How to Get a Dog to Stop Ripping Up the Floors

The best way to stop destructive behavior in dogs is to instantly put a stop to it. If you allow your dog to continuously rip up the floors of your home, getting it to stop is a challenge. Dogs may scratch and rip the floor for many reason including boredom, loneliness and the need for attention. To stop the behavior, incorporate commands, redirect your dogs attention and show it who's boss.

Things You'll Need

  • Dog crate
  • Dog toys
  • Dog treats
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Instructions

    • 1

      Deny your dog access to the rooms with floor he likes to destroy, if you are not home. Place it in a confined area, such as a crate or a small room, such as the bathroom of kitchen. Provide plenty of dog toys to keep your dog entertained while confined.

    • 2

      Use one command to stop your dog in its tracks. Put your dog on a leash and walk it through the room near the area where he displays the destructive behavior. If your dog attempts to rush to the damaged site, pull the leash and firmly tell it "Back up" or "Stop." Praise and reward your dog each time it obeys. After some training, when you catch your dog rushing to the site of the damage, use your command and the dog will obey.

    • 3

      Spend plenty of time with your dog, because sometimes dogs are destructive because they lack attention. Take your dog for walks, play with it and introduce it to new dog toys on a regular basis. Providing plenty of exercise also makes your dog tired, so it's less likely to destroy your floors.

    • 4

      Teach your dog to communicate with you in a different way. If your dog rips up the floor near the door because it wants to go outdoors, stop the behavior. Place your dog's paw on your foot, or put a bell near the door and use your dog's paw to ring the bell. Take the dog outdoors. Repeat this action each time before your take your dog outdoors. Over time the dog will understand that in order to tell you to take it outdoors, it has to execute the correct action.