# Digging carpet in middle of the night



## inge (Sep 20, 2009)

It might just be 'nesting'...Tess sometimes does that, too. Like fluffing the pillows!


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## baumgartml16 (Jun 19, 2011)

Yea, I would be fine with every now and then but it is a couple times a night....every night.


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## Calistar (Dec 13, 2011)

Add this to the list of the many reasons many of us prefer to use crates at night. No need for you non-crate people to pile on.


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## Wyatt's mommy (Feb 25, 2011)

baumgartml16 said:


> Koda has been digging at the carpet a couple times a night during the middle of the night. She will wake up, sit up and then start digging...we try to get her attention but she doesn't hear us and keeps going. Then she stops and lays down. We have a bed on both sides of us for her to lay on. I figured she was trying to make a bed..? Is that what it is? Or is there something else I should worry about.
> 
> I planned to put a blanket in the corner she has been sleeping in hoping she will sleep better then...?


LOL! Ok, Wyatt has started doing this every evening after dinner while we settle down to watch a little tv. He chews on his antler for awhile then walks around to my feet and starts digging on the rug. Same spot every night. MY Cody used to do this on the tile I just chalk it up to being cranky and tired and he is just trying to settle himself down. Once I stop him he lays down and does that huge golden sigh and falls asleep


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## quilter (Sep 12, 2011)

Calistar said:


> Add this to the list of the many reasons many of us prefer to use crates at night. No need for you non-crate people to pile on.


My dog digs at the blankets in his crate.  Actually, all my dogs have dug at their bedding. Dig, circle, dig, circle, dig, circle, collapse.


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## darbysdad (Dec 23, 2011)

Darby does that too especially on the astroturf on the screened porch. I think she is nesting as sugested. However, in your case, it's payback for trying to get Koda in from outside.


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## Willow52 (Aug 14, 2009)

Hank does that all the time, like mentioned upthread, it's like "fluffing the pillows".


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## Vanfull (Jan 20, 2012)

My pups do this too in even in their kennels with no bedding. Bailey will even go take the blanket out of her kennel into the middle of the floor and then do it too. Her fav spot in the rug by the door though. Not sure if there is a way to stop it if distraction isnt working?


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## toliva (Nov 24, 2011)

My pup does this too, in the crate, and there is nothing in it. He "nests" the plastic bottom. It's a little annoying... I was hoping it was something they grow out of when they mature and get a little more lazy?


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## Calistar (Dec 13, 2011)

quilter said:


> My dog digs at the blankets in his crate.  Actually, all my dogs have dug at their bedding. Dig, circle, dig, circle, dig, circle, collapse.


Yeah but which would you rather see ruined? Blankets in a crate or your carpet?


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## baumgartml16 (Jun 19, 2011)

She isn't ruining the carpet at all. I am not concerned for my carpet, just my sleep. I am going to put a blanket down where she usually sleeps and hope it isn't as disturbing.


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## Deber (Aug 23, 2011)

Mine do this too just as they settle for the night. Feel it is nesting and finding a comfortable place. They also did it in their crates and honestly was so loud it would wake us. At least now it is usually on their dog beds at the foot of our bed, so silent.


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## abowman (Jan 5, 2012)

Finn does the same thing until he finally settles down for the night. In the morning around 5 am he begins the "licking" routine. It is like living with a toddler!


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## aerolor (May 27, 2011)

baumgartml16 said:


> She isn't ruining the carpet at all. I am not concerned for my carpet, just my sleep. I am going to put a blanket down where she usually sleeps and hope it isn't as disturbing.


I would give her own blanket as well. Then she may do what my Bonnie does - she carries her blanket/bedding around then gets comfy and settles down somewhere with it - no damage, no bother.  It's quite useful as well, because you can tell her to go to her bed wherever you are and she will probably be happy to stay there, whether it is in the car or in another place/house.


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## baumgartml16 (Jun 19, 2011)

We put her bed in the corner last night and that worked much better. I didn't hear her digging at the bed if she did. She did come out of her little corner at one point and dig the carpet next to my bed but I called her over to me, gave her some pets and told her to lay down and she did like a good girl! We will keep her bed in the corner now where she has been sleeping and hopefully this will solve the problem, thanks so much for all of your advice!


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## quilter (Sep 12, 2011)

Calistar said:


> Yeah but which would you rather see ruined? Blankets in a crate or your carpet?


Well, the reason I got the dog was to add some mayhem to my life. It's just a matter of what, when, and how expensive.

And, besides, my dog *is *in a crate! Actually, his double-great-dane "pet home" arrived, so it's more like an xpen with a lid. So far, he likes it, he just doesn't like it as much with the door closed.


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## StephB (Dec 26, 2011)

Harvey does the carpet scratching thing too, as well as laying on his side and doing it to the side of my bed or couch - the sounds is like nails on a chalkboard to me! I've tried for months to get him to stop but he just won't. 

He seems to do it on the beach too, same movements until he has a triangular hole in the ground which he just lays in for as long as I'll leave him to it.


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## Practically_Human (Jan 21, 2015)

My boy likes to scratch at the floor when he's tired and wants to lie down. Unfortunately we just moved into a new house with hardwood floors in almost every room. Several times we've heard the scratching and ran to stop him. Even if we catch him after only a few digs with his paw, the damage is already done. It does seem to be some sort of ancient instinct. It is very hard to stop him when he's doing it. It's like a compulsion that he can't stop. We pretty much have to yell at him and grab him to get him to stop. Is there any way to break this habit / instinct?!


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

Calistar said:


> Add this to the list of the many reasons many of us prefer to use crates at night. No need for you non-crate people to pile on.


You read my mind.


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## Practically_Human (Jan 21, 2015)

gdgli - thanks for your reply but this doesn't just happen at night. In fact it mostly doesn't happen at night, but usually during the day when he wants to nap.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

Practically Human

It may or not be a problem for you, just something annoying. I don't like to see my dogs lick themselves "down there" but the problem is mine, not theirs. This is what dogs do. I don't like the alarm barking they do but again this is what dogs do. If this is instinct, and it probably is, all the training in the world won't totally eliminate it, there is always something called "instinctive drift". I probably use my crates more than others. But I must say, I read about a lot of problems that people have with their dogs that I don't have. And it isn't just the crate usage.

Interestingly enough my obedience teacher and I had actually discussed crate usage at length. I found out that he shares my POV.


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## cwag (Apr 25, 2017)

Could you put some blankets in the usual sleeping spots? My little dog likes to scratch up a blanket nest and then if it's hot she just lays beside it.


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## Piper_the_goldenpuppy (Aug 26, 2016)

Practically_Human said:


> gdgli - thanks for your reply but this doesn't just happen at night. In fact it mostly doesn't happen at night, but usually during the day when he wants to nap.


Some dogs like to paw more than others when they lie down. If thats what your dog has been doing all his life (only now its on hardwood floors) it might be hard to break. You can always tell him "eh eh" and then give him the cue to lay down, and see if that helps, but the problem will be that he may continue to do it when you aren't around. If its just his thing, and he does this everywhere, regardless of when and where he's lying down, you are probably going to have to manage it rather than manage him. 

If he's used to carpet, he may be pawing because he doesn't find the wood floor as comfortable. 

Some dogs can be hard on wood floors. I would keep them nicely waxed with something for high traffic areas--it will help protect them. And consider getting rugs. My neighbors have maple floors and their while their giant berner doesn't paw at them, but his nails cause lots of indentations--they bought runners and have a lot of rugs to help. Also, if he likes dog beds or an elevated dog cot, get one and train him to go to it/lie down on it. It will make your dog more likely to use rather than pawing at the floor.


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## sdain31y (Jul 5, 2010)

Our girl, Jazz used to dig like she was trying to get thru the floor. It was mostly on the vinyl or tile floor so she couldn’t hurt it so we let her go at it. Seemed like she was calming or relaxing herself by expending her pent up energy because she always seem to settled down after.


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