#baseboards

Nicely drawn, nicely faded chintz trailing leisurely on the ground makes this bathroom with its deep window ledge and shutters, and its matching pine skirting or baseboards look comfortably and elegantly rural.

I scoured forums for months. I saw a post where someone's Golden chewed a hole straight to the studs while they were at work. Another person spent a fortune on Bitter Apple only to watch their pup lick it like gravy. Here is what I learned from failing:

The Cayenne Paste is King: The store-bought sprays dry up and fail. Mix cayenne pepper, flour, and water into a paste. Slather it on the crime scene corners. They smell it, sneeze, and walk away in disgust.

Stop Building a Bodybuilder: Long walks just create stamina. You need mental exhaustion. A snuffle mat or a 5-minute "sit/down/stay" session will knock them out faster than a 5-mile hike.

Management over Freedom: One forum user put it perfectly: "They will choose violence every time, 10 out of 10 times" if left alone. If you can't watch them, they go in the crate or the pen. It saves your house and keeps them safe from splinters.

The "Alone" Destruction (The Scary Part)

If your dog is only chewing when you leave for work, this isn't spite. It's separation anxiety. I read a thread where a dog was fine for 3 hours on weekends but destroyed the wall during an 8-hour shift. That is a dog clock-watching and panicking.

The Fix: Leave for 1 minute. Come back. Leave for 3 minutes. Come back. Show them you always return. It takes weeks, not days.

I still have a corner in my living room with mismatched paint where I patched the wood filler. It reminds me that I survived the "velociraptor phase."

You will not stop a Golden from chewing. You can only change WHAT they chew.

Hide the shoes, freeze the Kong, and keep that cayenne pepper handy. You've got this. 🐾

Ideas for a mid-sized, traditional guest bedroom renovation with green walls

Image of a medium-sized, modern family room with a brown floor and a dark wood floor, gray walls, and a television stand.

Example of a large trendy freestanding desk dark wood floor study room design with no fireplace and multicolored walls

An illustration of a sizable, traditional, enclosed dining room with a dark wood floor, beige walls, a regular fireplace, and a stone fireplace.

Picture of a medium-sized arts and crafts-style enclosed family room with a beige floor and carpeting but no fireplace