He's scratching up my doors
Right now, this is the only thing we need to work on. Any suggestions on how to get him to stop scratching on our doors? It's both the inside and the outside of the doors. We already have to buy new doors (and not just because of Jasper - they need replacing anyway), so I'd like to have him stopped before we actually buy and install them. 
Thanks! |
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| Suggestion: Can you get Jasper to bark? If so, when be begins scratching. Ignore that and get him to bark; when he barks, reward him by opening the door and letting him out. If he barks at other times, open the door and send him out; maybe he'll associate the two. When Barney was in the housebraking stage his usual signal would be to sit at the door of my room and look at me. I would ask "Do you want to go out? Speak" then Bark myself and get him barking. Then get up and let him out. Since he been housebroke, though, I've left the speak drop and just let him out when he sits at the door and looks at me. |
| Hi,
I have two possible suggestions: One a piece of plexiglass across the bottom half of the door. Although it may look a little out of place and you do have to drill small holes in order to install it. I used to work at a group home with disabled kids and since their wheel chairs would bang the doors, the home installed plexiglass to prevent damage. Another suggestion is while I don't have a back door but rather a sliding glass door...Shaggy, now Merlin scratches to be let in. When Shaggy was alive I had placed some bells hung with string near the door and could hear them rattle when she wanted out. She'd nudge them with her nose. It wouldn't probably work on the outside however as would be too difficult to hear the bells. My sliding glass doors look awful! I like George's idea too. Blue and Panda bark to be let out but figured it out on their own. Good luck! Marianne and the boys |
| I had a beagle that did the same thing. I used an expandable child gate in front of the door on the outside and would only let her in when she barked, eventually she got he idea. But if we were gone she would still scratch the door. I never figured the inside scratching out. I agree with George don't let him out unlesss he barks or whatever works. |
| Great tips! Thanks everyone. I'll let you know if they work. |
| The plexiglass sounds like a great idea. You might also want to try to train him to ring a bell. If you can find a "sleigh bell" to hang on the door at the level he usually scratched he'll rattle the bell when he goes to scratch. If you are rally quick to respond to the bell he'll learn fast that the bell is all it takes.
I have used a bell on the door nob for my last several dogs and it really works great. It started as an accident. One Christmas we had a sleigh bell hanging on the door and my dog ( a cocker spanie) started to ring it accidently when he would go to the door to be let out and pretty soon it became a habit. With a puppy you take them to the door and show them how to ring the bell before you take them out. Eventually they get the message. The key is that EVERY time they ring the bell you have to take them out to potty. Even if they just came in. But don't allow it to be play time outside. |
| My two small dogs also scratch both the inside doors and outside doors when then can't get in or out.
Plexiglass is the only thing I thought might work. Have you tried this? Does it work? Please let me know. We just did alot of work on our house and my husband does not want the doors ruined again! thanks Kerry |
| I also have a bell that I taught the dog to ring. Everytime we took him out I took his paw and shook the bells and then told him good dog and we went outside. Years ago I had a dog that knew he had to go but didn't know how to tell me. Then, I asked him if he wanted to go outside, started jumping up and down and acting like a fool getting all excited till he barked and told him good dog and let him out. The barking caught on really quick. |
| I've got stupid dogs, they wouldn't learn the bells. Instead they trained me: MO stares at me, even jumping onto a footstool to come closer to eye level. Jack stands and stares at the door and once he catches my eye he goes and stands next to it. Of course he, Harry and Glacier will scratch the heck out of the door if they hear something outside they need to attend to. So good manners only goes so far.
As for coming in, the three sit outside and scratch the storm door. It is aluminium and makes a horrible sound when scratched. So far, the paint is holding up well. |
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