Dealing With A Dog Who Destroys Everything *

*This is a collaborative post.

If your dog destroys everything, then you’ve probably had to deal with chewed up shoes, phones, cables, pens, carpets, bins, and more. Dogs will chew just about anything up without thinking twice. But why do dogs behave like this, and how are you supposed to deal with it? 

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Making Your Home Dog-proof

One thing you can try first of all is making your home more dog proof. This could mean clearing away dangerous and valuable objects – or any objects that you don’t want to get chewed up.  If they tend to try and run out of your property borders, a backyard dog fence can also be helpful. However, don’t try any of the more ‘out there’ suggestions online. You want to train your dog, not scare them. You still need to work on your dog’s reasons for chewing everything. 

Why Your Dog Acts This Way

Figure out why your dog has been acting the way they are. Do they only do this when you’re out of the house, or do they do it when you’re out of the room? Fitting a small camera at home can give you a good idea of how long it takes your dog to get into destructive mode. 

• Boredom – many dogs act this way because they are bored. If you’re leaving them in the house on their own for too long, they probably feel under-stimulated and are finding things to do. They need both physical and mental activity. Dog sports, learning new tricks and challenges could help your dog to burn off that excess energy that is making them destroy everything. 
• Stress and separation anxiety – stress and fear are a possible cause of your dog’s destructive behaviour. Dogs who are scared of being left alone and don’t know if you’ll return home tend to chew up anything in sight, and may even defecate on the floor. They likely not only destroy things but bark, howl, run, and run round restlessly. If your dog seems distressed, it’s likely separation anxiety. Many will begin to display this behaviour as soon as they realize that you intend to leave them. 

Professional Help

It can be tough to work through your dog’s issues alone – so look into getting professional help. Remember, it can take a while for your dog to get over this, so you need to be persistent and consistent and work with a licensed professional. The idea of dogs scratching their beds may seem normal, but if your dog is doing it to an extent that they ruin that along with other things in the home, a deeper issue may be present. 

Remember – Consistency Is Key

It’s so important to stay consistent so your dog learns the proper way to act in the house. You need to not only be professional at dog training lessons, but when you’re at home with your dog. This isn’t about scaring them, as we mentioned before. You simply assert yourself as the pack leader and ensure that everything you do aligns with that. Soothing techniques can also work to help your dog, such as leaving them with something that smells like you, and making sure you ease them into it by only leaving for short periods of time. This will help them to see that you always come back.