Why does my dog destroy things when left alone? How do I stop it?

I see that Hachi is still just a puppy, only 8 months old. It's normal for him to still need a lot of supervision at this age, just like a human toddler. This will improve as he gets older, but for now, you need to continue watching him closely and confining him in a puppy-proofed area when you aren't able to supervise. Providing him with plenty of his own things to chew on (bully sticks, rawhide chews, puzzle toys such as a Kong stuffed with peanut butter, etc.) will also help, but mostly it's just a matter of time and maturity. Many dogs are at least 1-2 years old before they can be trusted to be loose in the house without someone watching them, so be patient.

Puppies are notorious for destructive behavior. Most dogs will outgrow this by 2 years of age but not all do. Additionally, this behavior is not only destructive but it can lead to ingesting toxin substances and intestinal foreign bodies which are fatal without treatment. Addy needs to be crated any time you are not physically watching her. It's safer that way. Here are two helpful links: https://www.petcoach.co/article/chewing-in-puppies-how-to-control-it/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-crate-train-your-puppy-or-older-dog/ I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Chewing is very normal behavior for a puppy. This will likely continue until she is 2 to 3 years old although some dogs will be chewers all their life. I recommend kennel training. This is the best way to keep your puppy safe and to keep your home safe as well. Puppies can ingest objects that can cause an intestinal obstruction and requires surgery. Don’t feel bad about not having a bed in the kennel as she will likely chew it up. Make sure to give her vigorous activity every day as this will help some of the chewing behavior. Hopefully she will outgrow this! I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Raising a puppy can definitely be frustrating at times! Dogs don't understand "bad" behavior the way that we do - they just do what makes sense to them at the time. He may know that you're angry when you come home, so he runs and hides in his bed - but he doesn't understand that his behavior earlier in the day was the problem. So I would recommend not scolding him anymore when you come home - it won't help the problem, and just creates additional stress and anxiety which can actually make things worse. If he's still having some issues with destructive chewing and housetraining accidents when he's home alone, then he's not ready to be left loose in the house just yet. Many dogs need to be crated or confined to a puppy-proofed room when you're gone until they're 1.5 - 2 years old, or even longer - this is perfectly normal. So my recommendation would be to simply not give him this much freedom yet. Another possibility to consider, if he's only having accidents and destroying things when you're gone, is that he may have separation anxiety. If you're unsure, try videotaping him one day when you're away to see if he seems upset or just bored. If he does have separation anxiety, you will need to talk with your vet as well as a good reward-based trainer who can help you work through this.

It's possible Ares has a bit of separation anxiety going on. if he's destroying things even under the supervision of your roommates, it might be time to look into crate training or keeping him housed in a kitchen or laundry room that has few destroyable items in it to prevent him chewing on stuff. If he's feeling anxious, a pheromone collar (they have dog versions of Feliway) can help by releasing a calming pheromone that may help lessen his anxiety while you're gone. Offering chew and puzzle toys that are safe for dogs is also a good distraction to help keep him occupied with that instead of something he shouldn't chew on. If that doesn't help, looking for help from a trainer or veterinary behaviorist in person is a good next step.

The most common cause of chewing or destructive behavior when a dog is home alone is separation anxiety. Sometimes it can be triggered by a frightening event like a smoke alarm going off one day when the owner isn't home, a burglary, etc. - but sometimes it seems to start for no obvious reason. If you want to know for sure if this is the problem, you can videotape Cinder one day while you're gone - it's usually quite easy to differentiate anxiety from simple boredom or other causes of destructive chewing once you watch the tape. If she is anxious, I would definitely recommend talking with your vet about this issue, since many dogs with separation anxiety need prescription anti-anxiety medication in order to improve - especially in the beginning. I would also suggest leaving her with a special long-lasting treat such as a Kong toy stuffed with peanut butter, every time you leave the house. This will help to keep her busy and encourage her to settle, and over time will help to reduce her anxiety by giving her something to look forward to when you leave. You could also try a DAP pheromone collar along with a natural calming supplement like Zylkene or Composure to see if this helps.

Why don't you crate Chico while you are gone? The crate will provide him a small space where he can feel safe in it when you are gone, and it will keep him from chewing on things. You will have to slowly train him to get used to a crate. Start putting him in it when you are home and sitting nearby so he doesn't think you are abandoning him, and slowly increase the time he is in it. He can have toys in the crate, and puzzle toys with treats in it that he has to figure out how to get the treats out. You can put a tablespoon of peanut butter in a Kong toy and freeze it in the freezer overnight, then give it to him in the crate. That will keep him occupied for a while. I hope this helps!