Destructiveness with bedding is a common issue.
This is an especially common problem with working breeds and puppies. It can be frustrating when you spend as much as hundreds of dollars on quality dog beds, only for them to be destroyed. This can also be potentially dangerous for your dog if they decide to ingest material from the bedding.
The first thing that you need to evaluate when deciding why your dog shreds bedding is to look at their age. Some puppies can handle having plush bedding, but others lack the maturity to handle it until later into life. Think about your puppy’s toys that they play with. Are you giving them stuffed toys? Do they shred and destroy them? If so, your puppy probably doesn’t think of your dog bed as anything other than a giant stuffed toy.
Is your dog destructive in general, or do they just have this problem with dog beds? If your dog is suffering from separation anxiety and destroys multiple things in the household, the issue is not isolated to just bedding, and needs to be addressed separately. Another common cause of dogs shredding beds is boredom and excess energy. Make sure that your dog’s brain and body are both tired before you give them access to their bed.
And let’s face it: tearing stuff up is super fun for your dog. One of the simplest solutions when somebody tells me that they have a problem with dogs shredding beds, I generally tell them to go out and buy a Kuranda bed. Kuranda beds, especially the aluminum ones, are very durable, easy to clean, and are not as enticing to tear up as plush beds.
Another thing that you can try is to give your dog something else to keep their mouth occupied when they are on their bed. Stuffed kongs, dog bones, and other interactive toys are an excellent way to show your dog that there are better things to chew on.
