Distructive Behavior

Oh my! Have you ever come home to a scene like this? Even worse is when the mangled items are expensive or precious. Destructive behavior can just be heartbreaking!....
 Dogs naturally like to chew. Puppies and young dogs usually like to chew more than older dogs but dogs that are bored, under exercised or stressed will often have a hard time with tempting items around the house. Dogs that haven't been taught what is okay to chew on and what isn't should be confined when not supervised. Leaving them free to forage about the house when they aren't sure what is a chew toy and what isn't is just looking for disaster. If you don't teach them, how are they to know?

I recommend having no more than 3 toys for a dog that hasn't learned not to chew on your bedroom slippers or newspaper. Having too many toys to chew on can be a source of confusion to him. Supervise him when he is not confined to a 'safe' area. If he picks up something or acts like he's going to chew on it, tell him calmly 'eh, eh', redirect him to a 'chewable' item. A dog can quickly learn to distinguish between children's toys and dog toys if you do this, also you might want to limit the amount of things that are down for him to be tempted by until he gets the idea.

Another thing you might do is discourage your dog from finding a resting place where his nose is near an object that he might find tasty. If you see your puppy lying down to rest with his nose near the fringe on your favorite rug, you might ask him to move to a less tempting place. My dog Cash likes to sleep near my husband's wing back chair. When he was younger that was a place that I discouraged him from napping because he would start to suck on the skirt at the base of the chair. Now that he is nearly a year old I don't worry about that so much. He does, however, like to tear up tissues if he gets a chance still, so I don't leave that sort of thing down low in a place that will be tempting for him. Before long he will be sure what is chewable and what is not and I will be able to rest easy.

If your dog's needs are not being met, meaning his mental and physical stimulation needs then he will find a way to entertain himself that, you can be certain, you will not like. Dogs do not chew things to get revenge on us or show us who's boss. They aren't usually craving a vitamin or mineral deficiency like some people have surmised. Puppies chew when they are teething and dogs chew inappropriately when they are bored or stressed. If they pick something that is your favorite item, it might be because it smells like you and they just want to be close to their favorite person. Dogs are very scent oriented.

If you come home and find something chewed up then just clean it up and use a rolled up newspaper to hit yourself on the head repeatedly and say to yourself "I forgot to confine the dog, I forgot to confine the dog!" It's too late to tell him 'no' because you didn't catch him in the act. He may ACT guilty but be certain that he will not know why you are unhappy he will just know that you are not happy with him. Meet your dog's needs and you will both be happier for it! Make sure he is getting proper mental and physical exercise. Especially mental exercise will keep him happy and your things safe from his boredom.

Enjoy your dog!

Mary