My chair :(

[Midget]

Hello!

Ok i made it through potty training (yeaaaaah wooohooo!)

now she wants to destroy my "joeys chair" She has ripped a good amount of cloth off it.
I really dont mind much cause i was planning to re finish it (like new tapestry?dunno the word) but still, its my chair!!

When i catch her on the job i distract her and give her something else to play with. She takes the new toy, i praise her, then she goes (with the toy in her mouth) back to the chair, "pretends" she is still nibbling on the toy and once she is sure i am not watching anymore, she drops the toy and goes for the chair. I tried not to get frustrated so she wont get the kicks out of me yelling at her, but it didnt work.
I have a "punishment spot", i place her when she does not obey the 10th time. Doesnt work.
I sprayed the chair with a thing that makes the dogs not to want to eat the chair. Doesnt work.
Sometimes when i say no, she walks away, sits down and stares at me ,in the cuteist way, wondering what i am trying to tell her. God i wish i could speak doggish!

Even after big walks and sessions of playing with her, she still goes for the chair.
I think i must just be patient , but any advise would help!

[Nettle]

The chair is obviously far better than the toy you are redirecting with.

The chair will one day be re-covered and you won't want her ripping it.

Other people have chairs and they won't want their chairs ripped also.

I'm saying that to split the problem into easy "bites".

For now, however you like but do it, remove the chair completely from the puppy's world. Screen it, put it away, anything but for now not for ever - it is far too tempting.

Re-equip with toys the puppy has shown you she likes - rippy fabric ones, chewy cardboard ones. You can make great toys from old clothes: nothing fancy, just cut into strips and tie at the ends, push old socks into an old sock and tie the ends - the only limit is your imagination.

Play other mind games with your pup to make sure she has an enriched life and is tired from learning and doing (see our pinned thread on Exercising the Mind).

Telling her off, ten-times punishment spot, bitter spray - as you have found won't work. Pups need to chew and rip, so give her safe things to chew and rip, and hide away what you don't want chewed and ripped. Like all puppy phases, "this too will pass".

Until it does, we find wine and chocolate helps us - and a big chewy raw bone helps puppsy