If your dog destroys things when left alone, you're most likely a working puppy parent who is fed up with this behavior. You've likely come home to find your house in disarray, with the couch cushions destroyed or your favorite pair of shoes chewed up by your fur baby.
When you leave the house, your dog might feel abandoned and anxious. Emotion is “energy in motion.” All of that anxiety has to go somewhere, and, unfortunately, it often gets taken out on our belongings. Dogs that have separation anxiety can experience extreme mental anguish when their owners are gone.
Dogs frequently chew things because they like the taste or the odor," Tennant said. "In a home, the odors that the dogs find the most attractive are the human odors. People leave their shoes about, and the shoes have an intense smell." Moreover, the shoe texture is particularly inviting for the dogs.
Dogs who chew to relieve the stress of separation anxiety usually only chew when left alone or chew most intensely when left alone. They also display other signs of separation anxiety, such as whining, barking, pacing, restlessness, urination and defecation.
While bones, rawhides, and other treats are delicious for your pup to enjoy, although they can pose a choking hazard if left unattended. Fractured teeth, oral injuries, airway obstruction, and gastrointestinal complications are all a risk for dogs chewing on a treat.
Some dogs may chew because they receive attention (even if it is negative) or treats from the owners each time they chew, but by giving attention, the owners are inadvertently rewarding the behavior. Chewing and destructive behaviors may also be a response to anxiety.
It's OK to leave the light on while you're away to make it easier for your canine companion to get around and feel more comfortable.
If your dog is whining anxiously right before you leave the house, this could indicate separation anxiety. Dogs with separation anxiety often engage in destructive behaviors while you are gone. You can treat your dog's separation anxiety by using these desensitization and counterconditioning techniques.
Some dogs howl because they're lonely, especially if they're left alone or kept outside for many hours at a time. Dogs, like humans, are very social animals and need regular interaction with their human families. If your dog howls often when by himself, you may need to spend more quality time together.
Dogs need mental stimulation, and some dogs can be disruptive when left alone because they're bored and looking for something to do. These dogs usually don't appear anxious. Some dogs bark or howl in response to various triggers in their environments, like unfamiliar sights and sounds.
Dogs with separation anxiety exhibit distress and behavior problems when they're left alone. Some of the most common ways they do this: Digging and scratching at doors or windows attempting to reunite with their owners.
Separation anxiety is a disorder that causes dogs to panic at the idea of being left home alone. The panic may be so overwhelming that when you leave, your dog becomes destructive, salivates, paces, barks incessantly, and/or demonstrates housebreaking issues.
Many dogs cry in the crate because they're lonely. A simple fix for these dogs is to put the crate in your bedroom at night, near the bed. If the crate doesn't fit in your bedroom, you can sleep on the floor or the couch near the crate and gradually move towards your final sleeping arrangement.