i crate my 2 month old sheltie whenever we go out, but we never leave him home long. my mom stays at home, that's why. i guess you could try what we do to mickey when we catch him chewing. once we see him, we say "no" very firmly. if he doesn't stop, we'll tap him on the nose. that is supposed to hurt them. we've also heard that rolling up a newspaper and hitting on the floor (not your dog) and saying "no" firmly will scare them and kinda give them the idea it's a bad thing to do. give it a shot if you want. mickey seems to be getting the idea. oh, and once he stops chewing, give him a chew toy and praise him. a lot good luck.