Mythbusters: Does enrichment make dogs destructive?

Will giving your dog opportunities to tear, shred, and chew during designated enrichment activities make them more destructive overall? Probably not—but it depends.

This topic arose last month when we published an article on letting your dog unwrap their own holiday gifts. One concern shared by many pet parents (and even some professional trainers) was that encouraging our pups to destroy paper in one context would make them more likely to perform the same behavior in other situations, too—like getting into the trash or recycling bin.

We briefly addressed the idea then. Let's cover it more deeply now!

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First: What is enrichment, again?

At its simplest, enrichment is what it sounds like: Activities that enrich your pup's life. Think of it as giving your dog the chance to safely express natural "dog behaviors"—like sniffing, running, chasing, chewing, and more—in our modern world. Dogs didn't evolve to live on leashes in crowded cities. They can (and do!) thrive in those human-centric environments—but they need help from us.

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Meeting your dog's needs might make them less destructive

Most dogs have an innate need to chew, shred, and tear. This is part of the natural canine predatory sequence. (While domestic dogs are very different from their wolflike ancestors, they've retained this basic programming.) Some breeds, like terriers, are even more inclined to shred because we purposefully selected for the behavior over multiple generations.

If your pup doesn't have an appropriate outlet for their instincts, they might turn to your furniture, trash can, shoes, and other household items to scratch the itch. But offering controlled enrichment opportunities might put a stop to their destruction! Taylor Finton, author of The Happiest Dog on the Block and enrichment expert at Bindi's Bucket List, says "positive outlets can alleviate the need for your dog to seek out their own shredding enrichment by providing them with something safe and fun."

Research supports her insights. One study of laboratory dogs found that providing designated chances to chew reduced unwanted destruction. "Environment-enriched dogs spent less time chewing items of pen furniture (a fall on pre-treatment scores of 85%)," writes experimenter Robert C. Hubrecht.

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Why do some pups get confused?

That all sounds good—but what if your dog shreds more stuff they shouldn't, not less, when you start implementing enrichment? You're not crazy. Every dog, situation, and household is different. Pet parenthood is complicated!

Just because domestic dogs have evolved to live with humans doesn't mean they automatically understand human-made distinctions between "allowed" and "not allowed" objects. It's true that some dogs struggle to distinguish between enrichment activities and undesirable behaviors like pawing through the trash. If you encourage your pup to shred cardboard from your recycling during playtime, there's a chance they'll start thinking everything in the bin is fair game (though the above above tells us the probability is smaller than you might first think).

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How to set your dog up for enrichment success

If your dog is prone to destructive behavior, pairing enrichment with basic training can significantly reduce unwanted shredding. "If your dog begins destroying things you don't want them to, take a look at what cues you’re giving them," advises Finton . "Are you removing the puzzle (or cardboard, paper, etc) once the objective is finished? Sometimes the simplest steps make the biggest difference." (Hear more from her in our full-length podcast conversation.)

You can also use verbal signals to tell your dog when it's time to dig in and when you want them to hold back. For my own cattle dog, we say "go ahead" when she has free rein to chew, rip, and shred—and "enough" when an enrichment activity is over. It took a lot of consistency and patience to teach her the meaning of the words, but giving her complete clarity is worth it.

Some other tips:

• Secure your trash and recycling bins to prevent accidental reinforcement of bad habits.
• Redirect your pup to an approved enrichment activity—and reward that behavior instead!—if they do try to chew something else.
• If your dog is struggling with context cues, consider providing shreddable materials only in a designated area. A specific mat, blanket, or towel can work well.
• Supervise shredding activities to make sure your pup doesn't eat large pieces of cardboard or paper.

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Need more info?

Check out our free 101 Enrichment Ideas guide, researched and written for pet parents just like you.

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