Summarize:

You dog acts in a specific way because of an expected reward - whether it be food, play, or attention. When a dog behaves badly, think about what it gets out of it in terms of a reward and then make sure the reward does not happen. Unfortunately, to the canine mind attention is a huge addictive reward which means shouting at your dog or telling him off is only rewarding the bad behavior. Any action can have three possible outcomes: a pleasant one, an uncertain one, or an unpleasant one. What matters is the dog's response to those outcomes. Each outcome evokes a different response. The pleasant outcome, means the behavior is likely to be repeated An indifferent outcome, means the dog may or may not repeat the behavior An unpleasant outcome means the dog is less likely to repeat the behavior. Now when you realize that shouting or chastisement is a reward, it puts a whole different complexion on reacting to bad behavior you are making the problem worse not better. Dogs live in the moment. If your dog chews up your favorite shoe and you don't punish him immediately, your dog won't learn his lesson. If your mother comes home later, discovers the destroyed shoe, and slaps the dog, he will link the punishment to the owner who came home and for no reason slapped him. Thus he becomes wary of the owner. The dog learns nothing about the inherent evils of shoe chewing. Punishment isn't clear for dogs oftentimes. If you catch the dog in the act of chewing a shoe, and tell him off immediately, once again he might simply link the punishment to the owner rather than to the inanimate object he's destroyed. Remember that your dog is a creature of habit. Determine if your dog is boredom or anxious. Boredom and a surplus of energy can turn a normally well-behaved dog into a delinquent. Make sure he has plenty of regular exercise and plenty of opportunity to express physical energy chasing and running. This leaves him happily content when he gets back home and less likely to get up to mischief. If your dog is destructive when you're out, consider that he might be anxious or bored in your absence. Try giving him a toy that will consume his attention for 20 to 30 minutes such as a Kong stuffed with dog food. In hot weather, stuff the Kong and pop it in the freezer overnight, so that he gets a cooling dog-food ice pop to keep his mind occupied whilst your out. The chances are if he gets over the initial half an hour without noticing you're gone then he's more likely to settle down for a nap afterwards.
Understand that your dog learns by trial and error. Understand that your dog makes direct connections. Think about your dog's routine.