Don’t Let Your Dog’s Appetite for Destruction Go Unaddressed

Britain’s puppy and dog population is displaying an appetite for destruction and the worry is that pet parents are not addressing one of the major causes behind the behaviour, which is perhaps being caused or exacerbated by social distancing.

This is the view of PetPanion, the new and free-to-download pet health and wellbeing App, which encourages its users to observe and note their pets’ health and behavioural issues, so as to maintain a strong pet ‘Wellness Score’.  This signifies that their dog is healthy and is held digitally and continually updated with their feedback, to enable abnormalities in health and wellbeing to be spotted.

An analysis of pet households’ inputs into the PetPanion App suggests that all in the garden – and the living room – is not rosy.  Nearly a quarter of dogs (23%) are reported to be either indulging in destructive behaviour, such as chewing, ripping and gnawing, or eating non-food items, when their parents’ backs are turned.

Strikingly, a variety of health conditions suffered by their dog, as well as their behavioural issues, have been noted by PetPanion users, but not one considers their dog to be obese.  This is despite the chances of that being high.  Three-quarters of vets told the 2019 Pet Food Manufacturers Association report, ‘Pet Obesity Ten Years On’, that they believed obesity to be worsening in dogs and over half (51%) of the nation’s dogs to be obese.  Only 8% of people surveyed who had a dog felt this to be the case.

Whilst chewing is a fairly common thing for a puppy to do, as it makes the dental transition from its 28 puppy teeth to its adult set, destructive behaviour can have underlying causes that are not tooth-related.

“Destructive behaviour is often a reaction to a dog not getting enough exercise and, in particular, off-lead or long-lead exercise, which enables it to burn energy and gain physical and mental stimulation,” says PetPanion’s founder, Qian Huang. “Whilst separation anxiety and stress and fear can also lead to doggy destruction in the home, many of the dogs which are destructive are actually just seeking diversion and creating some of their own play.  They could turn to electrical cables, furniture and furnishings, food and waste, clothing and shoes or a host of other things that they can chew, tear and then potentially regurgitate, to do this.”  

As well as causing damage to possessions and the home, this behaviour can have health repercussions for the animal, according to PetPanion’s veterinary professional, Dr Peggy Middlemiss.  She says: “A dog can easily end up at the vet’s surgery, if something swallowed gets lodged in the throat or gut, or they ingest something toxic or to which they are allergic. The bill could be significant, which should be a worry for many dog parents, as almost a third of PetPanion App users (32%) have no pet insurance.”

Ironically, whilst a lack of exercise can be a major trigger for such behaviour, so too can measures geared at helping a dog lose a few pounds, such as an excessive diet.  In a quest for calories, a dog can eat whatever it finds in its path.

The first step towards trying to curb destructive behaviour should be an examination of how much exercise a dog Is getting.  This is easy-to-do, if you are a PetPanion App user, as there is an exercise tracking facility that will record distances walked by both you and your pooch and allow you to set exercise goals.  

Mental stimulation is also important, so throw and ‘fetch’ games whilst out and about, exploration of new environments and some outdoor challenges are another thing to build into the exercise time.  You could run or cycle with your dog in tow, to give them a higher level of exercise experience each day or build in paddles in the sea or lake.  Just make sure that you do this with caution, bearing in mind the dangers of sea and river currents and frozen lake surfaces in winter.  

You could also stimulate your dog by providing them with the chance to explore different scents, whether those are found in woodland, coastal areas or country parks.  Just being out, meeting other dogs and people, will be a welcome diversion.

Back at home, incorporating some intelligence and problem-solving games into their routine providing a variety of toys. and leaving them with treat-filled rubber chews, when you are out, can be a great way to keep your dog entertained and mentally active. 

If destructive behaviour continues, it may be that there is a deeper issue that needs to be resolved by a dog psychologist or that it is just a transition phase, as your dog goes through puberty, at the age of about six months to one year. Otherwise, it may be time for you to sign up for some classes where you and your dog can have fun together, through agility or obedience training, or something else.

“Shouting, screaming and the blame-game is not what you should be aiming for,” says Qian Huang, who recommends positive reinforcement by rewarding good behaviour, rather than punishing dogs for bad.  “Use PetPanion to keep tabs on your exercise schedule and also let it become your exercise conscience and you will probably find that destructive behaviour starts to diminish and your dog becomes fitter, leaner and more lenient on the home furnishings!  

“If that is not the case, then find a dog psychiatry expert, who can help get to the bottom of any deeper, underlying issue.  The number of experts able to do this is impressive and there is sure to be someone near you who can help.  If any such experts would like a listing on the PetPanion App, so that they can be easily found by an owner, they just need to get in touch and we will provide it for them.”

PetPanion can be downloaded at the Apple Store and Playstore without charge.  More information is at www.mypetpanion.com  and any experts or vets wishing to be part of the App’s search-for-help functionality can get in touch with Madison Hewitson on madi@mypetpanion.com                   .

Don’t let your dog’s appetite for destruction hold sway. It could well be a sign that it is you, and not your dog, that is exhibiting irresponsible behaviour.                               

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Editors notes

PetPanion is a new App that enables dog and cat owners to request their pet's medical history from their vet and then keep all of that at hand, via the App, in case they need treatment from another clinic, or mobile vet, at some time or other. The App also facilitates virtual vets appointments, allowing consultations to be carried out digitally, and enables vets to be paid via the App.