Your dog may be destroying his dog bed out of boredom or anxiety, or he may simply be trying to create his own bed by digging and fluffing it with his mouth. Regardless of his reasons, it is possible to teach him to leave it alone.
Step 1
Remove the bed when you are not available to supervise. While offering your dog a bed is nice, it is not necessary, and until he learns to leave it alone, you should only offer it when you can prevent him from damaging it.
Step 2
Provide plenty of quality chew toys for your pet. While everyone expects puppies to chew, most dogs enjoy chewing throughout their lives. Access to heavy rubber or nylon toys will minimize his desire to look elsewhere for something to chew.
Step 3
Supervise your dog with the bed. When he starts to dig or bite, correct him with a firm "no." If he continues, use a rattle can to startle him and get his attention. You can make a rattle can by dropping several pennies into an empty soda can and putting duct tape over the opening. When you say "no," toss the can so it lands near your pet. You don't want to hit him with the can, just get his attention.
Step 4
Catch your pup being good in his bed and praise him. Walk over to him and give him a pat or small treat, and tell him what a good dog he is.
Step 5
Exercise your dog on a daily basis. Long walks on the leash, games of fetch and obedience exercises all help your dog work off excess steam that would otherwise be spent chewing, digging or otherwise being destructive.
Step 6
Leave the bed out while you're gone. Once your dog appears to have lost interest in destroying his bed, you can start to leave it out while you are not around to supervise. Initially, choose times when you will only be away for a short period of time. If he leaves the bed alone, you can start to leave it out for him all the time.
