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It’s frustrating when your dog destroys something while you’re away. The good news is, there are lots of solutions to help destructive dogs. And the first step is almost always figuring out what motivated your dog to shred a couch, eat a shoe, or wreck a door in the first place.
Dogs with destructive tendencies may be bored or under-exercised. They might have trouble with territoriality or passersby. They can even suffer from separation anxiety or medical issues.
To get expert advice, we spoke with Amanda Farah, National Training & Behavior Coordinator at Best Friends Animal Society, and Dr. Whitney Miller, Chief Veterinarian at Petco. Here’s what to know about dogs that destroy the house, and what you can do about it as a pet parent.
Why Is My Dog Destroying the House?
There are a lot of different reasons a dog might be chewing, scratching, or otherwise causing damage to your home. The most common include:
- Teething
- Boredom
- Not enough physical activity
- Redirected frustration
- Separation anxiety
- Hunger or nutritional issues, like an omega-3 fatty acid deficiency
- Medical issues
What Destructive Dog Behavior Looks Like
Destructive behavior can manifest in lots of ways, but chances are, you’ll recognize it when you see it.
Puppies may chew on anything and everything they can sink their small teeth into—cords, shoes, toys, and even their own bedding or leash.
“There is a learning curve for puppies to learn what’s appropriate to chew on, which can lead to destructive chewing on items that are not meant for dogs to play with,” explains Dr. Miller. Teething, which usually takes place between three to six months, can exacerbate the situation.
In adult dogs, destructive behavior can range from scratching and chewing furniture to ripping up soft materials and fabrics. It can also manifest as anxious behavior like barking, whining, pacing, drooling, or having accidents around the home, even when they’re potty-trained.
When it happens
Destructive behavior typically happens when a dog is left alone, especially when the cause is boredom or separation anxiety. External stressors, such as visitors to the home or loud noises like fireworks or alarms, can also trigger a destructive episode.
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Step-By-Step Instructions
1. Rule out medical issues
The first step to solving your dog’s behavior issues is to make an appointment with your vet.
A dog demonstrating destructive behavior may have a serious underlying medical or behavioral issue that’s causing them to act out. Anxiety is a common cause of destructive tendencies, but neurological conditions, nutritional deficiencies, hormonal imbalances, and dental issues can also be to blame.
“A vet will likely recommend some baseline bloodwork and urinalysis to help rule out any underlying medical conditions and can help create a behavior modification plan with you,” says Dr. Miller.
2. Increase exercise
If your dog gets a clean bill of health from the vet, turn your attention to their activity level. Regular exercise is important to a dog’s overall well-being. As the saying goes, a tired dog is a well-behaved dog.
“Try increasing exercise, especially for dogs from working breeds that spend most of their time inside,” recommends Dr. Miller.
Whether it’s a longer walk around the neighborhood or a game of fetch or chase in the backyard, adding additional physical activity to your dog’s daily routine may help them release pent-up energy in a more positive way.
3. Offer more mental stimulation
In addition to exercise, mental stimulation can also help tire out a destructive dog. “Cognitive enrichment is important and can help with increasing calm behaviors,” says Farah. She recommends:
- Increasing training sessions, especially for fun skills your dog enjoys
- Adding puzzle games and treat dispensers to your dog’s toy rotation
- Incorporating scent games and snuffle mats for enrichment
- Trying decompression walks, or sniff walks, to work your dog’s brain
Snizhana Galytska via iStock
4. Introduce barriers
“Setting up a ‘puppy zone’ or safe space for your dog to spend their time when you can’t supervise them prevents them for having access to things in your house that they could destroy when you aren’t looking, and it also prevents bad habits from forming,” advises Farah. “This might be a small room with a pet gate or a puppy exercise pen. It could also be a crate for short periods of time.”
While you’re working on crate training, Farah recommends keeping objects that your dog might be tempted to chew on out of reach. That means:
- Putting shoes in closets
- Removing food from countertops
- Tucking cords into cord protectors
- Getting a trash can with a locking lid
“If your dog has become very interested in your table legs, put an exercise pen around the table while you’re building better habits. Prevent damage and bad habit formation while you figure out how to meet their need to express those behaviors in better ways,” Farah says.
5. Offer chew toys and practical outlets
If you have a puppy or an adult dog with an insatiable need to chew, the best way to prevent them from chewing on your belongings is to provide them with plenty of chew toys that they can gnaw on.
“In puppies, chewing is a normal response to the discomfort of the teething process. It’s a great time to use this need to chew to provide appropriate chew toys and reward them for using them. Puppies also explore the world with their mouths, and sometimes they’re just looking for something to do with all that puppy energy,” says Farah.
How To Get Help With a Destructive Dog
Addressing the underlying cause of your dog’s unwanted behaviors is the best bet for resolving them. However, you don’t have to do the work alone.
“A behavioral specialist or professional trainer, such as those at Petco, can help you identify and address the cause of your pet’s behavior-related accidents,” says Dr. Miller.
Keep in mind that positive reinforcement is always the better way to go rather than punishing a dog’s behavior.
“Even if it takes time to address undesired behaviors, I always encourage pet parents to practice the use of positive reinforcement by rewarding what we want pups to do vs. punishing your dog,” says Dr. Miller. “The use of aversive dog training methods can have behavioral consequences and impact the trust established between pet and pet parent. They can also exacerbate unwanted behaviors due to stress on the pet.”
