Advice please - puppy scratching at sofa

[Naturegirl82]

I am wondering if anyone could give me some advice about my puppy scratching at the sofa.

She is a 10 month old CKCS, very good tempered and mostly well trained but she has started scratching at the sofa and I don't quite know how to get her to stop. She seems to be doing it to get attention so I'm stuck in a bit of a catch 22 situation. If I give her attention to get her to stop it feels like I am rewarding this behaviour which will only further encourage this but it's very hard to ignore her as I'm worried about the damage to the furniture. I've started trying to leave the room when she starts now to see if that will discourage her but it's not always possible to do this.

Any ideas will be gratefully received.

Any advice anyone?

Can you describe it a bit more. Is it digging type scratching before she curls up to sleep?

No she is on the floor, stands on her back feet and scratches very hard with her front feet on the front of the arm of the sofa. So definite scratching not digging or settling down.

Could you put some sort of blanket on the spot she does it and then, it you are confident it's attention seeking, ignore her when she does it? Alongside that giver her lots of unsolicited attention when she is resting calmly or playing nicely so she is reinforced for do the behaviour you want.

Would bitter apple spray help? I know it was invented for chewing, but the smell may discourage from the area

Bitter apple spray might just make her find somewhere else to do it and you can't spray the entire house.

Interrupt using a kissy noise and redirect onto something more appropriate like a chew or toy.

I'll try the blanket over the arm and interrupt her using noise and see if that helps. thanks

My 8 month old puppy started scratching/pulling at one corner of a carpet on the stairs, and we used a spray and over 3 days it stopped.
She hasn't started anywhere else either, she does have plenty of toys and chews, but I think the carpet took her fancy!

I dotted lavender oil on the things I wanted the puppies to leave alone. It worked and makes the house smell nice.