Destructive behaviors are abnormal states in many dogs. Most of these tendencies happen when the dog becomes bored or lacks the proper exercise. Such dogs portray behaviors such as chewing foreign items or digging up the ground. As a dog owner, you should consider giving your dog some adequate exercises to restore its normal behavior. In addition to this, you could learn on the different ways to instill discipline on such dogs as well as giving more affection in case the dog often shows signs of frustrations. Here are a few tips on how to prevent such destructive behaviors in your dog.
- Manage the environment by proofing it
We have all watched children grow in many settings. In some instances, certain children may exhibit bad behaviors which are unacceptable to the family. To correct them, the child is taught different ways of handling things or people. An example is a child who throws shoes all over the house; a parent can teach such a child that shoes are only kept in a closet. Nevertheless, if children fail to get corrected at this tender age, there is a chance of mending their ways as they grow up.
This is the same case with puppies and adult dogs. People should learn to puppy-proof and dog-proof them to make them understand on ways in which the house is kept in order. Unfortunately, a lot of people forget to adult-proof their grown dogs. This can lead to the destruction of property as the dog tries to crave for attention. Always keep the dogs supervised to keep them out of trouble.
- Give your dog a chewing toy
The moment you notice your dog chewing an inappropriate toy, always give it a better toy to replace the bad one. Many dogs tend to chew items during specific moments. Once you find out the appropriate time, you can always fish out its toy at that time to keep it busy. Leaving the dog to chew anything may cause a lot of destruction to your household items such as furniture and bedding.
- Use repellents and bad-smelling sprays
If you have tried everything to prevent your dogs and puppies from chewing inappropriate things, repellants and sprays could be the last option for them. You could provide a different environment to your pets by using such products. This kind of principle works in the same way on a child. If the child cries over hot stoves, some people may direct the child’s fingers to the stove (don’t try this on your child) which burns the child just a little. Though the child will cry, s/he will realize that the object is dangerous and they will never associate with it again. Your pet will also learn to keep off from unpleasant things which will reduce its biting behavior.
- Exercises
Some of the dogs in leashes tend to dig up around them. Once a pet gets tired after activities, they are less likely to involve in other behaviors such as chewing. To produce endorphins hormones which are necessary for creating a calming effect, a dog should always have body exercises. When endorphins fail to get produced under normal circumstances, the dog ends up involving itself in chewing or digging activities to get more relaxed.
- Separation anxiety
In some instances, when dogs involve themselves in tearing and chewing of items, it could be as a result of separation anxiety. This is a severe problem which can only be handled by a veterinarian as s/he gives the necessary prescriptions.
- Always remain gentle
Some people are so inhumane when it comes to stopping their puppies or dogs from destructive behaviors. For some, they get to the point of putting duct tape on the pet’s mouth. Unfortunately, these harsh methods never affect the pet’s behavior. Instead, the pet becomes more defiant.
Conclusion
Before finding ways to curb the destructive behaviors on dogs, one should consider finding out on the causing factors of these behaviors. Some problems can only be solved when we get to know the pet’s interests. In many instances, all the dog wants is love, attention, or exercise. To learn more about instilling discipline in your dog, click here: how to make your dog respect you by authentic dogs. The above tips will not only help your dog from this behavior but also preserve your items from destruction.