If you ever return home from work and your dog has destroyed his bed by chewing; it is time for an investigation. This means that for one reason or the other, your dog is not happy.
The bed may have become lumpy. It may be too smelly to enjoy a good rest on it. Your dog may have outgrown the bed or your dog needs to visit the nearby vet for anxiety issues.
Specific Reasons Why Do Dogs Rips Up and Destroy Their Beds
Your dog simply needs your attention, love, and affection. When this is lacking, your dog will do destructive things like ripping up his bed so that you will pay attention. This will cause a reaction on your part and your dog will be pleased with any attention he receives.
If you love your dog, you will plead with him for a reason and show him some love. Your dog’s mission would be accomplished.
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#1 An Ancestral Instinct
Before dogs were domesticated, it was very natural for them to catch prey and tear it to pieces.
Scientists tell us that it is an ancestral instinct for a dog to rip things to pieces. The hunt is always inside a dog although they have been removed from the wild outdoors.
This instinct is what causes your loving pet to tear his bed and any nearby furniture of yours to pieces. Your dog will pretend to catch prey by ripping up his bed to experience that wild feeling.
#2 Not Getting Enough Exercise
It is common for dog owners to take their pets on a walk after returning from work. However, if you must travel at times to do your job, your dog may not get the required amount of exercise.
A friendly neighbor may be willing to feed your dog and pick up poop but may object to walking your dog.
This will reduce his time with you and time outside of your home. It is easier if you have older children who are willing to do so but most difficult if you live alone with your dog.
#3 Boredom
If your dog is alone more than you are with him this will cause boredom. Imagine the things that children do when they are bored.
Dogs will do even more than what children do when they are bored. Dogs need a way to use energy so they will come up with ways for the time to pass while you are away.
The more alone time dogs have, the more destructive they will be in your home. The dog bed will be the first to attack.
#4 Separation Anxiety
Separation anxiety is very common in dogs that spend most of their time with owners. A sudden long separation will hurt your pet’s feelings and he will feel abandoned.
This feeling of abandonment will cause a reaction in your dog. This reaction may show in many forms. One of the forms can be ripping up his dog bed.
Learn: How A Good Dog Bed Can Reduce Separation Anxiety?
#5 Dogs May Scratch to get Comfy in Their Beds before Taking a Nap
It is natural for a dog to scratch his sleeping area before taking a nap. Some outside dogs dig a deep hole in the ground to seek coolness.
If they are inside for long hours, this scratching may occur in the dog bed. As their nails are very sharp if not trimmed regularly, this action could tear up the dog bed.
#6 Seeking Your Attention
If each time your dog rips up his bed, he receives a lot of your attention, he will continue to do so.
Your dog will feel that you are happy with his behavior so you are constantly giving him attention.
Your dog will think it is a game and do as many actions of destruction as he can to gain your attention. It does not matter how your dog captures your attention. What matters is that he captures your attention.
#7 Puppies that are Teething Chew Stuff
Most puppies chew stuff when they are teething. This action creates a solution to the itching of the gum that occurs during teething. After the teeth have passed through the gum, puppies then chew things to explore the functions of their new teeth.
This constant chewing action strengthens new teeth as the puppies test their abilities to attack prey or an opponent in a war.
#8 Not Getting Quality Chew Toys
Sometimes you may buy a chew toy for your dog and he may still rip up his dog bed. The problem may be that the chew toy may have been bought at a bargain store.
The reaction that your dog may get from the chew toy is not the required one. The chew toy may be too rubbery or too sticky in his mouth.
Your dog will not wish to play with that chew toy. So your dog will substitute the chew toy with the soft dog bed which is easy to rip apart.
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#9 Stress and Frustration Affects Dogs Too
You may be feeling stress and frustration and work. When you return home this feeling is transmitted to your dog. Not taking your dog for a walk and throwing yourself into your bed can also cause frustration and stress in your dog.
Your dog will wonder what wrong he has done to affect your relationship. This will cause anger in your dog and he will turn that anger on the soft bed after a while of being ignored.
The dog will rip the bed to pieces with teeth and nails then look at you for a reaction.
#10 Lack of Training
Your dog will feel that every action he does is acceptable by you. Then one day you invite your friends over and your dog embarrasses you by smelling everyone’s private area.
I can recall being scared by some extremely large dogs from England doing that to me before I was allowed to enter a house. I did not wish to visit that house a second time. This is a situation for a dog whisperer.
If you have trained the puppy while he was growing up, there would have been no embarrassing situation.
#11 Hunger in Dogs can Cause Destruction
Ripping up a dog bed can be caused if you do not leave enough dog food for your pet when you leave home. This can also occur if your neighbor forgets to feed your dog when you are out of the country.
Your dog will become upset and rip up his dog bed. Upon your return and seeing the destruction, you may become angry without being aware of the reason for destroying the dog bed.
#12 Nervousness in Dogs can Cause Destruction
Some dogs become nervous and simply shake but other dogs express their nervousness in other ways.
If your dog is unsure about strangers being in the house or about another younger dog being added to your family, he may become destructive. This is how your dog may show his nervousness.
For no reason to you, your dog suddenly rips up his bed.
You seek signs of what is wrong but you have no idea. Review sudden changes that may have occurred in the environment to pinpoint the cause.
#13 Aggressive or Rough dogs
Aggressive or rough tend to need beds that are not soft and made from memory foam. It would take less than 5 minutes for such a dog to rip up a bed.
There is no special reason for a rough aggressive dog to rip up a bed. It is innate for a dog that is aggressive to tear up any material that is nearby.
He may tear up your sofa; he may tear up your bed or simply destroy your garden.
15 Steps: how to stop your dog from destroying its bed?
Step 1: When you are leaving the house or the yard, place the dog bed out of reach.
Step 2: Provide chew toys that are not easily destroyed.
Step 3: Schedule time with your dog to take daily walks away from your home.
Step 4: Provide attention, affection, and love whenever you are at home.
Step 5: Create a distraction each time your dog attempts to destroy his bed.
Step 6: Gradually re-introduce your dog to his bed.
Step 7: Do a test of leaving the house for one hour with your dog on the dog bed.
Step 8: Return and record your dog’s reaction to your absence.
Step 9: Give your dog a treat for being a good dog.
Step 10: Leave the house for half-day with your dog on the dog bed.
Step 11: Return and record your dog’s reaction.
Step 12: Give your dog a treat for being a good dog.
Step 13: Leave the house for a day with your dog on the dog bed. Leave enough food, water, and toys.
Step 14: Return and record your dog’s reaction.
Step 15: Give your dog 2 dog biscuits as a treat for being a good dog.
Learn How To: Correct Your Dog From Licking Their Bed
Did You Receive Assistance with Your Dog’s Destructive Habits?
Which topic gave you some kind of assistance with your dog’s destructive behavior? I thought that these topics would be helpful to all dog owners.
Did I miss any other reason that can cause a dog to destroy the dog bed? Please share your response in the comments section of this article.
I would be very happy to read your responses. Please share this article with fellow dog owners and ask them to share with new dog owners.
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