![]() ![]() ![]() Q: I don't think a ScratchPad™ will work for me, my dog won't let me touch his feet at all without becoming agitated.Ī: You might be surprised, but we actually encourage you to not touch your dog's feet at all when learning to use the ScratchPad™. Eventually, you want to work towards him actually dragging his paw down the board, but that may take some time. Now, every time he starts to put his paw on the board, praise and reward him. Once he's used to the smell and feel of the board, begin to prop it at a shallow incline. Work with getting him to walk across it, rewarding and praising him each time any of his paws touch the ScratchPad™. Then, begin by laying the board flat on the floor. Ideally, you want to find something that your dog loves so much that he'd do practically anything just for a small taste. First and foremost, find a treat that is super motivating for your dog - some dogs will work just fine for bits of kibble, but others may need something of a higher value, like jerky treats or small bits of roast beef. Fortunately, we have a few tricks up our sleeves to make it a bit more exciting for your dog to learn. ![]() Q: My dog won't use his ScratchPad™, now what?Ī: It's rare, but occasionally we do hear of a dog who is having a difficult time acclimating to his new ScratchPad™. Click on the "Training Your Dog" link in the menu to the left for instructions and video on training hind feet. We have found that the best way to do this is to prop the ScratchPad™ on a few stairs and then let your dog stand next to the board while rewarding him anytime he puts his hind feet on the board. Q: Can I use ScratchPad™ to file my dog's hind nails?Ī: Yes, definitely! While it can be a little more tricky to train, you can teach your dog to scratch his hind feet on the ScratchPad™. If you're having trouble getting your dog interested in his ScratchPad™, try changing his reward to something with a higher value to him and make the "game" as fun as you can! Q: How long will it take to teach my dog to use his new ScratchPad™?Ī: Most dogs learn the basics of scratching the board in under a day, but each dog is different. See the picture below as an example you can see that the pads of the dog's feet don't touch the ScratchPad™ at all.Ī: We do not recommend use of ScratchPad™ for cats. This means that their pads do not touch the abrasive sanding surface at all. Q: Won't the ScratchPad™ abrasive surface damage the pads on my dog's feet?Ī: This is a question we get a lot - actually, dogs will instinctively extend their claws out while they're scratching downwards. If you have a toy breed, we do recommend turning the ScratchPad™ on its side - this gives them more side-to-side working space, and actually prolongs the life of the ScratchPad™. The top half of the board is medium grit and the bottom half is coarse.Ī: Absolutely! We have many small dog customers and they love their ScratchPads just as much as their taller friends. Q: How is the combination board set up, given that it has both coarseness options?Ī double-sided combination ScratchPad has medium grit on one side and coarse grit on the other side.Ī single-sided combination ScratchPad has scratching surface on one side only. Because both grits can be used, we do offer combination boards with both medium and coarse grits on them. You can start with the coarse grit, just go slowly to be sure your dog doesn't get overzealous and accidentally quick himself. The coarse grit is great for dogs who are experienced using a scratch board or have hard nails. It's a great all-purpose grit and works well to get your dog used to the feel of filing his nails. Q: Which sanding surface (medium or coarse) is right for my dog?Ī: If you have never used a ScratchPad™ scratch board type product for your dog, we recommend starting with the medium coarseness. ![]()
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