It’s not uncommon for dogs to become distraught during storms. Some dogs can become a little too hyper or destructive when a storm is about. If your dog has already seen how much damage it can cause to your home, then you might be worried about how to protect walls from dog during storm. We will demonstrate practical strategies to solve several issues, including how to repair a wall that dogs tore up, or how to prevent destruction from dog scratching. These solutions will help ensure the dog remains at heart a pet and the home stays intact.
Connection Between Dogs and Wall Damage During Storms
When dogs are subjected to stress or anxiety, they may resort to destructive behavior. Many dogs are afraid of thunderstorms. Thunder is loud, and there’s lightning and changes in atmospheric pressure, which can be alarming to pets. Because of this anxiety, the animals would try to escape, look for a safe hiding spot, and this usually resolves in them trying to claw, chew, or rip their surroundings apart, be it walls, doors, or furniture.
When you notice your dog chewing or scratching the walls, there is a possibility that the dog is trying to calm itself or is looking for a safe space. One must tackle the objective cause of such distressing habits in dogs and try to safeguard the walls, while offering comfort to the pet during a thunderstorm or in other such situations.
Types Of Damages Caused By A Dog During Thunderstorm
If your dog is the reason behind the wall damage during a thunderstorm, do not be embarrassed as you are one of many. Below are some commonly caused wall damages by distressed Dogs:
- Scuffed Paint or Drywall Damage: Dogs with longer nails tend to scratch away painted surfaces more often than not, and in that case, paint surfaces can be scuffed.
- Torn Corners and Edges: distressed dogs tend to chew at corners or edges of walls, moldings or the baseboards which tend to get eaten away at.
- Tattered wall coverings: In the instance where a dog frantically repeats tearing a wall that is wallpapered, this causes the wallpaper to become shredded or loose tearing.
- Drywall Hole: rambunctious dogs may also use their strength to tear into the drywall; whether this is small holes or large ones is dependent on the strength of the dog.
Recognizing the type of damage will enable you to put in place the protection from future occurrences.
How To Protect Walls From Dog During Storm?
Whenever there is rough weather, dogs tend to get quite restless and may scratch, gnaw, or even rip off walls out of anxiety. A fusion of mitigation strategies, behavioral modification, and containment strategies will help protect one’s walls with no pet or home danger.
1. Make Sure That Your Pup Has a Comfort Zone
During thunderstorms, dogs are prone to anxiety; they need a certain space in which they can feel safe and comfortable. A safety zone such as a dog crate, a small quiet room, or a large pile of blankets will ensure the dog does not damage any walls.
- Turn on some soothing music to help cover the sound of the storm and help keep your dog calm.
- For those dogs that feel the need to chew on things, keep them busy with some toys and comfortable bedding.
- Some dogs that are used to being crated may also prefer to remain in the crate during a thunderstorm.
2. Place a Plastic Sheet or Other Barrier materials over the Desired Walls
Put some money down for temporary wall coverings on areas which are prone to being chewed or scratched by your pet. Plastic wall protectors, furniture-grade vinyl sheets, adhesive guards, and so on can be used.
- Vinyl Panels or Guards: These do not require any tools to install and these are well protected from claw marks as well as bite marks.
- Foam Padding or Bumpers: Always have foam panels in stock so that in case of an emergency, your wall does not remain bare.
- Temporary Wall Film: Strom paint can be used in place of standard paint but it sometimes leaves behind a sticky residue which is not always permanent.
3. Clipping the Nails of Your Dog
Nails of a dog should also be cut so they do not scrape against floors or other surfaces. Letting your dog’s nails grow too long means they will scrape the walls much easier and deeper than if they had been cut. Another angle are nail caps which are a soft cover put on the dog so that they do not scratch surfaces.
4 Easy Steps to Reducing Wall Damage Caused by Dogs Scratching
The problem of damage as a result of dogs scratching the walls is not only unpleasant to look at but also expensive to fix. Finding effective ways to curb this behavior is important in ensuring that your walls remain intact as well as your dog’s health.
Use Deterrent Sprays
Scratch and chew marks do exist on different surfaces because of the dog that the owner has. However, there’s always the trick of using non-chewing sprays which will prevent the dog from chewing other specific areas. All such types of sprays should be tested in small amounts so that there’s no major damage.
Use a Pet Gate or Barrier
Remember when the storms come, pet gates or pet barriers ought to be placed around the walls or doors which get scratched by the pet a lot. However, storms should not be all the time, and in fact, there are easy alternatives. So if the storm is not around, there’s always the use of baby gates or room dividers to restrict the space of your begging dog.
Fabric or blankets on the wall
If walls are damaged constantly and require replacement often, a simple solution is always throw heavy blankets or even hang them on the specific area which requires protection against scratches. This can be pretty inconvenient as furniture will block vision, but it does reduce tearing of walls.
Install Wall-Friendly Scratch Guards
If your dog is a scrapper who loves scratching in certain positions and places, a scratch guard or a door shield would be perfect to solve this issue. Such shields are made of a transparent plastic and can be fastened on walls, side edges of doors, or on baseboards and can easily be taken off after the stormy season.
What are the Calming Solutions for Dogs During thunderstorms?
Taking the anxiety away from a dog is very important so that the dog does not indulge in destructive behavior. Here are a few tactics to help your dog stay calm and avoid unnecessary interfered damage to walls.
Calming Products
Calming products such as thunder jackets (compression vests) are perfect for hyperactive or anxious dogs since the cloth wraps around the dog providing a snug fit and feeling of security. Other options may include CBD treats, calming chews, or pheromone diffusers.
Behavioral Modification
Fear of storms can be conditioned out of dogs through desensitization training. The technique involves maintaining low volumes while playing the sound of thunder in combination with rewards for calmness during training. Over time, the attempts to create a more thunderous noise may make the target animal less sensitive to sounds associated with storms.
Avoiding Dog Destructions During Thunderstorms
Provide some interactive feeders or puzzle toys to your dog to avoid boredom during thunderstorms. Redirecting the dog’s attention or providing treats or toys that the dog enjoys may help prevent destructive behavior.
Go to the Veterinary Doctor
If the dog demonstrates a very high level of anxiety, even when there is a storm, seizures, or multiple storms going on, a veterinarian should be consulted. They will suggest medication for anxiety or behavior therapy to alleviate the stress that is exhibited by spotters during storms.
4 Easy Ways to Conceal Wall Damage from Dogs
For those who have already had their walls scratched or mauled, here are a few ways to get them back looking good quickly:
- Filling In Scratches and Holes: If there are small holes or scratches on the drywall, spackling paste or putty can be applied to fill them. After it dries up, the area should be sanded in order to smoothen it out. Repaint it afterwards.
- Replacing Damaged Molding: If a dog munched on baseboards, the section that was destroyed might have to be replaced.
- Patching Wallpaper: If some of the wallpaper gets pulled off or torn, use paste or apply direct pressure. If not, have a new piece cut in order to hide or patch the damaged area.
- Installing Corner Protectors: If the problem is that the dog bites into wall corners, it will only make sense to use corner guards so that such situations do not occur again.
Conclusion: How To Shield Walls Against Dogs During a Storm
Many dogs exhibit destructive traits during storms and chew or scratch walls to relieve stress. You might have had a scenario where you had to deal with ‘dog scratched wall during thunderstorm’ situations, but actions must be taken to reduce chances of such occurrence in future. Loosening clawed fingers, preventing them from scratching and chewing on walls, and displacing surfaces altogether are practical solutions possibly appropriate to avoid wall cracks or tears from dogs as well.
At the same time, making your dog calm (with the use of certain products, training, or the veterinarian) will minimize the chances of damage. It is possible, with adequate preparation, to keep your walls safe while making your dog feel at ease and relaxed during the storm. These approaches will make it possible for a dog to remain unaffected by rough storms without damaging the structure of the house.
FAQs
When faced with thunderstorms, why do dogs act so differently?
Some dogs fear storms as they can contain noise and bright light alongside atmospheric pressure changes. This can cause some destructiveness when the dog starts scratching or chewing walls.
How can one prevent the dog from damaging the walls?
Use pet barriers, dog crates or playpens to keep dogs away from the walls. Removable wallpapers and protective walls for dogs are also suitable options.
Is it wise to crate the dog during a storm?
Caging anxious dogs can help some of them if storms are stressful for them. The enclosed space has to be made comfortable for the dog prior to the occurrence of a thunderstorm.
