times so I wondered if it could be separation anxiety.???

I wouldn't say it was separation anxiety .
When my dog had separation anxiety and I left her she went berserk . It was as if a hurricane had trashed my house .
Her distress was very obvious and no matter how long I left her she would never be asleep when I got home .
Separation anxiety is a terrible thing and very difficult to deal with

Hi Dale's Mum I would say the behaviour you describe is a displacement activity/boredom in other words trying to pass the time until something more interesting happens.

SA is a specific condition with recognised behaviour. Very few dogs really do have genuine SA.

Good that's what I thought. I have a friend, who's quite convinced it is SA, and since I've no experience of it I began to wonder.
He's at his worst if he's too tired, or if he expects to come with us and gets left behind. He's still only 16 months and very puppyish so I'll hope it stops soon.
He still enjoys chewing his vet bed at night.

hi
chewing to dogs is like 'eating chocolate' to us,it releases serratonin so it is rewarding in itself,not that surprising if he is missing you slightly or is bored(like us!)
also they can have a later 'teething' stage a bit like us and wisdom teeth.although it doesnt sound like that if its only when you are not there.
he sounds like a normal 'teenager' to me.

Minihaha took the words right out of my mouth

Doesn't sounds like SA at all. However he does seem to like to do things while you are out so I'd be sure to leave him a a couple toys out so that he chews on those. Crate training might be particularly beneficial for you.

A nice trick I learned is to get your dog to sleep for as long as possible while you are gone, you can do this by taking him out for a run and tire him out, after about an hour feed him a large meal. The combination of both tiredness and being full should induce sleep, that should keep him busy while you are gone.lol.

yes! i get like that too postprandial slump.lol.