Dog owners around the world may all have different experiences raising their dogs. Some may have dogs that love attention and are booming with energy. Others may have dogs that are socially anxious and don’t like being left alone. And others may have dogs that are fussy about their food. But one thing most dog owners have in common is that their pooches are extraordinarily good at destroying toys, even some that claim to be indestructible.
If you’ve recently purchased a plushie that you were hoping would become your dog’s best friend, only to find it destroyed and unstuffed a few days later, you may be asking yourself, why do dogs destroy their toys?
To help you out, we’ve broken down some potential reasons:
Your dog is bored
The number one reason behind your dog’s shredding behaviour isn’t aggression or even that they like shredding their toys. They likely find themselves bored, and pulling apart stuffed animals or gnawing on tennis balls enriches their mind, even if only for a few hours. If you want to stop this mindless chewing and tearing, you need to find ways to keep your dog entertained when you’re not home.
Try giving them some treats they can chew instead to redirect this behaviour. You can also try toys that roll around on their own to keep them active. If that still doesn’t work, even programs, like Dog TV, can help keep their mind active enough to stop the excessive chewing.
Your dog could be anxious
If you find most of the toy destruction occurs when you’re not home, it may be a sign that your dog is feeling a little anxious that you’ve left them behind. They may immediately turn to chewing and tearing apart toys as an outlet for their fear, which may seem harmless at first but can get expensive and damaging.
If you’re looking for ways to handle pet anxiety, you can read more on our blog, How to keep your dog entertained when you’re not home.
Your dog could be attacking its prey
It’s hard to think that fluffy Fido or snuggly Spot would ever want to hurt a fly, but it’s important to remember that dogs are natural predators, so they will want to attack and ‘kill’ things from time to time. The squeakers found in toys mimic the sounds of a dog’s natural prey, such as birds, which can trigger their hunt-and-kill instincts, bringing them into destruction mode.
While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it can get messy, so it’s best to consider toys that are harder to destroy, such as the KONG range. This way, they can still channel those mentally stimulating instincts without costing you hundreds each month in new toys.
Find everything you need and more at PetNest
Whether you’re looking for a toy that will take them longer to shred or products that can help keep them calm, we have it available at PetNest. Explore our range today.
