In another AnimalWised article we explain how to proceed if you have a destructive dog that chews things or digs in the garden. However, in addition to the things you read above, here we give you 8 more complementary and additional tips for destructive dogs, which are very useful or even essential, for that your dog is not so anxious.
If your dog has this behavior problem, you may also be interested in tips for jealous dogs, why is my dog possessive of toys, or why does my dog eat everything he finds.
1. Don't put on a show when you greet your dog
Most people, when they leave their houses, greet their dogs as if they were never going to see them again, exaggerating the goodbye and making the puppies anxious. In the same way, when they return home, these people greet their dogs as if they had just escaped from being abducted by aliens.
All of that, increases anxiety of dogs when left alone, either because they are overstimulated before being left alone or because they wait looking forward to the return of their owners.
How do you greet your relatives when you leave your house or when you return to it? Surely you do not spend several minutes greeting them out loud. That is why it is recommended that you greet your dog in the same way as your family members.
Don't make a big deal, say hello or bye and pat your dog. No more is needed. The time to play is another.
two. Train your dog in canine obedience
While not directly related to the destruction dogs cause, dog obedience training teaches dogs to control their impulsesA dog is more likely to stay calm when alone if it has been trained in basic canine obedience.
Although dog training alone does not guarantee that the dog will stay calm, it increases the likelihood of this happening. Especially if the training has been done with positive methods.
3. Teach your dog to go to the toilet
Teaching your dog to potty clean your house doesn't solve destruction problems, but just like obedience training, it teaches dogs to have self-control.
Therefore, it increases the probability that the dog will be left alone without causing problems. In addition, it is absolutely necessary if your dog is left alone inside the house.
4. Teach your dog what objects to chew on to pass the time
If you teach your dog that he can chew his tough rubber toys, and you reinforce that behavior in a positive way, it is unlikely that your dog destroys things in your house or digs in the garden.
You don't have to have lots of toys at your child's disposal. Just find a few that he likes and put them easily within his reach
5. Get your dog used to using the travel crate
This also does not offer a direct solution to the destruction problem, but dogs that are comfortable in the travel crate tend to be more confident, calm and relaxed dogsIn addition, the travel cage becomes a safe place for these dogs and they seek that security when they are alone. So, instead of destroying things around, they can take a good nap inside their cage, which they enter voluntarily even if the door is open, because they feel safe there. That's why it's good to get your dog used to using the travel crate.
6. Decide how much freedom your dog can have when he is left alone inside the house
If you notice that your dog destroys things more often in a particular place, it may be that something in that place stimulates the behaviorsdestructive, either because it makes your dog anxious or because it triggers prey urges or territoriality.
For example, some dogs are very calm when they stay in rooms with windows that do not face the street, but they destroy everything when they stay in rooms with windows that face the street. This may occur because stimuli outside trigger territorial or predatory responses in dogs, or perhaps cause them anxiety.
Similar things can happen in different places of the house, either inside it or in the garden. If you notice these differences in behavior depending on where you leave your dog, leaving your dog alone restricts his access to theplaces that trigger destructive behaviors.
7. Give your dog more exercise
The holy grail of good dog behavior: physical and mental exercise Although exercise alone does not solve problems of destructive behavior, it can help a lot. All dog trainers and breeders know that a tired dog is a good dog.
Exercise will not eliminate the causes of your dog destroying things, but it will help reduce destructive behaviors simply because your dog will be tired and prefer to sleep instead of chewing on furniture or doing seismic exploration in the garden.
Keep in mind that the exercise your dog needs depends on its breed and is not only physical, but also mental. Some dog breeds, like Border Collies or Belgian Shepherds, need more exercise than others. For some breeds, such as the beagle, mental exercise may be more related to odorous stimuli, while for greyhounds, visual stimuli tend to be more important.
Socialization and training in obedience offer plenty of mental exercise and moderate physical exercise. Interactive dog toys offer plenty of mental exercise when used correctly. Long walks and games offer plenty of physical exercise and moderate mental exercise.
8. Consider dog walking and daycare services
If you don't have time to take care of your dog as it deserves, you can consider the services of dog walkers or dog daycare. Unfortunately, these services are not available in any city, but they are in many large cities. Surely you can find these services in Madrid, Barcelona, Mexico, Buenos Aires, Santiago de Chile, Caracas and other large cities.
The dog walker or the dog daycare allows your dog to socialize, exercise and spend a lot of time accompanied and away from home, so he can't destroy anything in it.
If you are going to hire the services of a dog walker or a dog daycare, first check how they handle their clients. Some of these people and companies have no regard for dogs and only do the work because they don't need a professional degree to do so. Others do it because they love dogs, but don't take safety measures seriously and end up losing dogs, or worse, with dogs injured or killed.
Before hiring these services, make sure that the dogs are treated correctly, without mistreatment, and that those responsible have security measures appropriate so that the dogs do not escape from them, and to reduce fights and accidents as much as possible. Small dogs must go with small dogs. There should not be many dogs in charge of a single person (those people who walk 10 or 15 dogs at a time, do not do it correctly).
On the other hand, if there are no dog walkers or day care centers in your city, you may be able to hire a trainer who works with the dog and not with you. In that case, the trainer would be more of a walker than a trainer, but it would come with the added bonus of teaching your dog obedience, even if your dog then ignores you and only listens to the trainer.
