Question
I have a small sapling red maple about 8' tall and couple of inch diameter planted only about a month or so ago and my dog peeled off a strip of bark about 3/4 around the trunk at the base up to about 3 foot high narrowing at the top though. Can it be saved or not?

Answer
It will be tough but I would give it a try. First remove any loose bark from the wound. The tree has the capability to heal over wounds especially young trees. Do not put any wound dressing on the wound this will slow down the process. You can expect some foliage dieback since some of the cells that transport water to the foliage have been cut off. If you have not done so mulch around the tree with not more than 3 inches deep of organic mulch not piled up on the trunk. This will help hold moisture around the roots. I would then water every third day with 1 inch of water--place a pan under the tree and turn the sprinkler on and when the pan has 1 inch of water in it stop. Do this for a month then once a week till the Fall.
Watch the wound for any signs of borers--sawdust or holes in or near the wound. IF these are found spray the wound area with an insecticide called Onyx or Merit. This will kill the insect that is trying to bore into the wood. Of course keep the dog away from the tree. A mixture of water and Cayenne pepper sprayed on the mulch and the tree trunk should keep it off the tree.