The Unique Digger Dog Nail File - a Dog Scratch Pad for Fear-Free Dog Nail Trims.

The Unique Digger Dog Nail File - a Dog Scratch Pad for Fear-Free Dog Nail Trims.

The Unique Digger Dog Nail File - a Dog Scratch Pad for Fear-Free Dog Nail Trims.

We are proud that our DiggerDog Nail File has been featured in an article on the American ‘Whole Dog Journal’. The story is by Jae Thomas, who contacted us when she wanted to include the DiggerDog Nail File in her product testing.
Four Dog Scratch Boards were tested by six dogs and DiggerDog Nail File received a second place / runner up position.
Here is a little snippet of the article:
The Best Dog Scratch Pads for Fear-Free Nail Trims

The Best Dog Scratch Pads for Fear-Free Nail Trims - Whole Dog Journal (whole-dog-journal.com)

If your dog doesn’t like nail clippers or the dremel, try making nail trims fun with a scratch pad.

A ton of dogs find nail trims scary and stressful. If your dog wiggles, pulls their paws away, or becomes overly stressed when you trim their nails, there are other options than just using nail clippers or a dremel. Namely, the best dog scratch pads will allow force-free, cooperative care nail trims that your dog can opt into.

What are Dog Scratch Pads?

A dog scratch board or scratch pad is usually a wooden or plastic board with an abrasive material like sandpaper adhered to one side. Some scratch pads have additional features like treat compartments to make training easier, while others are puzzle toys with an abrasive surface built in for use while playing.

Dog scratch boards are used to train dogs to file down their own nails, without the anxiety that may come from using a nail clipper or dremel. Scratch boards are great cooperative care options for dogs who don’t like having their feet touched.

Traits We Want in a Dog Scratch Pad

A product that’s designed to be pawed and scratched at should be durable enough to grind down thick dog nails, and easy to train your dog to use. Here are three things to look for when buying a dog scratch pad:

  • A durable, abrasive surface: A scratch pad needs to be strong enough to grind down even large dogs’ nails, so a strong surface is a must. We tested each scratch board on this list, and recommended the options with the most resilient material. If you need to constantly change out the sandpaper or other abrasive material, you might be less inclined to use the board often.
  • Training resources: If you’ve never taught your dog how to paw at something, training resources for a scratch pad are extremely helpful to get you started. We preferred the scratch pads that came with written and video resources, and one that we tested even comes with lifetime access to a dog trainer to answer any questions or troubleshoot the training process.
  • Extra features: Though not necessary, we did notice that extra features sometimes made training easier, depending on the dog. If you know your dog likes to dig, a built-in treat compartment can help them understand the scratch pad better. If your dog already knows how to target objects with their front paws however, extra features will likely be unnecessary.
‘Diggerdog was the second best of the dog scratch pads reviewed.
The sliding treat compartment on the DiggerDog nail file made it easy for all of the tester dogs to figure out.
The DiggerDog nail file is a great option for most dogs, especially dogs who don’t have any paw targeting training. The DiggerDog features a sliding compartment in the center for treats, which can be opened by the handler once a dog paws at the board. All six of our tester dogs (one of them being a nearly 11-year-old collie) easily figured out that digging at the center compartment would release the treats. Turns out that you can teach an old dog new tricks.
The DiggerDog is by far the quickest and easiest scratch pad to train your dog to use of the options we tested. In comparison to the ScratchPad however, the DiggerDog’s surface filed down dogs’ nails slightly less during testing.
The main downside of the DiggerDog is the price. Handmade in Australia, the units run $79 on the brand’s direct site and $66 for units with minor cosmetic imperfections, with shipping to the U.S. costing around $41 to most areas of the country. On Amazon, the scratch boards have free shipping, but cost $149 for brand-new models, or $119 for units with minor cosmetic imperfections (NOTE from DiggerDog Nail File: these are also brand new but have tiny cosmetic flaws - these have absolutely no effect on the function of the file). The DiggerDog prices are more than double every other option we tested, but if you have the cash and want a scratch pad your dog will learn to use almost immediately, we recommend it.’
Our DiggerDog Nail File is an Australian Invention - the FIRST of its kind in the world.
It is Made in Melbourne, Australia, from top quality, durable components.
For more information and to buy, visit diggerdognailfile.com
On Amazon USA, search for 'DiggerDog Nail File' and make sure it's the Genuine and Original product - top quality, made to last and Made in Australia.