One of the most costly dog behavior issues you will encounter is owning a destructive dog.
Chewing your cushions until the stuffing hangs out is at the mild end of these dog behavior problems, in between falls a complete list of misdemeanours like chewing your favorite shoes, scratching up the paintwork, scrabbling at the carpet and gnawing through cables. At the extreme end of this problem, dogs can destroy your best furniture, gnaw through plasterboard walls and I even heard a case of a dog who wrecked an entire kitchen while his dog minder was out!
Yet I am constantly shocked at the number of dog owners who put up with this damaging behavior and the stress it causes and try and work around it. If they invest a little time and cash to resolve the issue, it would be so much less expensive in the longer term than paying for painters and decorators, new carpets or furniture.
What Drives a Dog's Destructive Behaviour?
I would like to start by saying that dogs don't destroy things on purpose, to spite you, or teach you a lesson, or for vengeance, because I'm astounded what number of folks believe that.
Your dog could be destructive for a variety of different reasons. It might be attention seeking behaviour. My dog used to chew cushions and all of the while be making an attempt to catch my eye, because he knew I'd react and then he'd have my attention.
Dog chewing is the source of a large amount of damage in the house, yet a dogs chewing is totally natural. A dog will chew things as a means of relieving pain such as when teething. Similarly, chewing helps to release a natural endorphin in a dog that's relaxing, so dogs will frequently chew when they are anxious.
Separation Anxiety in dogs can also be a large driver for destructive behavior as a dog can panic when left alone. Lots of the damage can happen as the dog makes an attempt to get out of the house, so frequently window frames, doors and even walls are their focus.
Does Dog Boredom Create Destructive Behaviour?
Boredom is sometimes cited as a reason for dogs destructive behavior. There are plenty of folk who insist upon humanising their dogs, but I think that animals who do not know next time they're going to eat, find it far more difficult to become bored. Have you ever observed one of those "reality" shows where they don't feed the contestants for some time? No-one ever talks of being bored. All they talk of is, you guessed it, food.
So while your dog may enjoy the heap of toys you leave for them while you're out, or the dog hiker that comes in and exercises them, it will not always stop the destruction.
The Simplest Way To Stop Destructive Dogs
To calm the entire situation down and put an end to the expenses, stress and bad behavior, you want to identify whats behind your dog's destructive behavior and tackle it with some good dog behaviour training.
Chewing your cushions until the stuffing hangs out is at the mild end of these dog behavior problems, in between falls a complete list of misdemeanours like chewing your favorite shoes, scratching up the paintwork, scrabbling at the carpet and gnawing through cables. At the extreme end of this problem, dogs can destroy your best furniture, gnaw through plasterboard walls and I even heard a case of a dog who wrecked an entire kitchen while his dog minder was out!
Yet I am constantly shocked at the number of dog owners who put up with this damaging behavior and the stress it causes and try and work around it. If they invest a little time and cash to resolve the issue, it would be so much less expensive in the longer term than paying for painters and decorators, new carpets or furniture.
What Drives a Dog's Destructive Behaviour?
I would like to start by saying that dogs don't destroy things on purpose, to spite you, or teach you a lesson, or for vengeance, because I'm astounded what number of folks believe that.
Your dog could be destructive for a variety of different reasons. It might be attention seeking behaviour. My dog used to chew cushions and all of the while be making an attempt to catch my eye, because he knew I'd react and then he'd have my attention.
Dog chewing is the source of a large amount of damage in the house, yet a dogs chewing is totally natural. A dog will chew things as a means of relieving pain such as when teething. Similarly, chewing helps to release a natural endorphin in a dog that's relaxing, so dogs will frequently chew when they are anxious.
Separation Anxiety in dogs can also be a large driver for destructive behavior as a dog can panic when left alone. Lots of the damage can happen as the dog makes an attempt to get out of the house, so frequently window frames, doors and even walls are their focus.
Does Dog Boredom Create Destructive Behaviour?
Boredom is sometimes cited as a reason for dogs destructive behavior. There are plenty of folk who insist upon humanising their dogs, but I think that animals who do not know next time they're going to eat, find it far more difficult to become bored. Have you ever observed one of those "reality" shows where they don't feed the contestants for some time? No-one ever talks of being bored. All they talk of is, you guessed it, food.
So while your dog may enjoy the heap of toys you leave for them while you're out, or the dog hiker that comes in and exercises them, it will not always stop the destruction.
The Simplest Way To Stop Destructive Dogs
To calm the entire situation down and put an end to the expenses, stress and bad behavior, you want to identify whats behind your dog's destructive behavior and tackle it with some good dog behaviour training.
About the Author:
Author Venice Marriott is a writer and dog owner and runs a Dog Anxiety website, which provides help and information for dog owners dealing with dog anxiety. Get more information about destructive dog behaviour and other dog behaviour problems, when you visit the site.
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