Stress digging

[LakeFlyPie]

DDog digs the carpet when stressed (usually in response to loud noises, thunder, fireworks). He seems to do it when we have guests visiting, usually as we sit down to eat and also goes to the top of the stairs every night at around 11pm and digs there.
it doesn't seem to calm him, think it winds him up more and it's wrecking the carpet! There doesn't seem to be an obvious trigger for the night time stair digging.
Any idea what causes this behaviour and how to stop it?

Our current pup carpet digs in the evening, when she's tired, but that's only for a couple of minutes before she lies down to sleep.
I presume it's more of a stress issue with your dog, rather than a sleepy thing. We did have a stress digger many years ago who was noise sensitive. She completely wrecked our dining room carpet by ripping it up during a night of gale force winds.
It's difficult to know what to suggest, other than providing some sort of distraction when he starts, but I just wanted to confirm that you're not alone. I hope someone can suggest something more constructive for you.

I've got a digger too. Mine does it when I leave him which I assume is stress, and also last thing at night before he goes to sleep (he sleeps on my bed) which I think is just part of him settling down.

If your dog always does it in one spot, could you put a cheap rug down so at least he's not ruining the carpet?

My first thought would be trying to interrupt the habitual digging with something else fun. Perhaps a cardboard box full of recycling with treats hidden for digging in that's brought out at dinner time, or a snuffle mat/kong put at the top of stairs just before 11. Something you could keep up regularly if it works so it becomes the new routine.
Do you have a garden you could put a sandpit in for a safe outlet for the behaviour? Could open that up when guests come over maybe. Mine has one of those kids clam like sandpits, just have to buy kids safe sand not builders, so it is quite expensive (and messy).
Of course this wouldn't help with the unexpected noises. Sounds a pain, I feel for you, and it's so hard to see them stressed.