Hrm. Howlyip, I never said she should re-home them. But, she should ABSOLUTELY do something, soon. If it's really straining her marriage and her life, she wants to go forward in baby steps, and the dogs are unhappy/in danger, this should be taken pretty seriously.

I think that, since more exercise and time spent playing with the dogs is not do-able, they really need to be safe first and foremost. Chewing up wood and spa covers isn't safe!!! It'll result in painful chipped teeth or blockages, easily. I think the dogs should be in a secure, dog-proofed zone when not supervised. A dog run/pen or a secure area in the house with NOTHING there to chew on.

Honestly, a behaviorist costs about $75-100 per hour. Just one hour giving the behaviorist your history and situation, and him/her giving you advice for your personal situation, could help a LOT! Otherwise, read up on everything you can, get and plan, and DO IT. Could your husband run with the dogs in the morning before he leaves? Could you take them in the yard and play with them for 20-30 minutes and tire them out? Could you hire a private dog-walker, who charges reasonable fees for a number of dogs (I've seen some that charge $10 for a jog/walk, and small fees for each additional dog)? There are lots of things you can do to eliminate the strain on you and the strain on your dogs right now.