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'm consistently stunned at the amount of dog lovers who tolerate this destructive behaviour and the strain it causes and try and work around it. If they invest a small amount of time and money to sort out the problem, it might be so much cheaper in the long run than coughing up for painters and decorators, new carpets or furniture.
What Drives a Dog's Destructive Behavior?
I want to start by mentioning that dogs don't destroy things on purpose, to spite you, or teach you a lesson, or for vengeance, because I'm staggered how many people 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 Behavior?
Boredom is commonly cited as a rationalization for dogs destructive behaviour. There are many people who insist firmly on humanising their dogs, but I believe that animals who don't know the next time they are going to eat, find it much trickier to be bored. Have you ever studied one of those "reality" shows where they do not feed the competitors for a while? Nobody ever talks of being bored. All they talk about is, you got 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 whole situation down and put a stop to the costs, stress and bad behaviour, you need to spot whats behind your dog's destructive behaviour 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'm consistently stunned at the amount of dog lovers who tolerate this destructive behaviour and the strain it causes and try and work around it. If they invest a small amount of time and money to sort out the problem, it might be so much cheaper in the long run than coughing up for painters and decorators, new carpets or furniture.
What Drives a Dog's Destructive Behavior?
I want to start by mentioning that dogs don't destroy things on purpose, to spite you, or teach you a lesson, or for vengeance, because I'm staggered how many people 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 Behavior?
Boredom is commonly cited as a rationalization for dogs destructive behaviour. There are many people who insist firmly on humanising their dogs, but I believe that animals who don't know the next time they are going to eat, find it much trickier to be bored. Have you ever studied one of those "reality" shows where they do not feed the competitors for a while? Nobody ever talks of being bored. All they talk about is, you got 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 whole situation down and put a stop to the costs, stress and bad behaviour, you need to spot whats behind your dog's destructive behaviour 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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