Make sure to give your dog enough exercise, recommends Burch and Melanson.

A brisk long walk, some safe off-leash time or a game of fetch before you head out to work can help your dog acclimate to being alone and prevent excess energy coming out in destructive ways, according to Melanson.

Don't forget the critical role exercise plays in preventing many behavior problems as well as relaxing your dog and making it easier for him to pay attention to training, according to Burch.

Melanson offers the following ideas: Fetch, hide and seek, find it, or just a walk in the woods. Mix it up a bit; if your dog has a back yard, make sure he gets some leash walks too. If he is a city dog and walks on leash all the time, find a safe fenced-in area for some off-leash time.

If your dog is social, play with other dogs is good, but keep it to small groups or one-on-one play sessions, so you can monitor and keep the interactions safe.

There are many pet-friendly organized dog sports also, such as agility, nose work, Treibball and Frisbee to name a few.