A dog scratching the floor at night can mean so many varieties of things, from anxiety to a medical condition. Some dogs scratch the floors, confusing carpet or hardwood flooring with their constant digging.
However, you may want to find and treat a problem that is causing your dog to scratch your floors at night. Below are some common causes for this behavior and also some tips to help you stop this behavior.
1. Your dog builds a nest
Nesting is a major cause of dog scratches on the floor at night. They want to be in a comfortable and safe place, so they get scratched before they decide to go to bed at night.
During the day, the dogs did this in the forest and created a small cave to hide. Even if dogs are bred, it is still primitive nature for them to have this nesting behavior inside your home.
2. Your dog is anxious at night
Nocturnal anxiety is one reason your dog may continue to paint your floors. If you rearrange the room or house late, it can cause anxiety leading to scratching. Another common problem is that you sleep through the night and do not pay attention to the dog and they may feel less secure.
If there is a storm and there is thunder or lightning, these things can cause concern. Having new people or pets in your home is another worrying situation. If you have a friend for a week, you may notice that your dog has more anxiety. The dog is spatial so worrying can come out by scratching your floor.
3. Your dog may be in pain
There are few medical conditions that can cause your dog to behave in a destructive manner and pain is one of that typical medical conditions.
Pain creates stress in humans and dogs, so if your dog is in pain he will be stressed. If your dog is becoming more stressed, he may be scratching the floor as a way to relieve this pain and stress.
Should you stop your dog from scratching the floor?
Whether or not you try to stop your dog from scratching the floor depends largely on when, why, and how often your dog does.
In other words, it depends mostly on the cause.
A good way to look at this is whether or not you realize there is a problem:
Whether it will damage your floor, be it carpet, laminate, hardwood flooring, or your lawn.
Does your dog show signs of any other unusual behavior, or are they in any distress?
In general, you are advised not to try to stop them while your dog is actively scratching.
Besides, then it will be too late.
Turning them off during the action is likely to cause them more harm at the moment so instead of stopping them use a scratch protector that is specially made for dogs.
Instead, a better and somewhat safer approach is to take precautionary measures; Techniques that completely prevent your dog from needing to do so.
Also Read Leptospirosis symptoms in dogs. A Guide to Prevention and Treatment.
So, you need to monitor your dog and its body language.
Look for any causal factors in the environment, new conditions, or any other cause for discomfort.
You may need to look after your dog’s belongings and accessories, you will also need to make some adjustments to your home temperature.
They need to be socialized and you need to introduce them to more people, situations, and animals.
Ultimately, this will make your dog more comfortable and eliminate their perceived need.
Over time, you should notice that this behavior naturally decreases.
How to stop dogs from scratching at night?
One of the ways to prevent your dog from scratching at night is to get them a comfortable dog bed. It has been confirmed that dogs prefer beds that have raised edges and are rounded.
A round bed mimics a nest or den as the dog tries to rebuild while scratching the floor. It is also important that you use positive reinforcements as a reward for getting your dog on its own bed. Give your dog some treats when they go to bed so they know it’s good.
Make sure your dog gets plenty of playtime during the day. You need to play with your dog and exercise regularly to bring out the extra energy.
If you play with your dog during the day and make him tired a little, he is less likely to get tired and won’t get the extra energy to scratch your floors.
If you feel you are doing everything you can to prevent scratching, an underlying medical problem may be the cause. It is important to take your dog to the vet, check them to make sure there is no pain or stress problem from the medical problem.
