My Bestfriend

Chewing, scratching, playing and exploring their environment are normal behaviors for dogs, especially puppies.  However, these habits can be very frustrating to pet owners as they can result to destruction of household property if not properly and immediately addressed. So before your beloved pooches wreak further havoc on your expensive Rolex watches, pool table and English-style pub bar, learn what causes these problems so that effective behavior modification techniques can be applied.

My friend and dog lover, Shaun Olmstead, says that dogs do not engage in destructive activities out of spite or revenge.  They often behave like this to relieve anxiety or as an outlet for excess energy.  While people may exercise, chew on their nails or have a drink to relieve tension, dogs tend to chew, dig, lick excessively, pace around like crazy when they are anxious.

Some causes of destructive behavior are as follows:

Teething
Chewing appears to help relieve the discomfort of teething to puppies. The behavior usually ceases after permanent teeth appear.

Social Isolation or Boredom
Lack of social interaction with their owners or an environment which is relatively barren, without playmates or toys, can push your pets to entertain themselves by engaging in activities which inadvertently result in destruction of property.

Attention-getting Behavior
Dogs which do not receive attention and reinforcement for appropriate behavior, may show destructive behavior when owners are present, as a way to attract attention – even if the attention is “negative” such as verbal scolding.

Investigative Behavior
Dogs may inadvertently damage items in their environment when they are exploring or investigating. Dogs investigate objects by pawing at them and exploring them with their mouths. Many dogs, especially retrievers and young animals, also like to fetch and carry objects. Novel or unfamiliar objects are often damaged in this manner, especially when dogs are left unsupervised for long time periods.

Inconsistent Feeding Routines
A hungry dog may go on a foraging spree, and destroy the house searching for food.

Predatory Behavior
If dogs are attempting to pursue rodents underneath floorboards or behind walls, destructive behavior may result.

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