Top 3 Reasons Why Dogs Scratch and Dig the Crate at Night

Is your dog driving you mad by randomly scratching and digging his crate in the middle of the night? Context is important with the behavior potentially driven by one of the following reasons.

1. Your dog wants attention

Your dog could be bored at night. He may have found out over time that digging and scratching the crate at night gets your attention. This might have been unintentional on your part. In the early days when your dog was being crate-trained, you may have accidentally given him attention whenever he scratched the crate by turning on the lights or by simply looking at him.

2. Your dog is scared or anxious

There could be something at night that’s making your dog anxious. It could be a distant noise or an unfamiliar scent. There are a few methods that help “hide” the distractions. You could, for example, generate some kind of white noise to stop your dog from becoming spooked out by outside noises. You could also partially cover the crate with an old blanket to hide visual distractions. Removing any stress or anxiety triggers may stop the dog from scratching his crate at night.

3. Your dog is energetic

Some dogs may scratch the crate floor at night if they still have a lot of energy to burn. You may have been slacking with getting your dog a proper exercise or didn’t adjust the amount of exercise to an appropriate level as your dog or puppy gets older. Don’t give your dog a reason to scratch. There are plenty of quick exercises you can do with your dog to tire them out at night. You could, for example, use a flirt pole to make the dog jump around. You could even play toss and catch with your dog’s kibbles if you feel a bit lazy.