Is your dog tearing apart the living room? Is he just a bad dog or asking for more attention in the only way he knows. Dogs are in many ways like small children. One of the those similarities is that dogs crave the approval and attention of their owners. To a dog, the owner is the center of his universe and the dog desires nothing more than to know that he has pleased you. This is the reason that positive reinforcement is the most successful training method. This is often also the reason behind unexpected destructive behavior.

Another similarity between dogs and small children is a need for routine. Your dog quickly adapts to a regualr routine, anticipating your return home from work, his meals, playtime etc. When this routine changes, you are apt to see your dog expressing his confusion with destructive behavior.

What we commonly see in conjunction with new destructive behavoir is a dog that is experiencing big changes in his daily routine. An example of this is when the family goes on vacation, rules relax, meal times are more flexible,play sessions may be missed. Your dog doesn't understand why, and only knows that something is not right in his world. A human child might express this confusion by having a temper tantrum or whining, your dog may expres it by tearing apart all the pillows in the house.

One key to managing this type of behavior is to understand it's root cause and have a plan for managin the dog. Keep in mind that with the simplistic dogs's view of the world,his goal is to get attention from you. He'd prefer loving, happy play time, but even angry attention is better than no attention. Your dog will quickly learn that chewing on your shoes will get your attention!