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Many dog owners will know the feeling of settling down for the night, only to have their dog start scratching at their bedroom door like they are trying to break it down! Door scratching is a common yet often frustrating behavior that dogs can exhibit for a number of reasons.
Separation anxiety, boredom, over or under stimulation and trying to communicate that they need something are all possible reasons why your dog may be taking their paws to your doors, but is there a way to discourage and ultimately stop this behavior?
We are going to take a closer look at the reasons that cause door scratching behaviors, how you can help minimise and stop your dog from scratching your doors, as well as some additional tips for particularly persistent pups.
Dogs don’t do things just to be ‘naughty’, they don’t have a concept of ‘good’ or ‘bad’. Their behavior is only ever trying to communicate something to us, and so we have to pay attention to them and try to help.
Some of the most common reasons why your dog may be scratching at your doors include:
Getting anxious or stressed when separated from their humans is very common amongst dogs, and can cause significant issues in day to day life. This is a behavioral disorder which often occurs when an animal has either been through trauma or has not been socialised properly from a young age, but some pups just tend to have a more sensitive disposition, and therefore may be more prone to the issue.
If you're dealing with a dog experiencing separation anxiety, you might find our article "How to Train Your Puppy Out of Separation Anxiety" helpful.
The distress caused by the separation anxiety can often lead a dog to engage in destructive behaviors, such as biting, scratching, destroying things around the home, and even excessive urination in unwanted places.
If left to their own devices for too long, young dogs especially may become more easily bored, leading them to turn to destructive behaviors as a way of both entertaining and self regulating themselves.
This can occur if your dog has not been given adequate exercise or stimulative play throughout the day, meaning they have unused energy that they need to expel.
In the same way dogs can become bored or understimulation, they can also become overstimulated and become overzealous and excitable. This could be because they have had too much socialisation during the day, they have been riled up by another pet or family member, or changes within or around the home, especially excessive noise and outside stimuli, making them need to act out of self-regulate through destructive or antisocial behavior i.e. scratching and barking.
Dogs will often scratch at a door when they are trying to communicate their basic needs. If they are scratching a door that leads to the outside, it is likely they may need the toilet or are asking for a walk or playtime, similarly if they scratch at the kitchen or bedroom door, they could be communicating their need for food, water or general comfort.
Dogs don’t speak out language and learn only through routine where in the house they will receive certain things that they need, so if they are scratching at a door, more often than not they are just trying to tell us they need something in the only way they know how to.
It is possible that door scratching behaviours can be an indication of physical or psychological distress, especially if the behaviours seem to come out of nowhere.
If your dog is scratching your doors and despite having been walked, fed and given significant attention, they could be trying to tell you that they aren’t feeling well, and the scratching is an early sign of a more underlying cause. If you are at all concerned about your dog’s physical or physiological well being, consult your vet as soon as possible.
Once you have ruled out any underlying medical causes for your dog’s door scratching behaviors, you can focus your attention onto redirecting this behaviour and help stop your dog from scratching at the door.
We have outlined a few training tools which you can implement to try and discourage unwanted scratching behaviors:
Making sure that your dog has been given sufficient walks, playtime and stimulation throughout the day will help them to release pent up energy which otherwise may be turned towards door scratching. All dogs will require different levels of exercise per day, so knowing you breed will make sure you give your pup the proper amount of movement and fun throughout the day.
Longer walks in new areas that may have new exciting smells, proper bonding playtime and fussing your dog can all help keep your dog stimulated and too tuckered out to turn to doors for entertainment.
Walks are excellent for exercise and socialization, but a good session of stimulative playtime with your dog is where they will receive a lot of their joy - it’s also great for bonding!
Whatever your dog’s favourite activity, be it fetch, tug of war or something more intricate and time consuming like treat or puzzle toys, making sure that they get proper playtime during the day will help keep their mind off of mischief.
This involves turning your dog’s attention away from the door scratching and offering them something that they are allowed to do. This might include a dog-safe scratching pads or distracting them with their favourite toy - as soon as your dog stops the unwanted behavior and turns their attention to the alternative, you can then give them a treat to solidify this behavior.
They will soon come to learn that they don’t get what they want by scratching at the door, but are rewarded when they turn their attention to more effective and less destructive alternative behaviors.
If you find that your dog’s door scratching becomes more prevalent when they are left alone, it can be beneficial to leave them with lots of fun distractions that will make them less likely to turn to scratching as a form of entertainment.
Door scratching can be due to boredom or distress, and so giving your dog interesting and time-consuming toys and activities can keep them busy and help them to self-regulate if they are feeling anxious. Puzzle toys and lick mats are great choices if you are leaving your dog for an extended period of time, as they keep your pup engaged for longer than a few minutes.
It is important not to reward unwanted behaviors, as this only solidifies them and can then confuse your dog when you later try and train them out of these habits.
The best thing to do if your dog exhibits an unwanted behaviour is to ignore it and redirect it towards something more beneficial. Make sure you are only then rewarding the alternative behaviors so that your dog learns that acting in certain ways will not get them what they want.
The golden rule when it comes to any kind of dog training is to never punish your dog for unwanted behaviors. They are not being ‘bad’ on purpose, they are just trying to communicate with us that they are feeling something or need our help.
Shouting or physical punishment is not only considered abuse, it is completely unhelpful and only frightens and confuses dogs, breaking down the trust between them and you. If you want your dog to stop scratching the door, patience, understanding and positive redirection is the way to go.
If your pup is proving particularly persistent and refuses to keep their paws off your doors, there are some practical solutions which you can bring into your home to help stop your dog from scratching the door:
Similarly to toddler gates, dog doors can be secured in open doorways so that you don’t have to close the door, meaning your pup has no door to scratch, or is distanced from their favourite scratching post.
These come in different heights depending on your dog breed, cannot be opened by your dog and also helps reduce the anxiety for them of being behind a closed door, as they will be able to see through the bars of the dog door.
An effective deterrent for door scratching behaviors, the protector sheet can be placed over the door to protect it from wandering claws, and due to its slippery texture it can make scratching less easy and fun for your dog, making them less likely to do it.
Glass doors can pose a particular challenge for avid scratchers, as watching the whole world go by can be cause for your dog to scratch at the door - a protector may help block out some of the glass visibility and help reduce the outside stimuli from alerting your dog.
Using dog safe deterrents, such as white vinegar, are often a good way to keep your pup away from areas you don’t want them to be in.
Always check that your chosen deterrent won’t damage the material of your dog, and make sure that your deterrent is dog-friendly and isn’t likely to cause adverse reactions or irritation if they get up close and personal with it.
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