Why Does my Dog Scratch the Carpet in the Middle of the Night?

Yesterday I woke up in the middle of the night and I noticed someone screeching on the floor. After having 101 other thoughts I finally decided to look into it. When I caught the little creeper,  it was my dog scratching the carpet in the middle of the night.

Many of you,  must have encountered such situations where you have thought about why your dog is doing so.

So here are some of the possibilities why my dog scratches the carpet in the middle of the night and why does your dog do the same?

The mighty King

Every animal has a sense of belonging to where they reside. It’s their basic instinct to claim their right to their living place. So they mark their territory to proudly claim what is only theirs.

When your dog scratches the carpet,  the scent from its body gets imprinted in a place. This is to

Make sure that his boundaries are now “defined”. Now suppose your friend brought his puppy to play with yours,  the guest puppy will know that this place belongs to your dog because it has its scent all over.

To make the place comfy

Talking from my experience, in hot summers my dog digs on the ground and sits on cold comfy soil. Dogs do this often. It’s their natural trait. Whenever they want to rest,   first they make the place comfortable for them. Now when my dog scratches the carpet in the middle of the night,  this is like “making his bed” before a happy good night’s sleep.

Just to chill

Well,  boredom is irritating even for dogs. Your dog needs the entertainment to pass the time. Scratching the carpet is his way of keeping himself busy. So whenever you see your dog doing this in the middle of the night,  just let it go. He is just counting his sheep before going to sleep.

To prevent this,  keep your dog busy in the daytime. Give him a toy to play with and take him out for a walk. A tired dog sleeps well.

Attention seekers

Well, your pup is a drama queen and wants to steal the stage. He wants some little lovey-dovey time with you.  Just caress him a little. Move your fingers slowly down his fur and watch your little actor going to sleep like a child.

Sshhh someone is here!

At night, you feel someone is here, you take the blanket on your face and don’t want to look even behind you. The same goes for puppies. When he goes through feelings like fear, he wants a hiding place. He digs deeper to hide. Just hug him to tell him you are always there for him. It will calm him down.

Frustration

Your dog can’t roll and squeeze the slime to take out his frustration but it has to do something to soothe itself. So it will start scratching the carpet in the middle of the night.

There could be many reasons why it is frustrating? Sometimes the reason could be as simple as a normal goodbye. If some family member with whom the dog is emotionally attached is not at home,  the dog will feel lonely and sad. Now it will take out its frustration by scratching the carpet. This is its way of venting out.

Health issues

Sometimes when your dog is scratching the carpet, it’s due to serious health issues. Pay attention. Although it could be as simple as a prick in its paw, it could be as dangerous as a brain tumor or arthritis.

If your dog comes in attacking mode when you try to stop him from scratching, be alert. It’s a sign,  your dog needs serious help.

OCD

Dogs also suffer from OCD. In OCD,  dogs will keep repeating a certain action even unintentionally. So maybe your dog needs physiological help. Usually, dogs,  who are kept indoors for longer periods develop OCD.

So take out time for your dog to have some fun on the roads.

To steal the leftovers

Sometimes, little pieces of food on the carpet get lost in its fur. Dogs try to find these pieces by scratching the carpet.

The huntsman

Your dog is a little hunter by nature. Dogs have sharp senses and they use them to track mice,  pests, and different insects. Your house can have a lot of insects like cockroaches or pests underground. When a dog hears some underground bugging going on,  they scratch the carpet to hunt the possible treasure.

The philosophical Socrates

Have you ever thought about why you play with your hair while talking or thinking something?  We do many things unintentionally while thinking. Maybe your dog is drowning deep in its thought and scratching the carpet unintentionally.

But we wonder what are the possible thoughts of our little Socrates?  Maybe how to tackle that purring cats of neighbors? Or how to bow wow on other dogs while going to walk.

Hakuna Matata!

Sometimes there is no reason for doing this at all. I mean not every reaction is a cause of action. Just relax! There is nothing serious… So Hakuna Matata!

What should you do if your dog scratches the carpet in the middle of the night?

Well,  your dog is scratching a carpet and this is bothering you. Now, what to do?  We suggest

• Try to find out the reason. This can be nothing at all but it can be something serious.
• If your dog is having psychological issues, it needs your care, attention, and help.
• If you find out that your dog is having physical or health-related issues, consult your veteran as soon as possible.

What are signs that you should not ignore?

Scratching a carpet alone is not something to worry about but with certain other actions,  there could be a red alarm.

• Observe if your dog is generally agitated or irritated all the time.
• Your dog shows aggression for apparently no reason.
• It tries to attack someone or other animals as soon as it sees them.
• It is unusually quiet and is not showing excitement for the things that usually excite him.
• Loss of appetite.
• Irregular sleeping patterns.
• It licks its body frequently.

So I think, I have shed enough light on the issue. For you guys, the reason why my dog was scratching the carpet in the middle of the night..was..boredom! Phew! The buddy is going to keep me busy tomorrow.