My puppy shreds pee pads when alone. Is this normal? How to stop it?

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! While this can be frustrating, it can be a sign of boredom. I recommend getting Prince some toys to occupy his time. You may want to look into getting toys that are a little more rugged so that he does not chew through them as quickly. I would keep an eye on Prince in case he is ingesting some of the cloth or stuffing, as this can cause an obstruction.

Snowball certainly sounds bored and like she has plenty of energy to burn! She is clearly trying to play by pulling her pad out and running off with it. I suggest getting rid of the pads entirely and making sure she is house-trained completely. Keeping a specific schedule for her feeding and walks really helps with this, and reward her when she goes outside. She is old enough now at 7 months that she shouldn't be having any accidents in the house or in her crate if you are taking her for walks frequently enough. Check out this great veterinary dog behavior and training website if you need more help with house training or getting all that extra energy out of her: www.dogstardaily.com. This is a fantastic resource for training, puppy behavior, and socialization. Good luck!

This is normal puppy behavior. I would increase the exercise outside and leave him alone when he’s doing this. You don’t want to encourage biting or not listening so just let him run around and make sure he has his own toys available when he does this. He’s burning up excess energy and will outgrow this phase in a few months. Again take him for lots of walks and play with him in the yard until he’s tired and you will see less of this behavior. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Ozzy.

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.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Sulley and for providing a picture, it's very helpful. This is common behavior and the concern is that if he eats enough of it, it could cause an obstruction. You can tape down the edges of the puppy pad so he cannot pull it up to eat it. You can also start crate training him. This will prevent him from eating puppy pads but it will also help with potty training. The crate will provide him a small space where he can feel safe in it when you are gone. 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 teaspoon 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!

Bad little dog! :) This is quite common for puppies. If you think he is eating the pad especially the plastic part, then this is a concern. I would consider start crate training him instead of pad training because it could be safer for him long term. I worry if he ingests a large piece of plastic that it could get stuck in his intestinal tract. You could try to use towels in place of the pee pad if crate training isn't any option. I will attach an article about crate training. I hope this helps! https://www.petco.com/content/content-hub/home/articlePages/new-pet/Puppy-and-Dog-Crate-Training.html

It's very common for puppies this age to tear things up and have accidents in the house when no one is there to watch them. I would recommend getting a nice comfy crate for Koda to stay in when he's home alone - it should be large enough for him to stand up and turn around in, but not much bigger than that. This will keep him from getting into mischief while you're gone, and most puppies will "hold it" rather than use the bathroom in their crate if they are able to. You can leave him with a special treat or puzzle toy, such as a bully stick or a Kong stuffed with peanut butter, to help make the crate a fun place for him and keep him occupied while you're gone. He will need a potty break in the middle of the day at this age, so I would suggest coming home at lunch or having a neighbor let him out, if possible. If he continues to have accidents even in the crate, or if he seems excessively upset even with treats and toys to keep him busy, these are signs that he may have a separation anxiety problem. In that case, it would be best to consult your vet as he may need anti-anxiety medication to help make him more comfortable.