An anxious dog has gone viral after digging a hole in the family couch, which their owner described as a “safe space.”
TikToker Madi (@bigdaddymadi1) shared a video showing the aftermath of the unexpected destruction, revealing a dog-sized hole in the sofa’s end cushion. The clip, which has since garnered 1.5 million views and 304,400 likes, was captioned: “Throwback to when Kona got anxious and ate a safe space in the couch.”
In the footage, Kona poked his head through the fabric, seemingly unbothered by the damage and very much at home in his newly-created hideaway.
Expert Insight
Ali Smith, CEO and founder of Rebarkable, explained to Newsweek that anxious dogs may turn to furniture destruction for a mix of instinctive and emotional reasons.
“The first part can be nesting or settling behavior that gets a little too intense. However, this usually doesn’t result in severe damage,” she told Newsweek.
“The bigger reason is that chewing and shredding can be biologically fulfilling which, ultimately, results in some satisfaction which helps to counter the anxiety they’re feeling. Think of it like comfort eating!”
Smith emphasized the importance of distinguishing between types of behavior: separation anxiety typically arises when owners leave the house, while boredom may result in sporadic destruction. She advised pet owners to look closely at all possible stressors, from loud neighbors to routine disruptions, and to start by eliminating smaller, fixable triggers.
“The first step is to ensure that pup has biologically appropriate enrichment and is fulfilled,” she advised. If the problem persists, she recommends breaking down the root cause and addressing it with incremental training. She also cautioned against crating dogs as a quick fix: “Crating is not a solution to anxiety and often results in a massively stressed out dog. Ensure you deal with the underlying emotions as opposed to patch the symptom.”
Ivan Petersel, founder of Dog Virtuoso, agreed that destruction may stem from unmet needs.
He told Newsweek that many dogs don’t have enough outlets for their energy or intelligence and encouraged owners to introduce puzzle feeders, snuffle mats, and other mentally stimulating tools.
“First, it’s important to rule out anything medical. It’s always a good idea to contact your veterinarian, especially if the dog is eating the materials,” he said.
“I am not convinced about the hole being a ‘safe space.’ I think that’s anthropomorphizing and the dog simply liked the feeling,” he added.
To differentiate between boredom, separation anxiety, and compulsive behavior, Petersel explained that timing and intensity are key. Boredom typically resolves with enrichment, separation anxiety happens when the owner is away, and compulsive behavior tends to be intense, repetitive, and difficult to interrupt—even when the dog is tired.
Rather than focusing solely on stopping destruction, he encourages owners to prevent it before it happens: “The correct timing is when the dog is fixated but before the first bite. The goal is to interrupt the thought before the action occurs.”
For ongoing issues, Petersel suggests using structured methods like tether training or crate training (in non-anxiety cases) to give dogs “intermediate freedom” and eliminate blind spots in the home.
He also advises owners to record their dogs when left alone: “It’s always interesting to see what a dog does when they think that nobody is watching.”
TikTok Reacts
Viewers were quick to sympathize, share stories of their own destructive pups, and offer humorous advice.
“Can’t show my dog this bc she’ll get ideas,” wrote Paige.
“Just cover it with a pillow when not in use it’ll be fine,” Cam suggested.
Another user shared: “My puppy was always scared of fireworks and my dad’s desk was her safeplace but one day she was so freaked out she ran to his desk and threw up all over his papers he just neatly organized for the next day.”
“I had a dog that did this exact thing to my bed!!! I slept with a hole in my mattress for months,” Lizzie commented. “She didn’t notice because her body fit perfectly in it but let me tell you it was crazyyy she also did it to the wall.”
One TikToker described a similar couch scenario: “My dog made a BIG hole in the middle cushion, we have a blanket there and one over the entire couch, our oldest (when he’s cold) likes to go under that one and lay on the blanket.”
Newsweek reached out to @bigdaddymadi1 for comment via TikTok. We could not verify the details of the case.
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