Digging!!!!

[Rachel & Nathan]

Our pup is 15 weeks old and she has picked up a new habit of digging or scratching, however you want to call it. Any tips on how to stop that. She does it on furniture, on carpet, everything but grass outside!!

Thanks!

[Adina P]

Does she do it before laying down to rest or totally random?

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I have the same question as Adina.  My guys "dig" and circle a few times before they lay down.  If it's just once or twice I ignore it.  Sometimes they really get going and I verbally correct and redirect them.

[Wynnie & Jim]

My little girl has been doing that since she was a puppy. She sometimes scratches the rug or floor before she lies down. Google search "dog scratches floor before lying down" to see explanation. The following are quotes from the first source:

"Scratching the floor before lying down is a common canine ritual that can be traced back to the time before dogs were domesticated for human companionship.

Wild dogs used digging behaviors like scratching the floor to create a “nest” or “den” in which to rest comfortably and securely. While domesticated dogs now have comfortable and safe places to sleep in their modern homes, the urge to scratch at the floor before lying down is literally coded into canine DNA, making it nearly impossible to resist."

Wynnie also smells the spot she has been scratching. The Google write up suggests the following for a cause.

"Special glands found in the bottom of a dog’s paws release a special scent that is enhanced by scratching. By digging into the surface of the area where they plan to rest, dogs use the odor from their paws to claim the territory as theirs."

Wynnie's scratching has not damaged our carpet and I consider it to be a part of her DNA. If your puppy is causing damage, then training her not to scratch would be the only alternative but it would take some work and I am at a loss at how you would break the habit, especially if it's part of her DNA.

Finally, your puppy is really really cute. I hope that you enjoy her as much as I enjoy Wynnie.