Why does my dog chew everything destructively when left alone?

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.

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. Patches needs to be crated any time you are not physically watching her. It's safer that way. Here are two helpful links: Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.co/article/chewing-in-puppies-how-to-control-it/ Petco Pet Education Center, formerly 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.

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.

Chewing is normal for puppies and unfortunately, most of them will not out grow it until thy are about 2 years old. Ingesting material can lead to an intestinal blockage which requires surgery. Heavy exercise prior to leaving may help (if it makes her tired enough to sleep all day) but a safer and more sure option in general is crate training. Crate training assures that Izzy will not be able to get into things she should not. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

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.

I would recommend to take Meara into the vet to make sure her teeth are growing in normally and that everything appears normal. If everything checks out normally, then I would suspect behavior. Sometimes dogs will just start playing with different toys for no apparent reason. Definitely keep her crated until this phase has passed. Many dogs ingest items that get stuck in the intestines and need surgery. Switch her toys about once a week as this will help to keep her interest. Most dogs will outgrow this behavior sound 2 years of age but some never do. I hope this helps!

Chewing up things can be due to several reasons including boredom, lack of exercise or anxiety. I recommend crate training until this is under control. Here are some links with good, general information: https://www.petcoach.co/article/chewing-in-puppies-how-to-control-it/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/7-natural-treatments-for-dog-anxiety/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-crate-train-your-dog/ I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.