I am so fed up I could cry!

Hi all,
Sorry I have not been on for a while but I have been so busy.
Ben is really making my life miserable at the moment. Just when we thought we were getting through to him, regarding his chewing. He now lets me down on a daily basis.
Came home from shops before and he has chewed the lead to the computer mouse. Remember all the wire chewing in the past?
I can put up with the rolling in poo and the manic behaviour in the evening but this chewing business is really starting to get us down. I'ts as if he does it on purspose ( I know that's not the case in reality) but I feel so angry with him. I cant trust him on his own anymore. I am scared to open the door when I have been out, just in case he's done something.
I do take precautions, I don't leave things in his reach as much as pos. He's even chewed the top of the dining room chairs.
He will insist on jumping on the suite and I am terrified he's going to rip or chew it. It cost a lot of money and we saved up for it for years, it's leather and my pride and joy.
I have bought sprays etc after he chewed the cushions to bits (he did that while I was in the house!!) never heard a thing.
We walk him twice a day for at least an hour each time, we play ball in the eveing on the back field. It's not like he's ignored or anything.
He's got lots of toys to chew and play with (it's cost me a small fortune)
I am at my wits end. short of locking him in the hall when we go out and at night.(We have had to put a board up to stop him going in the living room at night (it's a through lounge/dining room) and I know that is not the answer but it's as if you give him just a little lee-way and he turns naughty.
I am fed up to say the least.
any suggestions before I have a nervous breakdown (I am serious)
Another thing I wanted to ask is how long is this chewing likely to go on for? Ben is 9 months old now.

Why don't you lock him in the hall? He will go to sleep or play with whatever toys you give him and you won't need to worry - less stress and better relationship

I agree with Julie. I would never give a dog the run of the house until all chewing issues had stopped. Keep them confined in one room with all possible chewable objects removed and a bone and some toys.

Yea I think thats what we will have to do. You know you get this lovely dog from the rescue and you want to give them a lovely life. You want the perfect dog that you can leave for a few hours (at the most 2) and this is the thanks you get.

Sounds like Seperation Anxiety rather than general naughtiness.

When we're out, we leave our boys in the kitchen, behind a 4ft baby/dog gate. It minimises the damage (they would run riot otherwise). We've learned to clear the counter tops, otherwise they pull stuff off the counters etc.

Do you leave him with a special treat - e.g. stuffed Kong, pigs ear etc? Something like that would keep him occupied for a length of time.

Have you thought about a crate? if its 2 hours max he should be fine.

i have to lock my two in a stripped bare utility room.. for the short periods we have to leave them.. as they would destroy the house.

Elaine, go seek a professional behaviourist. Restricting access may be an answer, but then could make the situation worse. You need to find the underlying reason as to the cause of this destruction.

If the situation is as dire as you describe, it'll be worth the time effort and money.

It will all come right in the end. Just have to ride the waves for a while thats all. My 2 live outside and still chew whatever they can, the kennels mostly. It seems to go in waves, they can go months and be little loves, then we have 2 months of nightmare, and then they are back to being angels, and they are nearly 3 They have loads of bones and stuff knocking about, but that isn't as interesting (or as expensive) as chewing their living quarters to bits

I won't give ours the run of the house anyway when we're out!

They would be like 2 naughty toddlers - into and onto everything, bombing around, barking at passers-by, jumping on the sofa etc. Nope, I'll leave them in the kitchen thanks!