Why Does My Dog Destroy Their Own Dog Bed?

Have you ever come home to find your dog has turned their bed into a blizzard of feathers or fuzz? Maybe your dog is a repeat offender when it comes to ripping apart their own bed and you’re getting concerned that something is wrong with their sleep space. 

Where there was once a comfy cushion, your pet has created a scene fit for the inside of a snow globe, and all you can shake is your fists at the sky as you let out an exasperated “why?”

“People attribute all kinds of motives to dogs, when really it’s just about their arousal level,” says Julie Iovine, a certified dog trainer and board president of the non-profit Animals & Society Institute. “We now know that dogs are incredibly intelligent and they’re highly emotional — things that were not really accepted about animals as recently as a few decades ago. But that does not mean that they have our kind of intelligence.”

This destructive behavior likely doesn’t hold any particular significance. Often, it’s just that their bedding is the closest thing a dog can tear into when they’re bored. 

“They’re not long-range thinkers,” Iovine says. “They are in the moment, so don’t treat them like they are trying to get back at you, they really aren’t.”

Destroying their bed is a signal that the dog can’t cope. 

“We shouldn’t really be attributing manipulation to animals. A dog will be destroying his bed or chewing your shoes, not to show you anything, but just because… they’re arousal level has gone too high and they don’t have the skills to deal with it,” says Iovine. 

What should you do when your dog becomes a bed destroyer?

If your dog shreds their bedding, it’s important to get curious about what’s prompting that behavior. Investigating the root causes is a better use of your time and money than immediately buying a replacement bed only to have your pet destroy that one too. 

Check for boredom first

Chewing up bedding is a sign of frustration, Iovine says. And the behavior is typically caused by something less intriguing than manipulation: boredom. 

“A lot of dogs aren’t getting their instinctual needs met the way they need to. So then they’re just looking around at what they can get into. And dog beds can be fun to rip up,” says Cathy Madson, a trainer and behavior consultant with Preventative Vet. “Are they bored? Are they getting enough mental enrichment and exercise? And even if they are, are they getting the right type for what they need?”

You know your dog and their energy levels best. For most dogs, taking them on walks where they get to stop and smell whatever they want for as long as they want is a great place to start, says Madson. 

“If they want to sniff something for 10 minutes, let them sniff something for 10 minutes. It’s a really good way to burn energy,” she says. 

It’s not just about physical exercise though. While many people think “a tired dog is a good dog,” excessively long hikes or runs aren't the right solution either, Iovine says.

“You’re just building a marathon athlete who needs three hours of exercise,” Iovine says. “It’s more about showing them how to handle themselves and giving the appropriate amount of exercise, the appropriate amount of chew things — meeting them where they’re at.”

Consider your breed. 

The characteristics of their breed also provide important information about the types of enrichment that would be most appreciated. 

“You kind of have to know what breed or breed mix is my dog and then in that breed group, what were they bred to do?” Madson says. “We want to give them an outlet for that behavior.”

Smaller breeds of Terriers, for example, were bred to hunt rodents. Using a flirt pole to have them chase a toy like they would chase a mouse or giving them a dig pit to play in might be the most rewarding for their brains. 

“Highly-intelligent Border Collies need a lot of mental stimulation. They need a lot of jobs to do. And if you’re not providing them with enough exercise or enough mental stimulation, then they’re more likely to start figuring out their own schemes for releasing that energy,” Iovine says. “Provide them with things to do that will keep their energy and their mind occupied.”

Giving dogs more chews to keep their brain and teeth occupied can be a good solution, Iovine says.

“All dogs are scavengers. They evolved to scavenge for food, so they love working for their meals if we let them. And it’s a really good, easy energy burn,” Madson says.

That doesn’t mean that a food puzzle is going to be appropriate for every dog. With puppies, a complex puzzle will be a mismatch for their skills and attention, Iovine says. 

“A puppy is not equipped to deal with even those medium-level puzzles,” she says. “Just give them a long-lasting chew, a lick mat.” 

Redirect, don’t react 

If dogs are getting the right amount of exercise and mental stimulation but they still want to chew their bedding, it could be a sign that they’re looking for attention or a symptom of a larger issue, like separation anxiety, Madson said. 

Either way, you don’t want to create a punishment around your dog’s place of rest and it isn’t really fair to get angry with them for expressing their natural behaviors.

“I think we have gone so far down the road of treating our dogs like children that we forget that they are animals and they have animal instincts. Tearing stuff up is what dogs do,” Iovine says. “We can’t expect them to no longer do doggy things. In an appropriate setting, allow them to do what dogs do.”

If you catch your dog destroying the bed, don’t yell at them. Yelling can backfire, because what your dog understands is that this behavior wins your attention. 

“You need to show them what you do want them to do. ‘Not’ doing something is too abstract… Show them what to do. They can’t understand what ‘not’ means,” Iovine says.

It could take a little time to learn the right games or activities for your dog. The zoomies that puppies or overstimulated dogs tend to get might seem cute, but it means they’ve been exposed to too much arousal, Iovine says. 

Moving from long-ranging games like fetch to something closer to your body, like tugging, and then to a calmer activity like weaving through your legs can give dogs a cool down period to come out of that overly aroused space, she says. 

Change the access to the bed.

If your dog continues to rip into bedding, it’s better to remove the bed entirely for a while than to allow them to keep rehearsing that undesirable behavior, Iovine says. 

“Put some crappy old towels in there and let them tear them up. Maybe they’ll be happy with that,” she says.

Find an alternative. 

There are lots of different options for dog beds. Switching to something more durable, like a raised Kuranda cot-style bed made out of PVC pipes, could be a good alternative for some dogs, Madson says. 

“If they just really love chewing on the bed, then the bed is going away. Don’t spend tons of money on dog beds if they keep ripping them up,” she says. 

Keep in mind that dogs don’t really require expensive products or fluffy bedding to find comfort. Having a safe place like a crate to rest is often enough. 

“My first [Labrador]... loved the metal flooring! He didn’t care,” Iovine says. “The plush stuff is gorgeous and fun and seems like it’s really cozy, but it’s not like they need that fancy bedding.”