I have a greyhound, adopted at the age of 3, had him for a year and a half. He is very shy and personal about his chewing habits. He will wait until left alone in his crate to start eating. Mealtimes on the road take awhile, as he tries to decide if he's hungry enough to eat in public. Plush toys he never touches when watched. He destroyed one (unwisely) left in his crate, and they move around when I'm not looking, so I know he is playing with them when he feels he has enough privacy. Bully sticks and beef trachea he also chews only in private, and won't chew them up in one sitting either. Hard chew toys he doesn't touch. If it doesn't seem eatable he doesn't touch them.

But when anxious, anything in reach is fair game. Most recently he got into a book (while I was home, but on another floor) and a telephone (while I was away.) Wedding invitations, bicycle manuals and ball-point pens have been on the menu before. All were items I recently handled and probably had my scent on them. Loneliness and inclement weather seem to be his triggers for chewing. He won't chew appropriate objects in my presence, so I can not remove the inappropriate object and replace it. His biggest reaction towards the appropriate chew object in front of me is laying down with his head or paw on it.

We took a short vacation this summer, and since then the greyhound has been more emotional. More excited to see me, or participate in activities with me, more distressed when left alone. More like a normal dog, except for the increase in axiety that came with it. I'd be pleased with his newfound joy at seeing me, if I didn't think it was related to his stress when I'm away. I still have trouble working him up enough to play with toys.

We have resorted to crating or muzzling him whenever we leave the house, but I don't want to have to pen him up when I am home but not in the room with him. We have tried leaving out more consumable chews, but this becomes a problem when I'm escorting the puppy by them. (The puppy is not allowed to be free unsupervised with the greyhound and his toys, but we walk by them all the time.)

Suggestions?