Dogs can be the most amazing pets to be around, but they can also be a cause for stress and worry. They are very social beings, and their environment mainly influences their behavior. Like any other pet, dogs need love and maximum care from their owners. Understanding a dog’s behavior is vital to ensuring you live harmoniously and that your dog remains in perfect physical and psychological health.
Here are five reasons why dogs attack their beds:
1. Hunger
Dogs can chew up their beds if they feel hungry. Chewing behavior is an instinct in all dogs. When hungry, their chewing instincts are emphasized, and they eventually tear up their beds.
Hunger can be eradicated by ensuring your dog has enough daily meals. It would be best if you also placed chewing toys for your dog to ensure their mouths are very busy chewing them. Satisfying their natural desire for chewing and ensuring their stomachs are full will help them stop chewing their bed.
2. A Lot of Unused Energy
Dogs have so much energy, and as a dog owner, you should help them shed it. Engaging your dog in physical activities such as walks and playing throw and catch can be one way to ensure their bodies are engaged, as is their mind.
A Dog that sits all day can turn to destructive behavior due to the desire to stimulate his mind. As a result, he may mess up his bed. Like humans, dogs need to exercise their bodies and engage their minds to release stress.
3. Teething in Puppies
It is common to hear a new puppy owner ask, “Why does my puppy keep ripping up his bed?” A puppy will rip his bed apart mainly because he is experiencing the teething process. Teething is naturally uncomfortable and can sometimes be painful for puppies.
They can result in destructive behaviors such as ripping their beds to distract from the pain. Pulling the stuffing out of his bed, a puppy exerts pressure on their growing teeth to numb the soreness and rub the itchiness they feel on their gums.
During teething, you should ensure there are many chew toys for your puppy to use. Ensure to comfort your puppies and give them ample attention so they feel loved. Ensure to engage them with playful activities to divert their attention from their discomfort.
4. Separation Anxiety
Behavioral problems such as separation anxiety and fear can lead a dog to tear up their bed. Dogs who suffer from separation anxiety may have had bad and traumatic experiences in the past.
Tearing up in bed could be the only way to help relieve their stress. It is best to avoid punishing your dog when they tear up their bed, as those with anxiety problems could even get worse.
5. Diseases and Medications
Discomfort in a dog could lead to destructive behavior. Pain causes a dog to feel restless and causes a mental breakdown, leading to a dog chewing on their bed.
When dogs feel pain and discomfort, chewing is one way to relieve that feeling, and her chewing toys could be very helpful.
Additionally, a dog could experience agitation from particular medications. It is important to observe how a dog responds to treatment, and behaviors like tearing their bed after treatment could mean that the medicine used is unsuitable for your dog.
How Do I Stop My Dog from Ripping His Bed?
You can stop your dog from ripping his bed apart by identifying the cause and finding a solution.
Here are four ways to stop you’re dog from chewing his bed:
1. Train Your Dog
Training is a good solution to ending the cycle of your dog always tearing your bed apart. If you feel overwhelmed and impatient to train your dog, you can get a professional dog trainer to help.
Training your dog will help them realize that tearing and chewing their bed is not good behavior and help end it completely. A trainer will help your dog understand the meaning of words like no, and thus help control their destructive behavior.
2. Ensure Ample Playing and Chewing Toys
If you need to leave your dog alone, it is advisable to ensure it has many activities to do. Please provide them with ample toys to play with, especially chewing toys.
The Kong is an example of a great toy to keep your dog entertained and busy. It is a toy that you stuff with treats for your dog. He will be very busy trying to unstuff the treats individually and will enjoy every time he succeeds.
3. Use Anti-Chewing Spray
Anti-chewing spray to stop dogs from chewing beds works very effectively. The spray has a bitter taste and a bad smell that dogs repel.
Anti-chewing sprays can be homemade, like the combination of white vinegar and apple cider vinegar. Others can be bought from pet stores, and they work effectively.
4. Buy a Chew-Proof Dog Bed
Manufacturers have designed dog mattresses that are very tough to chew or bite. This dog bed could be what you need to reduce your dog’s destructive behavior.
The bed is made using an aluminum frame, which is not chewable. It is also designed so a dog cannot pull at the edges of the mattress fabric.
Why Does My Dog Hold His Bed in His Mouth?
A dog holds his bed in his mouth mainly to get comfort. Holding items in their mouth is a form of relaxation for dogs. Some do these to lull themselves to sleep or relieve stress.
If your dog holds his bed in his mouth, offer them many other chewing options for toys. You should ensure that you help them stop this behavior before they become obsessed with their bed or the blanket they use.
The major takeaway is that providing your dog with physical exercise and ensuring plenty of toys is necessary to stimulate their brains positively and thus avoid destructive behavior such as tearing up their beds.
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