Has anyone had success in preventing/stopping scratching at a door?
Our re home/rescue has settled & is doing really well, but can't get him to stop scratching the door in the early hours. He sleeps in the down stairs bathroom, doesn't need to go out. Settles down around 11pm on wards, no problems through the night but, from 4.30 starts scratching the door, when let out, settles & goes to sleep!!

Is he doing this because he needs the loo? His way of waking you?

Crate Lacy? - or other means of keeping him away from the door so he can't scratch it.   Does he empty when you get up to let him out?   If so, obviously he's telling you he needs to go, which is good.   You might get up, for a while, ahead of him scratching, to let him out so he doesn't get the idea he scratches, you come?

Could u put a baby gates across the door at night so he can see out ? Assume he doesn't need a wee of course . Otherwise where does he settle at 4.30 ? Would he settle there all night with no problems to the household ?

When I say 'let out', refer to letting him out of the bathroom & no he doesn't need to empty. He then settles in the kitchen with me asleep at the table!
FF, he's in the same room as when you met him & has been from day one due to the nature of others being in the house, have tried the kitchen but he does the same to that door. Realise that initially it was self rewarding as I'd settle down for the night close by to reassure/talk to him when he became vocal/active during the night but, haven't done this for months. Have tried coming down and saying 'No', he'd stop for a short while before starting again, also left him to it hoping that not getting a response he'd give up. No such luck.
Jan, yes the one thing I haven't resorted to is a crate but again it would have to be down stairs as for obvious reasons can't him up stairs, but I don't think knowing him it would help. But until I try don't know, with a busy season ahead, just wish I could get him to settle for just an hour or so longer. If I keep him up longer of an evening he'll take himself off to bed!
He's well exercised mentally & physically.

Oh gosh didn't realize that when u said he would settle that u are then sleeping  at the table in the same room.  .that's no good .not given ur previous time when it was necessary.
Understand why u can't  have  him upstairs
i dont know of Nikita will see this as she may have some ideas .
Just a thought could something be waking him at 4.30 ? Central heating coming on ? Neighbours going out ? Wildlife ?

LOL, sleeping at the table = propped up over a cup of coffee till OH appears or until snoring so deeply I can leave for my bed.
Nikita has already kindly had input!
I too have thought of something waking him but as yet unless it me snoring up stairs can't find a cause, central heating due to the age of house doesn't come on till we come down, he also prefers a cool room which is why he's stayed in the bathroom rather than the kitchen with the aga. Neighbours don't go out at that time & doubt anyway due to the rooms position they would affect him & wildlife did have foxes last summer but since Oscar has joined us & chased a couple out we've not had them in the back garden & again due to the rooms position wouldn't cause a problem.

Lucy - you do know you are making a rod for your own back with all this sleeping with this one.   I'd have thought those days were behind you

I think, other than a crate upstairs with you (?) the best suggestion so far is to put a baby-gate across the room he sleeps in - we confine out two to the kitchen when we go out during the day, and use one rather than shut them in behind the kitchen door.

My boy wakes with the birds which is happening more and more with the ridiculously warm weather (nice but for the end of FEBRUARY? - heaven help us in mid summer - and yes Frankie is blowing his coat like mad just now).    There is always an element of does he NEED to go out to empty but at the same time, once they know that kicking off brings a response from you, they will keep doing this.

Up to you I suppose but I like my bed for as long as I can be there.   And I do need to get up during the nigh, for my own 'needs'.

> you do know you are making a rod for your own back with all this sleeping with this one.

Not sleeping with him Jan (only done it for two nights after surgery), when he came to us last August, to reassure him spend time near the other side of the door till he'd settled at night. OK this did involve curling up on the floor with a pillow but have always preferred to remove myself from our dogs/pups sleeping area rather than the other way round, obviously responded at night if he was fretful. but only once been let out & taken to the garden on lead & then back. Yes this was self rewarding but by the nature of what we do, can't have him crying & whining & for the same reason do not want him upstairs.
Since around 6 weeks in he's settled well, no problem during the night but although there have been days he'll go through to 6 or a little later, for sometime he's woken earlier & earlier,  scratching the door & again yes at times I do have to respond & we end up in the kitchen with him sleeping & me propped up at the table till OH comes down to start the day.
For those reading this, he'd previously been kept in a house on lead since a pup, sold as two years but closer to 18 months, was filthy, emaciated, alive inside & out,  doubtful if he'd ever been walked, when I asked to see him move, a halti was tightened hard & was pulled behind her. He had no experience of grass, leaves, people, birds, cars etc etc & for weeks would just freeze. He hasn't a mean bone in his body, is doing really really well, walks fantastically on lead which we've built up slowly to 3/4 miles a day, use a long line when possible & attending training classes.
Baby gate is a no goer, he'd be looking out on the hall way & stairs.
Yes I do like my bed & only respond when needed & thankfully at the moment that can mean weeks on end without having to but the scratching continues.

> Baby gate is a no goer, he'd be looking out on the hall way & stairs.

Maybe this would at least give him a sense of space, being able to see outside his bathroom, to hear better and smell more "home" smells. Can't help thinking a dog waking up in the middle of the night alone and shut in a bathroom, is it really a surprise that this might be distressing.

> Can't help thinking a dog waking up in the middle of the night alone and shut in a bathroom, is it really a surprise that this might be distressing.

Not all dogs sleep with their owners & many single dogs sleep alone, he will take himself in there during the day, prefers a cool room & floor. Are you suggesting that he wouldn't like the room because it's a bathroom (which is the size of a small bedroom with windows) rather than a kitchen, utility, conservatory or cage?

I didn't say that all dogs sleep with their owners. I suggested that perhaps he needs some space or at least a sense of space if you have to restrict him to one room at night. A baby gate could create this sense of space allowing him to see outside the bathroom, hear more and smell more. This could help re-assure him that "all is well" should he wake up at night and come up to the baby gate and sniff around. No guarantee that it would work of course, but arguably it could be an improvement on the more thorough isolation of the shut door.

A baby gate is a good idea & something we regularly use during the day, but due to Fire Regs all doors have to remain closed at night.
Not only that, but learnt from experience with others visiting the house,  to not trust even those who consider themselves dog savvy around unsupervised family members, or access to them.

Makes perfect sense lacy .not that it helps your problem

> but due to Fire Regs all doors have to remain closed at night.

Welll that's different. And the answer to this scratching doors even more difficult.  Back to a crate, probably in with you, or you in with him..

Not sure lacy wants to sleep in a crate :) lol
Trouble is unless the crate is in Lacy's room I can see him scratching and banging the crate wanting out .it is hard
I also agree having him anywhere that visitors could interact with him isnt going to be sensible .the humans being the not sensible ones not him

> Not sure lacy wants to sleep in a crate :) lol

Have been known to sleep half In, half out of a basket & not many floors I haven't bedded down on, L.O.L.

Just to add after many months he's settled & has been since early summer, by the nature of what goes on, one of us is normally up early - 6 ish if not well before -, but thankfully when we do have the house to ourselves he remains settled & quiet.
Such a joy to find him curled up waiting for us in his basket, I did wonder if we'd ever make it.

Well done all of you.so pleased for u and him