Destructive Dogs: Why They Chew Socks & Shoes

Many dogs have a penchant for destroying furniture and homes, with some developing this bad habit from a young age, others driven by boredom, and still others by other factors.

Regardless of the cause, they often start by gnawing on newspapers, magazines, and scattered books.

As the frequency of their gnawing increases, they may begin to incorporate flailing movements into their chewing, resembling the hunt of an animal, which can sometimes be quite frightening.

Next, let's delve into the reasons behind a dog's destructive behavior and how to correct this bad habit.

Causes: Boredom, Curiosity, and Exuberance

Dogs are naturally curious creatures, especially during their growth stages, always eager to explore the new things they haven't seen before.

Especially during the社会化 period of puppies, curiosity drives them to explore their environment, constantly drawn to new things.

When they encounter something unfamiliar, they use various methods to explore, including using their mouths to understand new things.

This behavior is also common in adult dogs, such as the Siberian Husky, which has an especially strong sense of curiosity.

They love to explore every corner of a new environment. When they come across something they haven't seen or smelled before, curiosity drives them to explore wildly, which is why Huskies are often called "squirrels without hands."

When Huskies are bored at home, they often explore every corner of the house, starting by sniffing and then scratching with their paws.

When their curiosity is not satisfied, they start to chew, finding that the act of scratching and gnawing is quite satisfying.

Over time, this gnawing behavior becomes reinforced, and when they are bored or full of energy again, they will resort to destructive behavior, such as biting the corners of beds, sofas, and tables.

Solutions

Understanding that curiosity is an instinctive behavior that cannot be completely eliminated, but only suppressed, is key.

When we are at home, we can observe our dogs as they explore, but when they start to show destructive behavior, we need to stop them.

Additionally, we should allocate time each day to train our dogs in basic obedience and reward good behavior, gradually diverting their curiosity towards rewards in our hands.

Regular walks allow dogs to explore the outside world and burn off excess energy, shifting their desire to explore from the home to the outside.

Providing toys like sniffing mats and chew toys can keep dogs occupied and help them burn off extra energy when they are bored.

Causes: The Teething Stage in Puppies

Puppies begin to grow their permanent teeth between the ages of 16 to 24 weeks. During this period, their gums are itchy, and they chew on items to alleviate the discomfort.

For dogs, teething is a necessary stage in their lives, primarily to assist in the growth of their permanent teeth.

During the teething stage, puppies will seek out items to chew and gnaw on, satisfying both their teething needs and their desire for gnawing pleasure.

If this behavior is not addressed promptly, it can become a habit, leading to destructive behavior as they grow older.

Solutions

Using a crate can prevent dogs from accessing furniture, and providing hard chew toys within the crate can help prevent destructive behavior and reduce the likelihood of future destruction.

Causes: Hunting Instincts

Dogs go through a stage called "prehunting behavior" during their growth, where they develop a desire to hunt and kill prey.

In the wild, canine parents bring food back to the den for their young, who are too small to hunt on their own. The young dogs treat this food as prey and practice hunting.

In the home, humans play the role of parents, and the home is the den. The prehunting behavior can trigger a dog's hunting instincts.

Therefore, items like slippers or clothes dropped on the floor can be considered prey.

Young dogs may treat these items as prey, engaging in biting and flailing behaviors.

If not managed properly, this behavior can escalate, leading to destructive outcomes.

Solutions

Items that dogs consider prey, such as slippers and socks, should be kept out of reach.

Playing tugofwar with rope toys can help satisfy a dog's hunting instincts and provide an outlet for their energy.

When playtime is over, store the rope toys in the dog's den.

In the process of a dog's growth, whether the destructive behavior is due to boredom, curiosity, or other factors, if it is not corrected or handled improperly, the behavior can become more severe and even have negative reinforcing effects.

To correct these behaviors, it is essential to ensure that dogs are not further reinforced by the presence of reinforcing stimuli.

However, in a home environment, it is impossible to change certain things in the home to prevent dogs from seeing reinforcing stimuli.

In the absence of changing the home environment, the key to correcting a dog's destructive behavior is to provide alternative options.

Items like chew toys, rope toys, and sniffing mats can serve as substitutes for furniture, while slippers can be replaced with rewards that capture the dog's attention.

These alternatives not only provide a better substitute for destructive behavior but also offer dogs direct and more immediate reinforcement.

Chew toys can satisfy both the need for teething and the enjoyment of treats; rope toys can serve as prey for play and provide a fun activity for the dog.