Terminal updated on November 17th, 2020 at 05:25 pm

Even the smallest and most ambrosial of dogs has incredibly hard, sharp claws and they can easily ruin your favourite furniture and doors. When dogs get restless, they are naturally inclined to scratch at things, and it doesn't take much for them to exit unsightly hook marks at the bottom of your door.

Some pet owners pre-empt this past installing pet doors then that their pets can go in and out hands, eliminating the need to scratch. If you can't do this, don't despair. Yous can train your dog not to scratch, and information technology'southward normally possible to repair the damaged wood.

Fixing a Scratched Door

Start by assessing the harm. Light scratches tin treated easily just by sanding down the damaged area, wiping it clean, and then repainting. Deeper scratches, however, will crave more thorough treatment.

To fix more serious scratches, sand off the paint around the damaged area (and a niggling untouched forest too), and then use a wood filler to mask the deepest scratches. Let the filler dry, and then repaint the door as normal.

A picture of a cat scratching a brown wooden door

Image source:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/shamanic-shift

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Matching Colours

If yous can't find a paint that matches the original colour perfectly, buy some gel stains and blend them to get a match that is as close every bit possible. When attempting to blend colours, commencement with a lighter stain and gradually brand it darker. It's much easier to correct a also-light colour than it is to lighten one that is also dark.

In one case y'all've found a good friction match, apply information technology to the sanded function of the door, and lightly plumage that pigment into the area that has the original stain. Permit the paint dry, and meet how it looks. You may observe that the gel has a irksome finish, compared to the original pigment on the door. If this is the example, you can arrive await glossy by spraying the gel with a clear finish.

A picture of a pile of colour swatches

Epitome source: http://world wide web.flickr.com/photos/thedalogs

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Tips and Warnings

It'southward easy plenty to fill in deep scratches and paint over the filler if your door is painted rather than stained. Yet, stained or varnished doors are harder to have care of. Don't use traditional filler with varnish. Instead, try to sand down the damaged area and then match the existing varnish with a fresh glaze.

If you are able to do so, consider fitting a pet door at the same time as you repaint the existing forest. You may not have the option to exercise this if you are living in a rented property, but it is something that is worth investigating. Your pets will be much happier if they have the freedom to let themselves in and out.

Wait until you are confident that your domestic dog has conquered its impulse to scratch before taking the time to treat the door, otherwise you'll stop upwardly needing to varnish or repaint over again and again. Naturally, later on you accept repainted the door, information technology'southward of import to keep your pets abroad from it while the new coat dries.