Dogs are our loyal friends, and they bring us a lot of joy and happiness. But they can also damage our homes, especially our doors. Many dog owners have trouble with their dogs scratching the door, which can leave marks and damage the door. This article will show you some effective ways to keep your dog from scratching your door.

What makes dogs scratch at doors?

Before we talk about how to fix the problem, let’s talk about why dogs scratch doors. There are a number of reasons why dogs act this way, such as:

1. Separation Anxiety: When dogs are worried or stressed about being away from their owners, they may scratch at doors.

2. Boredom: Dogs may scratch doors when they are bored and want to play or explore outside.

3. Trying to get your attention: Dogs may scratch doors when they want your attention.

4. Territorial behavior: Dogs may scratch doors to mark their territory and protect their owners from threats they see.

No matter why your doors get scratched, they can cause damage to them. Let’s look at some ways to keep your dog from scratching your doors.

Effective Ways to Keep your Dog from Scratching your Door

1. Training

One of the best ways to stop your dog from scratching the door is to teach it not to. This means using positive reinforcement, like giving your dog treats or compliments when they behave well.

2. Give your dog something else to do

If it scratches the door because it’s bored, give it toys and other things to keep it busy. Chew toys and puzzle toys are great ways to keep your dog busy.

3. Cover the Door

You can keep your door safe by covering it with a protective film, like a clear plastic sheet. This will stop your dog’s nails from scratching the door. You can also use a strong, scratch-resistant material like metal or plexiglass.

4. Use a Dog Gate

Using a dog gate to block off areas where your dog isn’t allowed is another good idea. This will keep your dog from getting to places where it can scratch the doors.

5. Use scratch-resistant products

You can use scratch-resistant sprays or tapes to protect your door. These products’ natural or artificial ingredients stop dogs from scratching or chewing on the door.

DIY Ways to Keep Your Dog from Scratching Your Door

If you like to do things yourself, here are some ways to keep your dog from scratching your door:

1. Put up a protective panel:

You can use a plywood, metal, or plexiglass sheet to make a protective panel. Cut the material to the size of your door, and then use screws or glue to attach it to the door.

2. Make a Homemade Spray to Keep Scratches Away

Using natural ingredients like white vinegar, citrus oil, or peppermint oil, make a homemade spray to keep scratches away. Put the ingredients in a spray bottle and spray the door with the solution.

Here are the Ingredients:

• 2 cups of water
• Apple cider vinegar, 1 cup
• 10 drops of oil from peppermint
• 10 drops of pure eucalyptus oil

Use Instructions:

• Mix two cups of water and one cup of apple cider vinegar in a spray bottle.
• Put 10 drops of peppermint essential oil in the spray bottle and 10 drops of eucalyptus essential oil.
• Shake the bottle well to make sure that all of the ingredients are well mixed.
• Spray the mixture on things your dog likes to chew or scratch.
• Every few days or as needed, reapply the spray.

How Does it work?

The smell of peppermint and eucalyptus essential oils is thought to be unpleasant to dogs, making them less likely to scratch or chew on surfaces that have been sprayed with this mixture. The strong smell of apple cider vinegar also keeps dogs away.

Tips:

• Before each use, shake the spray bottle to ensure the ingredients are well-mixed.
• Before spraying it on larger surfaces, try it out on a small, unnoticeable area.
• If your dog keeps scratching or chewing on the same thing, try spraying it with a bitter-tasting deterrent to make it less appealing to your dog.

To Summarize:

Many dog owners have problems with their dogs scratching the door, but there are good ways to stop it. You can try training your dog, putting up distractions, covering the door, using a dog gate, or putting on scratch-repellent products. If you like to do things yourself, you can also make a protective panel or a scratch-proof spray. Doing these things can stop your dog from scratching your door and keep your home looking nice.

Dr. Sahar Issa
Dr. Sahar Issa is a content writer at Spadone Home. Dr. Issa has a lot of experience in environmental health, but on Spadone Home, she mostly talked about different home, home improvement, Kitchen, and bathroom topics. Dr. Issa has a lot of knowledge about health and wellness because she loves to teach and has a knack for making complicated information easy to understand. Follow her blogs to learn more about taking care of your home and get ideas from her. Dr. Issa loves to write about her ideas and give helpful tips and advice. In 2023, she became a specialist in Home and Home-related blogs at Spadone Home. She started writing about problems with your kitchens and electricity. Enjoy her helpful information to help you find the best Kitchen, furniture, cleaning, and care tips for your home and decorating ideas to build the home of your dreams.