It could definitely be a lot worse. Back in April 2001 I finally got the breed of dog I always wanted, an Alaskan Malamute (male). Kandik's Bootlegger, also known as Rascal, was 10 months old when I bought him back then. After introducing him to my wife's female Siberian Husky/German Shepard mix named Skitter at a local pet store, we took both the dogs home. Since we do not have kids of the human variety, the dogs use our second bedroom. Anyway, the first night I brought Rascal home we experienced severe thunderstorms. I had not yet purchased a crate for Rascal because I was hoping that he would behave with Skitter in the room. Well, I learned what behavior I should expect out of a 10-month-old Alaskan Malamute. At about 3:00 A.M. I was awoken by a loud bang. Thinking that it was only the storm outside, I clambered out of bed half awake to check on the dogs. I opened the door and turned on the lamp to observe a sight I would never forget. Now Skitter has always slept on the bottom of a set of bunk beds that I slept on as a child, but she wasn't this night. Rascal had the mattress in the clutches of his jaws, with a spring broken and hanging out of his mouth. When I saw him he looked up at me with the facial expression saying "What, I'm not supposed to be doing this?" I quickly scolded him and handed him over to my wife, whom my screaming waked. Further inspection revealed only more damage. The legs of my wife's office desk were chewed and the drawer handles chewed off. The desk drawers were also pulled out and their contents strewn all over the floor. Of these items I found my flight manual to my Jane's F-15E simulator destroyed, squadron patches shredded, and chewed computer diskettes. Since Skitter had no prior history of this behavior with my wife or myself, Rascal was quickly introduced to the world of XXXL heavy-duty dog crates. Since then, when I have fallen asleep on the couch, Rascal has continued to display his chomping abilities. I have found chewed up light bulbs, paper towels, blankets, shirts, jeans, and pillows. He even managed to chew through a steel can of RediWhip whipped cream. If you have ever held one of those cans you know they are made of some pretty thick steel. By the time I found it, it looked like you had just took it to the rifle range! Good thing it was empty when he grabbed it, or that could've been a real mess! Oddly enough, he has never touched a shoe, sandal, or boot! As the time has gone by, Rascal has calmed down a little and has displayed better behavior outside his crate, but only when someone is at home. When my wife and I work, he is always in the crate. Thankfully, he has grown to enjoy his "privacy" inside the crate, and is not too reluctant to confinement. For now, he is the closest thing to a child I want. I will always love my son, strong jaws and all.