DIY: How to Make Your Dog a Giant Nail File “Scratch Board”

Editor’s Note: This week’s TOC DIY is brought to you by Erika Fields and her hound dog, Mack. Erika told TOC, “Mack was born in Alabama but his rescue brought him up to Massachusetts, where he lives now. He loves winters (snow zoomies!) and hates summers — we’re complete opposites in that respect.” In order to help keep Mack’s nails short and avoid frequent nail clippings (he’s not a big fan of having his paws touched), Erika made him a DIY scratch board, which is basically a giant dog nail file. Now she says that Mack loves nail time and they use the scratch board during training sessions, which Mack adores as long as he can have part of his dinner in the process! To learn the steps to make your own DIY scratch board, keep scrolling below.

 📎 The Supplies That You’ll Need to Make DIY Scratch Boards

“Mack has two trick titles and we’re working on his third (expert level)! He’s a mutt through & through but his hound nose is what started us on our journey of [also] making snuffle mats. Mack has yet to find a type of food he doesn’t love. Food is definitely the way to his heart (like mine!),”Erika tells TOC.

• One 4 inch wide pvc pipe (found at most local hardware stores like Lowe’s and Home Depot)

• 3M stair treads or 80 grit sandpaper

• Double sided tape/similar adhesive (you won’t need this if you’re using the 3M stair treads)

• Reciprocating saw (a handheld saw could probably work too)

⏰ Time Commitment

The scratch board will take you roughly 15 minutes to make.

⚖️ Skill Level

Making this scratch board should be relatively easy!

✅ Step by Step: How to Make Your Own Scratch Board

Step One

First you need to cut the pvc pipe in half. I’ve used a reciprocating saw, but a handheld saw could probably work too.

Step Two

Once you have the pvc cut in half, you just need to adhere the 3M stair tread to the inside of the pipe. These come with self-adhesive so you just line it up and press it against the pipe.

Step Three

If you are using sandpaper, you’ll need to cut the sandpaper to fit the inside of the pipe then put adhesive of your choice on the back of the sandpaper before you can stick it to the pipe.

Step Four

Grab some treats and invite your dog to start filing down their nails on their own!

If you have something that you’d like to DIY for your #TOCFam, please fill out our form here.