Barking Up The Wrong Tree

How To Stop A Destructive Dog

What would you do if you came home to an image like this? (aside from probably scream, shout and/or cry at the dog) These reactions might make you feel better but won’t help resolve the problem. More often than not, a dog is destructive because it is suffering from a form of separation anxiety. Dog separation anxiety is something we wrote about a while ago, but when a dog is being destructive, there are other ways of handling it. Here are our top tips to stop your dog from being destructive:

Avoid the problem - for short periods

For short periods only, muzzle the dog or use a crate/cage. This might sound cruel but providing you’re using the crate properly, it can comfort your dog. Crate training is very effective and useful.

When leaving

Don’t mollycoddle your dog before you leave. This will only heighten his anxiety as you were all loving, then left. Be offhand and casual

Vary your routine

Follow the tips in our dog separation anxiety article to vary your routine. Leave the house at different times of day, call back as thought you forgot something, vary the routine before you leave - if you are unpredictable, the dog will learn to let you be and not worry so much

The comfort factor

Not my favourite, but it’s worked for many. Try leaving the tv or radio on, leave a blanket or old jumper - something which smells of you, even record the family sounds and leave it playing. All these comfort the dog, reminding him he’s not alone

Desensitisation

Again, follow the tips we already covered in our dog separation anxiety article, practising leaving the dog alone for increased periods of time. You need to build up to it, so if you’re out at work all day, this means you’re going to be up and down off the sofa all night, going in and out of the house for a few minutes at a time. Build up slowly, be patient

DO NOT punish or scold the dog. Ignore any destructive behaviour.

DO NOT allow the dog to follow you from room to room. Make sure you spend some time in the house with a door closed between you. Follow our first tip, be cool when leaving but be warm on reunion.

Bear in mind, that to a lesser or greater degree, you are part of the problem in that you have encouraged or allowed the dog to become dependent on you, whether you were aware of that or not. To help avoid the problem, you should:

not have the dog on your knee too much - this increases reliance

be less indulgent - don’t let him get away with too much, give too many treats, play with him too much - this encourages dependency on your for entertainment all the time

ignore him, be cool and offhand whenever you leave or move around the house on your daily business

Some of these tips will be hard for some people. You buy a dog and grow to love him and many people feel guilty about leaving their dog alone whilst they’re at work, etc, however, dogs don’t understand our language. To him, you are the pack leader so should never leave. You have to teach him the rules of the pack and if you are indulgent one minute and absent the next, he cannot understand why. He has to learn that you are not going to indulge him all the time, whether you are there or not. Follow these tips and let us know how you get on or if you have any more tips.