No one likes coming home to their sofa in bits or their door scratched to pieces. Some dogs can wreak havoc while their owner is out and cause a lot of damage to property (and sometimes themselves). It can be very stressful and frustrating for owners. If your dog is being destructive the first thing you need to consider is why. Dogs are destructive for a number of different reasons. Here are a few explanations as to why your dog might be destructive: - if your dog doesn't get the mental stimulation they need, they will get it elsewhere. One of the most common causes of destructive behaviour in dogs is boredom. Make sure your dog has stimulated their mind before you leave them home alone, and provide them with a toy to keep them busy while you are out. Bored dogs can quickly become frustrated, which leads to being destructive because they have nothing else to do. - Dogs with separation anxiety issues will often become very destructive. They get so stressed when their owner leaves them that they tear the house down to try and escape, or divert their anxiety. Your dog may have more of an anxiety problem than a destructive problem. Deal with their separation problems first and you may find they become far less destructive.
How To Manage Destructive Dogs
- If your dog hasn't had enough exercise then they will have a lot of energy to burn off. One way to get rid of their energy is to chew, scratch and destroy things. Make sure you take your dog out for a long walk before you leave them at home on their own. Provide them with enough daily exercise and they are less likely to develop destructive behaviour. - you need to teach your dog what they are and aren't allowed to chew and play with. All dogs love to chew, but they may not realise the difference between their bone and your carpet. You need to teach them the rules and train them to chew only their toys (although sometimes this can seem almost impossible). If your dog is displaying serious destructive behaviour, get help from a canine behaviourist. It's quite natural for a young puppy to inquisitive and chew things, but soon enough they need to learn what they can and can't destroy. If you are struggling with a destructive dog, don't despair, there are some things you can do to help. From a young age, get your puppy used to being left alone. If your dog doesn't behave themselves, confine them to a particular room where they can't make quite as much mess. Another option is to crate your dog while you go out for short periods, this stops them from damaging things as well as harming themselves. If you are going to use a crate then you will need to do some crate training to get your dog used to it.