# Gable's scratching the floor and corners



## walexk (Nov 13, 2009)

So, Gable is almost five months old and is in the prime of his teething. He seems to be handling it pretty well. What he has started doing in the last few weeks is scratching at corners, both the wall and floors. There is nothing in the corner or on the floor but it just goes at it a mile a minute. He is not trying to get anything. I keep his nails trimmed on a weekly basis so I don't think it is because they are too long. Does anyone else have the same issue and if so, any thoughts why? Also, anyway to stop him? I have tried the distraction but he just goes right back to it. It is not all the time, just intermittently throughout the day.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.


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## jwemt81 (Aug 20, 2008)

It sounds like pent up energy that he's trying to expel or boredom. Is he getting an adequate amount of exercise?


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## walexk (Nov 13, 2009)

Yes, he gets a lot of exercise. Tonight, he was out for almost an hour running and playing, came inside, and went right to the corner to start scratching.


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## Oaklys Dad (Dec 28, 2005)

I hate to bring this up but could there be something in those wall?


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## walexk (Nov 13, 2009)

The house is only 4 years old and it is both the wall and the wood floor. I just don't get it.


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## tennisball (Oct 14, 2009)

My mixed breed did this when we got him and we couldn't figure out why. It turns out it's because our living room is above the garage, and when we open and close the garage door, it would tickle his feet and he'd pounce at the floor and scratch it. Even now, ten years later, if someone opens the garage door, he'll scratch at it for a good five to ten minutes. I doubt that's what's happening in your situation, but just my two cents.

And hey, you're in Huntley. We're practically neighbors.


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## walexk (Nov 13, 2009)

Where are you?


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## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

mice have a tendency to travel around the perimeter of a room ...do you possibly have a mouse problem?


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## kaysy (Jan 9, 2010)

Marty scratched for a couple weeks. Like in the corner of our kitchen at the kickplate (or whatever that is under the cupboards) and the low windowsills in the front of the house. Not a mouse problem. He just stopped on his own.


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## walexk (Nov 13, 2009)

That is exactly what Gable is doing. The only thing I can think of is on the outside in the flower bed by where he scratches, there is a hole where I think ground squirrels go down. Do you think he can smell through the wall? It is the box out of the house. I have included a picture of where it is, it is the wall to the right of where he is laying. You can see the stoop outside and to the right of that is the flower bed with the hole for the ground squirrels.


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## Darcy's mom (Jan 11, 2010)

Darcy did the same thing to our hard wood floors espically where there was a gap. I think that is where the best smells and particals get trapped :.


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## Florabora22 (Nov 30, 2008)

Oddly enough, Flora used to do this to the brick fireplace in my parents' house. She would just scratch at it like crazy. We never minded, b/c it was brick and she never did it anywhere else.

Anyhow, I can't remember the last time she did that. Maybe it's just a phase?


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## walexk (Nov 13, 2009)

Gable has also down the limestone hearth and stone fireplace. It is not like he does these all day every day, but more sporadic. I certainly hope it is a phase as I am going to have to reconstruct the wall because he caused some pretty extreme damage in a very short period of time. It is all part of growing up, I guess.
LOL


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## Florabora22 (Nov 30, 2008)

Yeah, there was a time when Flora scratched the wall in my apartment at school... and left some pretty obvious scratch marks right in the drywall. But as I said before, she hasn't done it for a VERY long time, so hopefully it's just a puppy thing. 

Hey, at least he hasn't pulled up the carpet yet like someone else's puppy did... :doh:


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## walexk (Nov 13, 2009)

Yes, I am thankful for that. Other than this, he is just doing wonderfully. Growing and learning every day.


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## jmamom (Dec 3, 2009)

I think my Josie must be reading this forum when I'm not looking! I read this thread this morning, thought, huh, interesting. Later in the afternoon, all of a sudden she started scratching at a gap in out hardwood floors. Never done it before, suddenly she was obsessed with it! She was pretty bored today, it was pouring rain out. I hope she's forgotten about it tommorrow!


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## Jennifer (Sep 12, 2009)

Teddy randomly will start scratching at the vinyl floor in our kitchen. I have no idea why he does it. Luckily he hasn't done any damage to it, but he also has an awful habit of pulling up carpet fibers...in which he has made some holes that are getting harder to cover up.


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## kaysy (Jan 9, 2010)

Marty did that too. Any little flaw he'd start working on, I've glue areas had pots sitting in the middle of a room to hide it until it dried. Carpet is getting old anyway.


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## walexk (Nov 13, 2009)

Even though it does not solve the issue, it is nice to know that I am not alone.


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## CaptCooke (Jun 3, 2009)

One of the best quotes I read here was something about ignoring behaviors that didnt cause damage. In other words if the pup wasnt causing damage to say a wall etc. then dont call any extra attention to it.

Joy will still scratch at a corner of the hardwood sometimes implying that she is making her bed for a nap, and other times like she is trying to find the basement. If I ignore her...within a minute she says well this isnt going anywhere and picks up a toy.

Hang in there this too shall pass.


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## jmamom (Dec 3, 2009)

Try spraying the area with bitter apple or binaca spray (my preference - smells better). I don't know if it will work on the floor, but it worked when Josie was digging & chewing the rug.


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## babbs (Feb 9, 2010)

My 11 week old, Sandie, does the same thing. She scratches in a couple different places for no apparent reason, although I laugh thinking she's digging to try to find water to swim in because she's hot. She does the same in her water bowl to splash water and then lie in it. She is also a digger outside just having fun. I'm not too concerned.


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