You come home and it’s happened again. Your dog is sat beside a bed that’s ripped apart.
Short of buying your dog a new bed each and every time or denying your dog a bed forever – what can you do?
First we need a place to start. And that? As always with modern training is looking at the reason behind the behaviour, and fixing it from the ground up! Because the reason behind your dog’s bed mysteriously exploding is your key to solving it.
So what I’m going to do, is list the top reasons that a dog might be digging their bed, and what you can do about it.
Your Dog Loves To Nest
Whether you’re home, not home, or somewhere in between – your dog will turn, and dance, and boogie their way into their bed with all appropriate rearrangement. This sort of dog may dig their bed to get comfortable.
Sometimes? Your dog’s bed might just not be up to this (certainly my sheets are not when Lucy decides to nest in our bed!) so as they dig, and as they create a hole, and a hold is something that must be explored.
The Solution for Nesters
There are two solutions here for dogs who love to nest and accidentally make their bed explode along the way…
1 – Add blankets.
This is my favourite solution, because its affordable, and so, so easy. When you consider your dogs bed, we just need to pop a comfy, easy wash blanket in on top of their bed. This way, when your dog digs and wiggles and nests into their bed, they dig and move a blanket – that moves anyway and is easily replaceable if they do tear it.
So far? This has kept Lucy from exploding any more beds (along with a bunch of my clients dogs!)
2 – Opt for Dig Resistant beds.
Did you know these exist? Well here’s your news, they absolutely do. One example of this, is the Big Barker Bed which my woofs adore – and has so far stood up to the wear and tear of 3 big dogs, and two diggers. As you can see, I do still use an extra blanket – but it’s very much worth it.
It’s when you’re not home
This may be separation anxiety.
If every time that you leave, that’s when a bed gets destroyed, then Seperation Anxiety could well be what it is. This is the sort of thing that you probably want to get a professional trainer involved, but before you do?
Get footage. Grab a puppy camera, and watch what happens, this will give you really great insight into your dogs behaviour when you’re absent. And your trainer will thank you too!
Your dog is bored…
This and the separation anxiety option sometimes can be confused (that’s why I said to get footage!) but if your dog loves to dig, and has excess energy, sometimes this can totally result in a bed (or sofa) that goes bang.
Natural desires
Some dogs were bred to dig – this category most often includes terriers, beagles, coonhounds, malamutes and others. But, if this desire is not regularly met, then it can result in them digging inappropriate surfaces.
The Solution For Natural Born Diggers
Satisfy their need! You may want to consider ‘destruction’ style enrichment, or even a dig pit! these things are easy to set up, and you can
What not to do…
Whilst it’s tempting, don’t just buy stronger beds, or buy a stronger crate, or whatever it is. It’s not a case that the bed is not sturdy enough. There’s more to it. So, please do look into the true reason behind it.