What Can I Get to Stop My Dog From Clawing the Carpet?

Groomer

• One way to keep a small amount of normal scratching from wreaking havoc on your carpet is to keep your dog's nails trimmed. Normally, a dog's nails would be worn down from digging and running around outside, so scratching may be your dog's attempt to file down its nails indoors. Take your pet to regular grooming appointments, or learn to properly trim the dog's nails yourself.

Toys

• Some dogs claw and dig at the carpet out of boredom or separation anxiety. Give the dog toys to keep it occupied when you aren't available to play and give affection. Some toys allow you to hide food inside and the dog has to work to figure out how to reach the treat, keeping it engaged without you having to participate. However, toys only work well for short periods of time.

Bed

• It is natural for a dog to scratch up the ground when making a bed to sleep. If you notice that the clawing behavior happens mostly when your dog is getting ready to sleep, place a comfortable dog bed over the area of the carpet it usually scratches. Put your dog's favorite toy on the bed, and show it that the bed is a special place to sleep. Hopefully, it will scratch at the bed before lying down rather than the carpet.

Crate

• Crate-training your dog allows you to leave it inside the crate or kennel when it's left alone. If you aren't there to supervise and the clawing isn't controlled by other methods, keeping the dog inside a crate eliminates access to the carpet. Crate-training can also be helpful in providing security for a dog that is anxious when left alone.

Dog Walker

• Exercise may also help alleviate a clawing habit, especially if the behavior is rooted in boredom, restlessness or separation anxiety. If you aren't able to take your dog out to burn off energy and play as often as you need to, hire a dog walker to keep your pet active and social.