New Puppy Guide
Coming Home to Another Chewed Cushion? 5 Things New Puppy Owners Try for Chewing and Accidents, Ranked
Sponsored guide. Updated October 2026. 6 minute read.
If you work full time and your puppy is chewing everything and going in the house, you are not failing it. Here is what owners usually try, and the one option that gives you an actual plan.
You open the door after work and there it is. Another chewed cushion, a puddle by the sofa, and a puppy who is thrilled to see you.
If that sounds like your week, you are far from alone. In a ManyPets survey of 857 new puppy owners in January 2023, 7 in 10 said they felt anxious or low after bringing their puppy home. Of the owners who were struggling, 48% named chewing and biting and 50% named potty training.
Chewing and accidents are normal puppy behavior. What usually goes wrong is not the puppy. It is having no plan for the hours you are not there. So we looked at the five things owners most often try and ranked them on four questions: does it fit around your work hours, is it made for your puppy's age, does it cover chewing and accidents, and does it tell you what to do and when.
Bitter spray on everything
Spray it on the chair legs and hope the puppy backs off. It can protect one or two things you care about, but it does not show your puppy what it is allowed to chew, and it does nothing for the accidents.
Verdict
A short term patch, not a plan.
Crating all day while you are at work
Some owners crate the puppy for the whole workday to protect the house. A crate can be a calm, safe space when it is introduced well, but a young puppy left in one too long will often have accidents in there, and you come home to a puppy with a whole day of energy to burn.
Verdict
Useful as part of a routine. Not a routine on its own.
A basket full of chew toys
Giving your puppy things it is allowed to chew is a good idea. On its own, though, a pile of toys does not tell you when to swap them in, when to take the puppy outside, or what to do when it goes for your shoes instead.
Verdict
Good to have, but it is not a plan.
Free videos and forum advice
Free is hard to argue with, and there is good advice out there. The trouble is the 40 open tabs that all say something different, and none of it is made for your puppy's age or the hours you work.
Verdict
Lots of tips, no routine.
The Dog Training Starter Pack from Happy Paws Academy
This is the one we would start with if you work full time. You answer 6 quick questions: your puppy's name, age and breed, the time you wake up, your work hours, and whether you use a crate. Your puppy's first 7 days are then planned hour by hour around that, and the plan is emailed to you.
Inside: potty times for the whole first week, a bite redirect script for when the teeth come out, a first night and crate plan, and a one page guide to what is normal at your puppy's age. It is reward based, with no punishment methods.
There is no long course to sit through and no trainer to book. Private dog training averages about $150 an hour, according to Rover, as reported by the Wall Street Journal in July 2025. The Starter Pack is $27, one payment, and refunded in full if you ask within 14 days, no questions.
See what is inside the Dog Training Starter Pack and answer your 6 questions here
To be clear, it will not train your puppy for you, and no plan can promise results by a certain date. What it does is take the guessing out of the week, so you know what to do at 7am, at lunchtime and when you get home.
Verdict
The only option here built around your puppy's age and your work day.
How they compare
| Option | Fits your work hours | Made for your puppy's age | Covers chewing and accidents | Tells you what to do and when |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dog Training Starter Pack (#1) | ||||
| Free videos and forums (#2) | Partly | |||
| Chew toys (#3) | Partly | |||
| Crating all day (#4) | ||||
| Bitter spray (#5) | Partly |
The bottom line
Chewed cushions and puddles in the first weeks are normal, and they are not a sign you are doing it wrong. If you are out at work all day, the thing that helps most is a simple routine made for your puppy's age and your hours, so the time you do have together counts.
$27 one payment. Full refund within 14 days, no questions.