DOG BEHAVIOUR PROBLEMS
Destructive Behaviour
There are lots of jokes about dogs eating homework but unfortunately it doesn’t stop there. A puppy needs to chew when it’s teething but if this behaviour continues there will be a reason for it – we need to work out what that reason is.
Frustration.
The common reason for a dog chewing furniture or anything else it finds around the house is that some element of its life is not being fulfilled. Going back in any dog’s lineage will show us it was bred to do a job and very often this will have left them with a need to do something. Collies rounding up sheep is the classic example of a dog with a job but all dogs have their purposes and the closer they are to a working bloodline the greater their need for work will be.
Giving our dogs jobs.
If frustration is the cause of the destructive behaviour then we need to give the dog a job that fits. It needs to be right for the dog and fit in with the lifestyle of the owner.
What else?
Dogs can chew for other reasons too. Boredom, attracting attention, as a displacement behaviour for anxiety and an inability to settle can all be reasons for a dog chewing.
