Why Is My Dog Suddenly Destroying Things?

If your normally well-behaved dog is suddenly displaying destructive behavior, such as chewing, digging and scratching, try not to get angry. Instead, figure out what's triggering his behavior so you can put a stop to it. There can be various factors at play including underlying medical conditions, environmental changes, lack of exercise and separation anxiety.

  1. Medical Conditions

    • Before treating your dog's destructive behavior, rule out underlying medical conditions that might be causing it. A veterinarian can examine your furry pal and run blood, urine and stool tests to determine whether there's a problem with his internal organs. A thyroid hormone imbalance, for instance, can trigger destructive behavior, as can a brain tumor or injury. After making a diagnosis, a veterinarian can recommend proper treatment, which can stop the destructive behavior.

    Environmental Changes

    • Sudden changes to your dog's environment can be stressful and make him resort to destructive behavior. For instance, when he sees other animals outside, it can awaken his territorial or predatory instinct, resulting in undesired behavior. Fear of things such as lightning and thunder or strange loud noises outside also induces stress, often resulting in destroyed flooring and walls from your dog's effort to escape or hide. If the damage occurs while you're gone, it might be difficult to determine the cause. Closer observation of your pet companion might help.

    Lack of Exercise

    • If your workload has increased or if the weather is consistently bad, you might neglect to properly exercise your pet companion. This can result in pent-up energy and boredom, which can cause undesired behavior. Your dog might resort to chewing items to burn energy and to get your attention. Exercising your dog, both mentally and physically, can prevent destructive behavior. Provide chew toys and food-stuffed dog toys to keep him busy when he's alone. Also, practice obedience training and play games with him, such as fetch and tug-of-war.

    Separation Anxiety

    • If you're always home with your dog and suddenly leave him home alone for hours at a time, separation anxiety might get the better of him. The stress of suddenly being alone can make him resort to destroying anything in sight. You might notice him becoming restless when you're getting ready to leave the house. Gradually getting him used to being alone can prevent destructive behavior. Leave the house for a few minutes, and when he doesn't destroy anything, slowly start increasing the duration. Once he's home alone for 90 minutes, you can leave him alone for longer periods.