Enrichment Plan For Destructive Behaviors
Try activities for 3–5 minutes and stop while your dog is still successful. If your dog is panicking, freezing, or escalating, pause and switch to a lower-pressure option (or talk to your vet/behavior pro).
What This Behavior May Be Telling You
Destructive behaviors like chewing, shredding, and digging are not stubbornness or your dog being bad. These behaviors are often your dogs way of meeting a real need, using the tools they have.
Many dogs chew, shred, or dig to self-soothe, release stress, burn energy, explore their environment, or satisfy natural instincts. Chewing can be calming and physically satisfying. Shredding can mimic foraging and hunting-style behavior. Digging can be a normal, hardwired behavior that also helps some dogs regulate big feelings.
You might see this show up as chewing furniture or baseboards, shredding paper or blankets, digging in the yard, or getting busy when they cannot settle, especially during alone time, after a stressful day, or when routine changes.
Common Triggers
Destructive behavior can be influenced by one or more of these:
- boredom or under-stimulation
- too much energy with not enough appropriate outlets
- stress, anxiety, or difficulty settling
- teething or strong oral needs
- frustration (for example, wanting access to something)
- lack of rest or an unpredictable routine
- enrichment that is too hard and creates frustration
- medical discomfort (dental pain, GI upset, itchiness, arthritis)
What helps most (by nervous system need)
For generalized destructive behavior support, focus most on:
- active food
- active olfactory
- active environmental
- active physical
- active cognitive
Passive visual and auditory options can help some dogs settle, but they are usually supporting tools rather than the main outlet for chewing, shredding, and digging.
Activities to Try With Your Destructive Dog
Active Activities: Food
Low-stakes problem solving that taps into natural foraging and licking/chewing rhythms. Great for settling the body and brain.
Activity Ideas
Puzzle and food toys
Why it may help: Gives your dog an appropriate chewing and working outlet and can lower boredom.
Frequency: Daily
Needs: Food toy matched to your dogs chewing style and skill level.
Towel-in-a-Tube
Why it may help: Offers a shredding-like foraging outlet in a safe, structured way.
Frequency: Weekly or daily (easy version)
Needs: Towel, cardboard tubes, treats or kibble, supervision if your dog eats fabric.
Muffin tin game
Why it may help: Adds simple problem-solving and foraging without a lot of frustration.
Frequency: Weekly
Needs: Muffin tin, balls or covers, treats.
Snuffle mat
Why it may help: Channels nose and mouth into foraging instead of household items.
Frequency: Daily
Needs: Snuffle mat, treats or kibble.
Food trail
Why it may help: Combines movement and scenting with a low-pressure search task.
Frequency: Weekly or several times a week
Needs: Small treats, safe space.
Active Activities: Olfactory
Sniff-based games that let your dog explore at their own pace. Sniffing is naturally regulating and often the fastest way to lower stress.
Activity Ideas
Fun scent games
Why it may help: Sniffing is naturally regulating and can reduce the need to create your own entertainment through destruction.
Frequency: Daily or weekly
Needs: Easy setup, keep it simple.
Stones, rocks, and straws
Why it may help: Provides novel investigation and problem-solving with scent and texture. Place unfamiliar items around your yard and watch your pup pick up on the new smells.
Frequency: Weekly
Needs: Safe objects from outside your home and yard.
Scent in a bag
Why it may help: Gives a focused search outlet that can replace scavenging and shredding behaviors. Place scented item in a bag and hide.
Frequency: Weekly
Needs: Bag or container, scent items which can include food.
Cabbage Chaos
Why it may help: Provides a safe way for your dog to bite, tear, and shred.
Frequency: Monthly or weekly
Needs: Cabbage, treats to stuff inside
Active Activities: Cognitive
Confidence-building “thinking” games with clear rules and easy wins. Keep it short, simple, and stop while it’s still fun.
Activity Ideas
Train hand target (touch)
Why it may help: Builds communication and gives your dog a simple job when they feel restless.
Frequency: Daily or weekly
Needs: Rewards, low-distraction space.
Which hand game
Why it may help: Easy problem-solving that can reduce boredom without creating frustration.
Frequency: Weekly
Needs: Small treats.
Games with cones
Why it may help: Adds mental work and a search component that can replace scavenging behavior.
Frequency: Weekly
Needs: Cups, treats.
What toy and where
Why it may help: Encourages searching and thinking, which can reduce destructive entertainment-seeking.
Frequency: Weekly
Needs: Toys, treats, simple hiding spots.
Active Activities: Physical
Gentle movement that releases tension without revving your dog up. Choose slow, predictable activities over high-arousal exercise.
Activity Ideas
Stress-free stroll
Why it may help: Helps decompress and can reduce restless, busy behavior at home.
Frequency: Daily or several times a week
Needs: Low-pressure pace, choice-based sniffing.
Sniff walks
Why it may help: Adds a strong sniffing component that can be more satisfying than a fast walk.
Frequency: Weekly or several times a week
Needs: Time to sniff, safe area.
Training walks
Why it may help: Gives structure and skill-building, which can reduce frustration and excess energy.
Frequency: Weekly
Needs: Rewards, short sessions.
Fetch and swap game
Why it may help: Provides a physical outlet while practicing trading and impulse control.
Frequency: Weekly
Needs: Two toys, space.
Active Activities: Environmental
Gentle movement that releases tension without revving your dog up. Choose slow, predictable activities over high-arousal exercise.
Activity Ideas
Do you dig it
Why it may help: Gives your dog a legal digging outlet so they do not need to dig in the yard or carpet.
Frequency: Weekly or daily (short sessions)
Needs: Dig box or designated digging area, safe substrate, supervision.
Sniff walk
Why it may help: Adds body and brain engagement through different surfaces and environments.
Frequency: Weekly
Needs: Safe route, time to explore.
Circus surface
Why it may help: Builds confidence and gives paws and brain a job, which can reduce restless destructive behavior.
Frequency: Weekly
Needs: Safe surfaces, rewards, short sessions.
Take a dip
Why it may help: Some dogs benefit from novel sensory input and gentle physical outlet.
Frequency: Monthly or weekly (if your dog enjoys it)
Needs: Safe water access, supervision.
Repeat days you love. Consistency beats variety for anxiety.
Tips For Success
Make the right choice easy. Put tempting items away and provide usable outlets.
- “My dog eats my shoes” – move shoes out of your dogs reach
Match the outlet to the need. Chewing needs chew options, shredding needs safe shredding, digging needs a dig spot.
Keep food and scent games easy at first so your dog does not get frustrated.
Rotate activities to keep them interesting, but keep the routine predictable.
If destruction happens most during alone time, start with very short alone-time practice and high-value enrichment.
This guide is for general educational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized training, behavior consulting, or veterinary care. I am not your dog’s trainer, and I am not observing your dog’s behavior in person, so I cannot assess the cause of your dog’s behavior or guarantee specific outcomes.
If your dog’s behavior is intense, worsening, sudden in onset, or creating safety concerns for people or pets, please contact your veterinarian to rule out pain or medical causes and to discuss appropriate support. For behavior help, I strongly recommend working with a qualified, force free trainer or behavior professional who can evaluate your dog in context and create a plan tailored to your household.