B oredom. Fear. Anxiety. These are the most common causes of behavior challenges such as barking, digging and chewing. Luckily for you and your dog, these are also behaviors that may easily be overcome.

As with many challenging behaviors, you must identify the situations that trigger the behavior. Ask yourself these questions:
Where is my dog when the behavior occurs?
Where am I when the behavior occurs?
How much physical activity has my dog had the day that the behavior occurs?
Could my dog’s breed be a factor?
Does my dog have appropriate outlets for his energy like chew toys, a sand box to dig in, a companion or a game to play?
How much time have I spent playing with, teaching, working with or otherwise engaging the dog?
Is there some new situation or environmental factor that may be causing this behavior (anything from a new schedule to a thunderstorm)?

Answering these questions will help you determine if a Lack of Social Interaction, Fears or Phobias, Separation Anxiety or Territorial/Protective Behavior causes the behavior.

Lack of Social Interaction
A dog left to his own devices will find something to do to keep himself entertained. So, when a dog is alone for many hours or is isolated from the family as an “outdoor only dog” digging, barking and chewing are likely to occur.
To help eliminate any of these behaviors in this situation consider the following:
A little attention goes a long way. Be sure your dog receives adequate contact with you daily. If your dog does not have direct access to his human companions at all times, be especially sure that the time spent with the dog is mentally and physically stimulating for the dog. Teach her commands, play a game, go for a walk, brush her and stay with her while she eats her meals.
Engage your dog’s mind. Most dogs are eager to learn and finding a new game to play or learning a new command can go a long way to warding off boredom. Spend time each day teaching your dog something or practicing known command. Or enroll in a dog sport like agility.
A tired dog is a happy dog. A good game of fetch is lots of fun for your dog and it can really wear him out. The more exercise your dog gets, the more peaceful he will be. Go to the dog park, play fetch, or invite over the neighbor dog for some rough and tumble play in the back yard.
Dig this. If your dog is determined to dig, fill a plastic child’s pool with sand and teach your dog through positive reinforcement to dig there only. And while it may sound disgusting, to discourage digging in other spots, place some of the dogs own feces in that area.
Chew this. This one is simple, chewing dogs should have lots of appropriate chew toys.
While the people are away. For tips on what to do when you are away see Separation Anxiety

Fears and Phobias
Loud noises are most often the cause of fearful responses. But things like people in hats can also cause a fearful reaction. Your dog’s body language will tell you. A safe place. Give your dog a safety zone like a crate (see crate training) in a quiet room. She will feel safe here and can rely on this space when fears seem overwhelming.
Desensitization. This is a multi-step process. If it is a sound your dog is fearful of, make a tape of it. Play it quietly and do something your dog enjoys like treating, playing or feeding. Each day increase the volume and keep your dog occupied with something else. The moment the dog reacts fearfully, stop rewarding her with play, meal or treats. You must not try to console your dog with petting, praising, treating or game when he is acting out his fearful behavior. Desensitization only works if you reward your dog when she is not reacting fearfully.
Drown out the sound. Beyond having a safe place, some dogs simply need to have a stimulus-free zone. So if she is barks all through the Fourth of July or chews her way through a thunderstorm, plan ahead. Have a room secured with favorite bedding, closed windows and some soothing music or the familiar sound of the TV. Basements or interior rooms like bathrooms are often best.

Separation Anxiety
Does your dog exhibit the destructive behaviors when you are gone? When you’re home, does she follow you from room to room? Does your dog seem anxious as you prepare to leave? Does he seem over-exuberant when you come home? These are all signs of separation anxiety.
There are several things you can do to alleviate your dog’s anxiety:
I was having so much fun I didn’t notice you were gone. Toys are a great distraction. Just be sure the toys are durable and cannot be shred to pieces and become a choking hazard. Reserve some favorite toys for while you are away. Try giving these special toys to your dog when you make short trips – even a trip to the mailbox or curb. Then give them the same toy when you are away for a longer duration.
Some other tips for keeping your dog occupied are:
Beef Broth Cubes – freeze some broth and give your dog a few cubes just before you leave. They won’t last for very long but they may distract your dog long enough to ease his anxiety.
PVC self-treater – Drill some holes in PVC pipe only big enough for dog food to slip out of with a little effort. Cap the ends. Your dog will have hours of entertainment trying to get the good stuff out of the PVC. There are toys on the market that work much like this. See your pet supply store.
It’s no big deal. Don’t make a production out of your departure. Just go. Coming home should be treated similarly. Don’t let your dog’s excitement sway you. Ignore him for a few minutes and then calmly pet him.
It’s safe in here. Giving your dog his own special place can eliminate so many issues. Successful crate training will give your dog a sense of security and you the peace of mind that your dog will not be injured, the neighbors won’t be annoyed and your property won’t be destroyed.
That’s a soothing song. Leaving the radio or TV on may help your dog feel as though the house occupied.
Smells gooooood… You may consider aromatherapy. Scents such as lavender are said to be soothing. See your veterinarian, pet supply store or health food store for more information. Additionally, there is a great new product on the market called D.A.P.. It is a phermone diffuser that you plug into any normal outlet. The scent it releases is designed specifically to relax dogs and has worked wonders in our kennels and at local veterinarians’ offices. It can be purchased at many pet stores and online.
The doctor knows best. Consult your veterinarian about possible drug therapy for separation anxiety.
Desensitization. This is a technique meant to eliminate the problem of separation anxiety, not just the behavior associated with it. For more details, see the section on Desensitization or contact a behavior specialist.

Territorial/Protective
Barking is often a symptom of your dog being territorial or protective. See our section on Aggression for tips on how to handle territorial behavior.

What about bark collars?
Bark collars are meant to deter your dog’s barking by introducing an undesirable reaction to the barking.
Citronella – These collars spray a mist in your dog’s face each time he barks. The smell of citronella is displeasing to most dogs. A microphone “hears” the bark and triggers the spray. This microphone can also pick up noises other than your dog’s bark. Therefore, your dog may be sprayed when the door slams or another dog barks.
Aversive Sound – These collars emit a high-frequency sound. Some of these collars are automatically triggered by the bark. Others are remote controlled by the pet guardian.
Electric Shock – We do NOT recommend this type of collar. The shock is painful. Some dogs will endure the pain and continue barking. Others will be confused by the pain and may redirect the pain response (aggression) toward people or other animals.

The effectiveness of any of these methods is questionable. No collar addresses the cause of the barking. Barking may stop but new behaviors may take the place of barking. NEVER use a bark collar if your dog is barking due to separation anxiety or fear. Painful or aversive therapies can compound the problem. Using a bark collar on a territorial dog is also likely to cause a redirected aggression.