Why Do Dogs Scratch The Carpet

If your pup is scratching up a storm he may be hardwired to go through the motions of transforming his soft bed into a nest or den before he feels truly safe.

Why do dogs scratch the carpet.

Give him special toys when you leave such as interactive balls that dribble kibble to keep him entertained. This can be a displacement behavior meaning that when your dog cannot perform a behavior he wants to do he instead performs another. Why does my dog scratch the carpet after playing. An example of this would be when a dog sees a squirrel sitting on a branch he may bark and dig at the base of the tree.

Certain dogs however may dig in the carpet when they are excited or anxious. Sometimes dogs get too energetic while playing that they need some time to cool off. Dogs may scratch as this is an instinctive behavior but if your dog has been trained not to scratch this behavior can indicate that the dog is stressed or has a medical problem. Spend adequate time with your pup and exercise him to get out pent up energy.

Most of the times dogs are scratching excessively when they are affected by stress. Separation anxiety if the dog has been separated from a previous owner or even if you are away from home for several hours. Excess energy when your dog has too much energy and no way to get rid of it he may adopt some strange and destructive behaviors. This is the most likely purpose when the dog then lies down in the specific spot it was scratching dogs dig holes for protection from extreme heat and cold and other predators.

Your dog may be scratching at the carpet because he s anxious when you re gone a type of doggy separation anxiety. Causes of dog scratching carpet. Dogs scratch at the carpeting for a number of reasons and when you figure out why yours does it you can stop the behavior and save your flooring once and for all.