Tearing up bed

[thom.skinner]

I would love to train my dog to go to his bed when told (watched your video). The only problem is that any bed I purchase my Golden Doodle prefers to tear apart in the first ten minutes. Either I have to train him to stop tearing up his beds (we have tried 2) or perhaps I can train him to go to his crate (as opposed to a bed). He is very comfortable in his crate, it is a place he gores for security or we use it when he is too worked up, he always seems to calm down when in his crate. Your comments appreciated. How can I get him to stop destroying the beds I purchase? Thanks.

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Hello Thom.skinner,

Welcome to the forums!

 

That must feel like a frustrating ordeal! You have several options to tackle an issue as such, but most likely, you will need a combo of several as dealing with destructive issues often takes a multifaceted approach and going to the root of the problem. Dogs often chew beds out of plain fun, boredom, stress, anxiety and for attention. It helps to see in what context this happens to get some hints as to what is triggering this behavior. If your goldendoodle is a young dog, most likely it's just for fun. Many outgrow this as they mature just as puppies outgrow chasing their tails at some point.

 

Here are some options/tips that come to mind.

 

-I am always concerned about dogs who tear things apart because some may ingest parts too. Destroying beds and consuming their stuffing can cause dogs to get sick and even develop an intestinal obstruction which can require surgery. Of course, this is the worst case scenario. So always best to supervise and not leave these dogs alone with a bed even if just for a few minutes. When left home alone, dogs who chew mats/beds are better off left in a crate without anything other than the tray.

 

-Consider that even beds claimed to be chew proof may be taken apart by determined dogs. There are some types of beds that may not encourage much chewing such as a raised dog bed or an indestructible dog bed. There are several makes and models of indestructible dog beds available nowadays. Kuranda makes an all-Aluminum chewproof bed and K9 Ballistics has a variety of chew-resistant and scratch-resistant dog beds and crate pads. Some are made of material that resembles bullet-proof vests and come with a warranty. Some dog owners have had success using Primo Pads, special pads made of a special material that is scratch-resistant and not much appealing for dogs to chew and destroy.

 

-Many dog owners of pups who chew beds and mats have more success using towels or non-stuffed blankets as soft surfaces.

 

-Buying fleece by the yard at stores that sell fabric may be another alternate option to dog beds. Dogs may not enjoy much chewing on fleece.

 

-Consider that many young dogs who chew up their beds outgrow the behavior as they mature. Not sure how old your goldendoodle is, but this might be just a chewing phase worthy of waiting out. After a while, once the bed is presented again, these dogs might no longer be interested in destroying it.

 

-Of course, just providing something that dogs may not chew/destroy doesn't go to the root of the problem. It's a good idea to tackle any underlying issues. Many dogs who chew beds are bored and looking for ways to entertain themselves. The bed chewing is a natural instinct that stems back to a dog's past as hunters. Despite being fed in shiny bowls, dogs retain instincts that are reminiscent of their past.When dogs are shaking stuffed toys, breaking pillows apart and shredding their beds into pieces, they are carrying out instinctive behaviors related to hunting down prey animals. Ripping these objects apart and "degutting them" depriving them of all their "entrails" (yup, all that stuffing that is so fun for us dog owners to pick up!) provides dogs with an exhilarating sensation that must feel similar to a deer hunter who has hunted down a prized buck.

 

- You can train your dog to go to his bed and distract him from chewing it by offering him a stuffed Kong or something else to chew on or stay busy while he is on it (Lickimats are popular nowadays). Once he is done licking/chewing, call your dog and remove the bed. Make it a routine every day to offer the bed, provide the Kong or chew toy and then remove the bed once done. You can do this during mealtimes (keeping the mat nearby so you can keep an eye on your dog) so that your dog learns to lie on his mat when you eat. The goal is to prevent your dog from rehearsing the chewing-the bed- behavior and offering an alternate behavior to focus on. Duration can then be added gradually (longer stays on the bed without chewing it) and then the bed can be moved to different locations, applying the same rules.

 

-Always supervise your dog when given a bed. This is to prevent him from ingesting parts, but also to quickly redirect your dog to chewing a more appropriate item such as a safe chew toy that you keep handy or a cardboard box as explained below.

 

-Providing small boxes with a treat hidden inside may provide dogs with an legitimate outlet for their natural instincts to "destroy stuff." Make sure to put the behavior on cue. So for instance, if you place the box on the floor say something along the lines of "have fun!" or "shred it!" as you point at the box. With enough repetitions this should cause your dog to wait for your command rather than go on to chewing any random cardboard box found around the home. Of course, this option is not good for dogs who swallow parts and should therefore be avoided.

 

-Supply a vast assortment of toys for your dog's entertainment. Rotate the toys to keep your dog's interest alive. Interactive toys are particularly appealing to most dogs. Puppies who are teething may get relief by chewing on a clean wash rag that is wet, twisted and then placed in the freezer. Always supervise to ensure your puppy doesn't ingest any parts.

 

-Consider providing your dog with more mental stimulation (brain games!). In particular, provide activities that satisfy his instincts such as finding hidden kibble, getting kibble out of a bottle and unrolling a carpet etc. These games are found in the brain training course.

 

-Some dogs destroy their beds when anxious. For dogs anxious when left alone, consider using calming aids such as DAP diffusers, calming music, calming supplements etc. See a professional for severe cases of anxiety.

 

-Some dogs may also destroy their beds for attention. If your dog is chewing the bed for attention upon you coming home from work, dedicate some time for your dog before he has a chance for misbehaving. Walk your dog, play with your dog and provide mental stimulation. Also, make it a habit of giving your dog ample of praise (attention!) when he chooses to chew a bone or other legitimate chewing item to chew.

 

You may find that what works best is investing time in training not to destroy the bed when you are around and able to actively monitor, while removing access to the bed when you cannot supervise. Preventing rehearsal of the problem behavior (destroying the bed) is important as dogs tend to repeat behaviors that they find reinforcing, and destroying beds is highly reinforcing. At the same time you want to provide other alternate, yet highly reinforcing behaviors to encourage (chewing toys, providing interactive games etc) so that these will compete against the bed destroying habit and ideally surpass it. When dogs choose these activities over the bed destruction habit, these new habits becomes ingrained so that the bed starts losing its saliency. Relapses are not uncommon but if we offer dogs clear rules and consistency, reminding them and redirecting them at a moment's notice, they'll soon catch on and get the idea.

 

Hope this helps!

Best,

Adrienne

[thom.skinner]

Thanks much Adrienne for all your excellent information and advice. Yes, the bed destruction was going on while our goldendoodle was under 1 year. He is now about 18 months (but we stopped trying to use a bed a few months ago). Actually, now he is a bit less destructive and I don't think he would actually use the bed. He appears to prefer the cool floor (or occasionally we find him curled up on his favorite sofa when we come down in the morning-we don't mind). He doesn't destroy much these days, except for the dog toys. He can even tear apart a Kong toy after a while. I do think he is board. He has a lot of energy and if he doesn't burn it off running outside then he seems to want to get into trouble at times. We are learning how to deal with him. We have a treadmill in the house that we use for keeping us fit, now we also use it with him to burn off some energy before going for walks. We find he is much easier to control on the leash if he had done some time on the treadmill before we go out. We are applying some of your other techniques around walks (he can appear aggressive when on the leash and approaching other dogs, but he is really a lover, not a fighter. He just doesn't like it when he is ignored. It takes time and patience but we are making progress.

[Adrienne Farricelli]

The fact he is a bit less destructive is encouraging! Maturing brings along calmer behaviors and wisdom and things tend to get a lot better once the challenging doggy adolescence stage is over. We used to always say that our dogs at the age of 5 turned into pure gold.

 

With the warmer months around the corner, many dogs will indeed enjoy more the cooler floors (tiles, hardwood) and for dogs who do not have that option, there are those cooling mats made for the summer.

 

I am not sure what type of Kong you are using, but there is a black Kong that is called "Kong extreme" which is the most durable version specifically designed for the toughest of chewers. Not sure if that would last longer. Another one is the Kong Wobbler. Most dogs I have used this with were able to mostly leave teeth mark scratches and due to the fact that it's slippery and moves a lot, it seems that it discourages chewing. Of course, a determined dog can chew through anything, so supervision is always a must.

 

With him being an adolescent it's not unusual to see these behaviors you are observing. Here is a read about what happens during this stage and general tips, in case you haven't seen it:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/survive-dogs-adolescent-stage/

 

If he gets along well with dogs generally when off leash, but on leash he barks and lunges, then it could be you are dealing with a case of barrier frustration:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/barrier-frustration/

Of course, there may be other things going on, and at this age many dogs get more discriminative on who to befriend, but just thought to point this possibility out. Regardless, of the underlying cause, it's important to find a dog's threshold levels and work under it.

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/threshold-levels/

 

It is very true that behavior modification takes time and patience. Your dog is lucky to have such a loving and understanding owner!

Please don't hesitate to ask further questions!

Best,

Adrienne