Reading the Signs

The clearest tell is where the damage lands. Bored dogs trash random stuff scattered around the house. An anxious dog attacks the escape routes instead: the front door, window sills, the crate, anything between him and you. A dog who claws the door until his nails bleed is not misbehaving. He is in a full panic, trying to follow you out.

This distinction is the whole game, because boredom and anxiety need opposite fixes. Boredom wants more to do. Anxiety wants to feel safe being alone.