My 8 month old puppy just ate my couch!

groo

Any thoughts on why she would suddenly go wild on my couch?

Because it's just a big chew toy to a dog. :)  Seriously, dogs don't have much recognition of the value we place on certain items.  She was probably bored and just started chewing on the closest thing, which happened to be your couch arm.  She's given you fair warning that she isn't to be trusted unless you're actively keeping an eye on her.  Crate her when you can't watch her.  If you see her eyeing something that you don't want her to chew on, offer her an acceptable alternative.

Dogs enjoy chewing for most of their lives.  It's not just when they are young and teething.  You can teach her the command "leave it" to make training her not to chew on prized possessions easier.  Once she's got that concept and command you can tell her to leave it when she is caught chewing on something you don't want chewed. In time she'll learn not to chew certain items in favor of the items you provide for her chewing.  You can find a lot of videos and articles on how to teach the Leave It command on the net.

At about this age, pups go through a second teething stage while the teeth settle into the jaw.  It was around this age that two of my gsds ate my hubby's new, LaZBoy wall hugger recliner, followed shortly by attacking the pillow back sofa.

You might want to consider a crate and use the crate as a place that she gets a special stuffy, or treat.  Alternately, you can keep her leashed to you when you can't give her your full attention.

JackieG

Dogs enjoy chewing for most of their lives.  It's not just when they are young and teething.

Unfortunately you got a bit of wrong information -- that puppies only chew when they are young??  Nope -- they teethe A LONG TIME and in stages.

First when truly little they have to shed those milk teeth.  Then around 3-5 months they teethe in earnest (that's the point where you may get a dislodged puppy tooth in a bare foot if you happen to walk around barefoot at those times..... OUCH!!!

But just like humans, then they go thru the next stage where they cut 'adult' teeth -- like the big molars, etc.  Those are extra teeth that come in and it can result in some really heavy-duty chewing.  The don't fully finish "teething" until they are a couple of years old (and that all depends on the breed and individual dog).  It starts just after sexual maturation (right around 8-9 months) and hangs in for a while.

to be honest -- it's not just that they "enjoy" chewing (*rolling eyes* I have a pug who at 4+ STILL **needs** her nylabone occasionally) but they are cutting difficult and LARGE teeth -- they can't walk up to mom and lisp "Mom my tooth hurts!!" -- in order to cut thru the gum line so the new tooth can fully come in, they teethe HARD and need a deep hard chew to expedite that. 

The arm of that couch  was simply inviting and obliging.  It was a nice deep chew (you can get your teeth really deep in there right where it hurts!!) but it also obligingly stays STILL so the pup can get really really deep -- I'd bet if you looked closely you may even find a bit of blood --- that poor pup probably thot he'd hit the mother lode of GREAT places to chew.  Not to mention it even smelled like you!!

so temper your reaction if you can -- no that sounds wrong, like I think you're gonna lose your temper and I don't.  I mean "understand" the intent wasn't to make your life difficult but rather just to satisfy either a painful mouth or a craving to chew.  (If you got this email I hope you see that I edited this.??)

yes, the pup most definitely needs to be taught what is and is not appropriate, but I suspect you'll find this wasn't just recreational chewing but rather DRIVEN chewing to assuage the hurt that occurrs when the skin keeps growing over la new tooth.  The fact that they inately turn to resolve the problem themselves amazes me -- a human child would just moan and groan -- the dog tries to solve the problem themself.  (Unfortunately not in a socially acceptable way.)

Now go back, please, and re-read everything Jackie said, cos it's gold!   Some dogs are bigger chewers than others -- like I said my pug seems not to outgrow it -- and with her it's definitely at times a **need**.  She will lick obsessively until I shove a nylabone "durable" in her little pug mouf but suddenly she gets her paws around that, will heave a big heart-felt sigh and CHEW.  *sigh*  life is good!

 Thanks for all the help. I think Stella will be spending some quality time in my office with me over the next little while we work on what is acceptable and not acceptable chewing material. As I said, for the most part she is wonderful and very well behaved. I guess I forget that she is still very young and still needs a lot of supervision and correction. She is currently curled up on a blanket taking a nap, and no doubt dreaming of couches.