Common Destructive Behavior In Dogs

Common destructive behavior in dogs is chewing furniture, shredding, or digging. A dog owner must understand that a dog does not have vengeful intentions when engaging in destructive behavior. A dog does not have destructive behavior as an attempt to get back at its owner.

Destructive behavior in dogs can have a variety of causes. The dog owner should attempt to understand the cause of the behavior in order to be more effective in correcting the problem behavior. For example, some dogs become destructive when they get bored while they are left alone. Supplying a dog with an activity or toys that fights boredom may help alleviate the destructive behavior. Some dog owners have had some success with using Kong treat toys to occupy their dogs’ time.

If a puppy is teething, it is more likely to have chewing behavior that may be destructive. Some dog bones are designed for teething and may be successfully used as a target for teething. If an adult dog is chewing, it may have a dental problem that should be checked by a veterinarian. The adult dog may need more jaw exercise and feels the need to chew. Supplying a dog with an appropriate chewing bone or pig ears may help eliminate destructive chewing.

A dog may destroy property during play or while being curious about its environment. A puppy may shred items as a form of play. Providing appropriate outlets for these behaviors like toys may help. If a dog is not consistently fed, it may have destructive behavior associated with looking for food. A dog that is confined to a small room or small space may have destructive behavior targeted at the walls or boundary. This is often caused by anxiety.

Some dogs will have destructive behavior due to separation anxiety. A dog that has separation anxiety may follow the owner around the house. This is a common problem for dogs that have been stray or obtained from an animal shelter. When the dog owner leaves, the dog may become anxious, whine, and be destructive. The dog must become accustomed to the dog owner leaving and returning. A veterinarian may be able to assist a dog owner in teaching the dog that when the owner leaves, the dog owner will return.