It is in a dogs natural instincts to follow their nose, and to hunt for their food, and even just for fun. They have mountains of energy, that needs to be given a constructive way to be released. Dogs are not meant to be curled up like a cat on the floor sleeping their lives away. If you don't give your dog friend a way to let out all their energy they get frustrated and find things around the house to hunt, and destroy.

The key to avoiding destructive behavior in your dog is prevention. If you spend time exercising or walking your dog, they will not have the extra energy needed to tear up the carpet, couch, or whatever else captures their attention. Make interaction with your dog part of your daily routine; take them with you when you go for a walk or light jog or take them to a dog park, where both of you can have fun with all of the other dogs running around. Dog parks are a great solution because they are built for dogs by definition and they often provide toys and different yards for differing sizes of dogs.

While you are gone out of the house or if you notice your dog looks a little bored, then dog toys are a great way to let them play on their own, or even when you feel like playing with them. Always use toys when playing with them, just so your dog doesn't confuse your playing hands and your animated hand gestures when you talking to someone else. Dogs love to rip the stuffing out of stuffed toys. When you buy your dog stuffed toys, you will have to make sure you don't have any pillow or kids stuffed toys on the floor confusing your dog. Your dog doesn't know the difference between their toys and other stuffed objects around the house. You'll still do some light cleaning, but at least you're are not picking up pieces of ripped up couch, or pillows. Other good dog toy options are natural chew toys, squeaky toys, or raw-hides. However, with these toys they should always be supervised. These toys break into small bits that they may choke on. So if you are not going to be around it's better to stick to doggy approved stuffed toys.

Many people are also making the common mistake of giving their dogs old pieces of clothing, old pieces of rug, old shoes, or socks to play with. Here is where a dog will get really confused. All that clothes smells the same to them, and the old rugs don't smell any different from the new rugs in the house. They all have your scent on them which your dogs particularly likes. They can't tell the difference at all. So if you tell them it's OK to chew on old stuff that smells like you, then they generalize it as its OK to chew on all stuff that smells like you. Posing a serious problem. Don't confuse the dog. Get them their own special, only doggy toys.

To sum it all up, you must remember that your dog needs mental and physical stimuli. Without if they get bored, and frustrated, leaving them to act out. Plus, also keep in mind that your dog has different ways of using their senses than we do. You must remember this when trying to get them to understand what is OK and what is not. Be patient with them, and give them lots of praise when they are doing something right. This will get them to do that action more often than not.

Need to solve dog behavior problems or learn how to house train a puppy? Go to http://www.dogbehaviorexpert.com.