Dog scratching carpet at night? Find out why and how to fix it fast!

Okay, so the other night, I woke up to this weird scratching sound. At first, I thought, "Is there a mouse in the house?" But then I remembered, "Oh yeah, I have a dog." It was Max, my golden retriever, going to town on the living room carpet.

I got up, turned on the light, and there he was, digging at the corner of the rug like he was trying to unearth a buried treasure. "Max, stop that!" He looked up at me with those big, innocent eyes, then went right back to scratching.

Figuring Out the "Why"

So, the next day, I started my detective work. First thing I checked was his paws. Maybe he had something stuck in there, like a burr or something?

• Paw Inspection: Nope, paws looked clean. No cuts, no splinters, nothing.

Then I thought, maybe he's bored? We had a pretty chill day, not much walking or playing. So, I made a note to myself:

• More Exercise: Gotta tire him out more during the day. Longer walks, more fetch, the whole shebang.

Next, I wondered if it was anxiety. He's usually pretty chill, but sometimes loud noises freak him out. We had fireworks a few nights before, so it was a thought.

• Anxiety Check: I made sure his "safe space" (his crate) was comfy and accessible. Maybe add a calming chew toy?

Food allergies are anathor point. I remember reading that sometimes allergies can make dogs itchy, and they might scratch at stuff to relieve it.

• check the food contant.

Putting the Plan into Action

That night, I made sure Max got a ton of exercise. We played in the park until he was practically panting. I also gave him a special chew toy before bed, just in case.

And guess what? No scratching! He slept like a log all night. I was so relieved.

I'm still keeping an eye on him, just to be sure. If the scratching starts again, I'll call a vet, to make sure there's nothing serious.

But for now, it seems like a little extra playtime and a comfy bed were all he needed. Dogs, am I right? Gotta love 'em, even when they're being weirdos in the middle of the night.