Eating the skirting board

[Dexter6]

Our miniature schnauzer was doing so well. He's 19 weeks now and he was no longer sleeping in his crate as he has a bed in the kitchen and he went from waking at 4:00 - 4:30 in his crate to sleeping until 6:30-7:00 on his bed, which was better for everyone.
He rarely has any accidents and if for any reason he needs the toilet and we don't let him out he goes in his pen, which is easy to clean.
We were also leaving him in the kitchen during the day even if we popped out for a few hours and all seemed good.
Then on Saturday my wife returned from town to find that he'd chewed a corner of skirting board.
She scolded him and he knew that he'd done wrong and we applied masking tape to cover the skirting board. But he won't stop chewing this particular area of skirting board.
My wife says that he's just teething but he's not chewing anything else and does not generally chew toys throughout the day, only when playing.
He's just chewed all of the masking tape off again and once again I've scolded him and put him in his pen. He knows that he's done wrong because his head goes down when I tell him off.
We now have to put him in his pen at night and whenever we go out and I'm worried about leaving him in the kitchen during the day.
Is this just a phase he'll grow out of or could it be the start of destructive behaviour?
The area of skirting board that he's chewed is small and shouldn't take much time or cost to replace but I am concerned he'll move onto more expensive things like sofas, tables, chairs etc.

[Robin black mini]

Take heart!Your pup is entering his worst teething stage..the molars and pre molars will loosen and fall between 5 to 7 m ..is is not his fault for chewing ,and scolding him after the fact is not going to change anything...

My worst chewer was a dogue de Bordeaux mastiff,also confined in kitchen,at night , as a pup....
The remedy?
Be sure to leave a good chew object when you leave him.....we used the gallileo chews... Not his toys...a chew object...just for when he's alone..new ,stimulating and allowed to be chewed safely...
And here's the jewel....you can polish your chair legs and skirting with a furniture polish into which you mix pepperoncino powder....your skirting will be safe thereafter. don't rush to put in new skirting..save this for when he's through the chewing phase..also be aware he can chew and swallow the masking tape ...better to use the polish and pepper deterrent than a removeable tape..
If you can't supervise,contain...( for us the safety gate In The kitchen worked well) ..this is a phase he will go through and grow out of..after the first year the teeth will be established..do be aware that after tooth change there will be another phase of chewing resurgence when the molars " settle " in the gums ( 10 m)and then you should be all clear.
Excercise and training are so important at this time ,so the dog is tired when left...as the chewing stage( self gratification) can also be prolonged if the dog is bored and left too long alone.

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[Jasp21+]

Does your pup only destructively chew (as opposed to chewing a toy) when you are out and he's on his own? Many dogs can get bored witless and quite stressed if they are left alone for long periods. I'm not for one second suggesting you do this, but it's fact nevertheless and one that we always consider with our own minature Schnauzer, Jasper, if we're going out. It always amazes me the stories we all read about owners coming home to find all their living room furniture/carpets/curtains trashed by the 'naughty' dog. How long did it take that dog to do all that?! Too long! I recall our first dog Freddie having chewed a huge chunk of his plastic bed away when he was in kennels for two weeks. We never used kennels again, only friends and known individual pro dog boarders with their own animals. Good luck with yours. I'm sure lots of love and rewards will do the trick!

[klwurth]

Okay, I hope I don't get in trouble for this, but...I don't think it's a bad thing to try. Not cruel, just a deterrent.

First strategy is always distraction, giving a positive substitute and click-treating for good behavior.
Second strategy is activity. A restless puppy is a chewing puppy, so a long play session or a good long walk gives a great outlet for that energy, and distraction from the pain. The pain is real. We can't forget that, so ice-cold treats, rubbing the gums, and all sorts of comfort measures are in order...almost constantly! You'll feel like you don't get much else done.
Third strategy, try to lock puppy away from that spot, until he forgets how fun it is. Crate or pen with chewy toy.
Last resort, if puppy won't leave it alone after the above, a LIGHT sprinkle of cayenne pepper on the focal point, right on the rug, wood or chewed object. One little sniff or lick of cayenne is an effective deterrent. I always stood by with water if I knew he was going to try it, and offered a drink when I saw his look of surprise or distaste. (Of course, water is always available to pup, but I brought it to him for immediate relief.) You don't want the pup to suffer, just to learn it's not something he wants to go after. Then again, offer a positive substitute and treat after he sniffs/tastes it AND walks away.
This has really helped with things like throw rug corners, random tufts of carpet, wood trim on furniture, etc., at our house.

Hope this helps. This too will pass...