Pets
Destructive Digging
There is a saying among experienced dog owners that when you own a dog, you should plan on losing things of value to you because of their destructiveness. Puppies are especially destructive because they explore the world by putting things in their mouths and chewing on them, because they use their mouths to play with dogs, people and objects and because when they are teething, they may chew things to relieve discomfort. Recognizing that destructiveness in puppies is a normal part of growing up may help you to cope with it and to take steps to minimize it. As a dog owner you need to commit the time and energy to teaching your puppy which behaviors are appropriate and which ones are not.Working with nipping and destructiveness problems means finding ways to get puppies to do the right behaviors and then reward them. It also means being able to minimize inappropriate behavior while meeting the puppy's behavioral needs. By thinking about each of these things, you can come up with more effective and humane ways to change your puppy's behavior.
- Teaching acceptable behavior. For puppies that are teething or chewing things in play or to investigate them,
trade them an acceptable chew object for the inappropriate object. Hard rubber toys stuffed with tasty food treats,
rawhide or other edible chew toys may be especially attractive. Experiment with your dog to find things that are most
attractive to her. Don't leave out many toys at one time but only put out two or three at a time and rotate them with other
toys every few days. Toys that haven't been out for a while may be more attractive than toys that are out all the time.
Don't give your puppy old shoes, socks, clothing or children's toys. These may be confused with the real things that you
don't want destroyed. Consider giving ice cubes to teething puppies as the cold ice seems to soothe the discomfort.
Anytime your puppy picks up an appropriate toy on her own, be sure to praise and reward her. You can't reward your puppy
enough for doing the right thing.
- Minimizing inappropriate behavior. Make it difficult for the puppy to get to inappropriate objects. "Puppy
proof" areas where the puppy is kept or spends a lot of time. This means putting away food, trash, clothes, shoes and
other things the puppy finds attractive. Have family members pick up clothes, books, papers and other things. Don't leave
eyeglasses, TV remote controls or food lying around in easy reach. Close doors and use gates to keep puppies under
supervision and away from inappropriate things. Leash puppies to your belt or near you so you can supervise them and
reward appropriate behavior. If you must leave your puppy unsupervised for long periods of time, leave her in a
puppy-proofed area such as a kitchen, laundry room or bathroom, or in a crate or kennel. Be sure to gradually get your
puppy used to this area for several days before you leave her, and be sure to leave her with water, a place to nap, a place
to eliminate if no one can take her out, and chew toys.
- Using punishment correctly. Never hit, slap, kick or shake your puppy for destroying things. This may create fear, aggression or make the problem worse. You cannot punish your puppy after the fact for misbehavior, even if you show her what she's chewed. She will not understand this, and will only come to fear and distrust you. If you don't catch her in the act, simply clean up the mess and try to avoid the problem next time. If you do catch her in the act, first try replacing the object with one of her toys. Refer back to the section on Discouraging Unwanted Behavior in Training Procedures for other ideas. Consider using booby traps to punish destructiveness. Place double-sided tape or an upside down rug runner next to trash cans or stack empty soda cans on top of counters to startle the puppy.
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PETsMART Accredited Training Instructors, in addition to their previous experience, receive a minimum of 120 hours of training in a curriculum which includes: Canine Behavior, Learning Theory ("How Dogs Learn"), Problem-Solving, Classroom Management, Equipment, Handling Skills and more. Where possible, hands-on training is completed in partnership with local shelters, using shelter dogs to demonstrate training methods, behavior assessment and handling skills. This enables us to accredit our instructors while contributing to the community, as we help to make these dogs even more adoptable.
Suzanne Hetts Ph.D. is certified as an applied animal behaviorist and co-owner of Animal Behavior Associates, Inc., in Denver, CO.
Terry Ryan is the well-known author of training books such as The Toolbox for Remodeling Your Problem Dog and The Bark Stops Here.
Pia Silvani is the Director of Pet Training and Behavior at St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center in Madison, N.J.
Mary Lee Nitschke, Ph.D. is a Professor of Psychology at Linfield College, an Animal Behavior Therapist and the Director of Training for Animal School in Portland, OR.
Trish King is the Director of the Animal Behavior and Training Department at the Marin Humane Society in Marin County, CA.
Pamela J. Reid, Ph.D. is a certified applied animal behaviorist and assistant professor at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, where she teaches veterinary students courses in Applied Ethology and the Principles of Learning.
Information and advice contained on this site is for your consideration only. Please consult your veterinarian for specific advice concerning the care and treatment of your pet.
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