How to prevent dogs from breaking down their homes

When we drag our tired bodies back home, expecting to see the warm scene of our dog wagging its tail and greeting us enthusiastically, we are greeted instead by a mess all over the place: a chewed-up sofa, shredded tissues, a bitten-through electrical wire... Looking at our beloved belongings being damaged, a rush of 无名火 instantly wells up in our hearts. But when we meet the innocent and apprehensive eyes of our dog, our anger turns into helplessness and heartache. A dog's destructive behavior at home, seemingly just naughtiness, actually hides its unmet needs and indescribable emotions. As owners, we shouldn't just keep blaming it but should explore the root cause and use scientific methods and abundant love to help the dog get rid of the habit of destroying things at home.

There are reasons behind a dog's destructive behavior at home, and understanding these reasons is the key to solving the problem. Firstly, excessive energy is a common factor. Dogs are naturally full of vitality, especially some medium and large-sized dogs and young and lively breeds. If they don't have enough time for exercise and play every day, their excessive energy will be released by destroying things at home. It's just like an energetic child who has nowhere to release his energy and can only act naughtily to draw attention. Secondly, separation anxiety is also an important cause of a dog's destructive behavior at home. When a dog is separated from its owner, it will feel uneasy and fearful. It relieves its anxiety by biting and tearing things, and the smell of the owner remaining on these things can bring it some sense of security. In addition, when a dog is in the teething stage, its teeth will feel uncomfortable and itchy. To relieve this uncomfortable feeling, it will instinctively look for something to chew on. There are also some dogs that destroy things at home because they lack the company and attention of their owners and try to attract the owner's attention in this way.

In the face of a dog's destructive behavior at home, we should adopt scientific and reasonable methods to stop it. For dogs with excessive energy, increasing the amount of exercise is the top priority. Ensure enough outdoor activity time every day and choose appropriate exercise methods according to the dog's breed and age. For dogs that like to run, such as Border Collies and Huskies, you can take them to an open area to run freely and chase frisbees; for small dogs, relatively gentle exercises like walking and playing with a ball can be carried out. Exercise can not only consume the dog's excess energy but also enhance its physical fitness and promote its physical and mental health. At the same time, prepare a variety of toys for the dog at home, such as rubber chew toys and treat-dispensing toys. The rubber chew toys have a soft texture and are suitable for dogs in the teething stage to chew on, which can relieve the discomfort of their teeth; treat-dispensing toys require the dog to play to get the food inside, which not only satisfies its appetite but also consumes its energy and exercises its intelligence, allowing the dog to shift its attention from destroying furniture to playing with toys.

If a dog destroys things at home due to separation anxiety, we should help it gradually get used to the state of being separated from the owner. We can start by leaving for a short time, for example, leaving for a few minutes and then coming back, and then gradually extending the time of leaving. When leaving home, leave some items with the owner's smell for the dog, such as old clothes and towels, so that it can feel the presence of the owner. You can also turn on the TV or radio and play some soft music or human voices to create an atmosphere of someone being at home and relieve the dog's anxiety. You can also use a pet-specific pheromone spray. This spray simulates the pheromones of a mother dog soothing her puppies and can effectively relieve the dog's nervousness.

For dogs that destroy things at home due to lack of attention, we should give them enough company and interaction. Set aside a certain amount of time every day to play and train with the dog, such as doing simple command training like sitting, lying down, and shaking hands. During the training process, when the dog performs well, give it rewards and praise in a timely manner to enhance its self-confidence and sense of accomplishment. At the same time, regularly take the dog to socialize, let it contact with other dogs and humans, enrich its life experience, and reduce the destructive behavior at home caused by boredom and loneliness.

During the process of stopping a dog from destroying things at home, correct guidance and education are of great importance. When you find that the dog has destructive behavior, don't punish it afterward because the dog may not be able to associate the punishment with its previous destructive behavior and will instead feel fearful and uneasy. You can stop it with a firm tone when the dog is destroying things, for example, say "No" loudly, and then guide it to an appropriate toy to let it understand which things it can bite and which it can't. If the dog obeys the command, give it a reward in a timely manner. In addition, keep the home environment tidy, put away items that are easily damaged by the dog, and hide dangerous items such as electrical wires to prevent the dog from contacting them and reduce the chance of destructive behavior.

A dog's destructive behavior at home is a "help signal" it sends to us. It desires attention, needs to release energy, and looks forward to relieving anxiety. As the owners they trust the most, we should understand their needs with our hearts, guide them with scientific methods, and heal them with warm company. Every patient instruction and every loving interaction are shortening the distance between us and the dog. We believe that with our efforts, the dog will definitely get rid of the habit of destroying things at home and live in harmony and happiness with us, creating more wonderful memories together.