How To Fix Window Sill Chewed By Dog

We are a dog loving family! Which is why I'm going to show you how to prevent and repair pet damage. Our Buddy adds so much fun and excitement to our home, but sometimes he can be destructive. Most of the time he is a total gentleman 🙂 , however for some reason he really doesn't like the UPS, Fedex or Postal carriers. Pretty much anyone who drives a big truck and brings stuff to our door is a problem. Well, if you've read some of my other posts, you know that I have been trimming out my windows a few at a time. This is the window that is the problem.

Repair and Prevent Pet Damage to Window Sills and Doors

It is Buddy's favorite spot in the house because he can see everything that is going on in our neighborhood. The problem is that it is right next to our front door. This brand new window sill is taking a beating from his nails. I'll walk you through the process of fixing and preventing future claw damage to wood.

Fixing the Damage

First, I used steam to raise the grain of the wood and get out some of the shallow dents. I lightly sprayed the sill with a spray bottle. Then using a clean damp clothe covered the area and ironed it with the steam setting on my iron. This actually helped more than I thought it would. I would not recommend this if you have extreme damage. Just go strait to the next step.
Second, after the wood is dry, I took my sander with 160 grit sand paper, and sanded down the damaged area. Then I vacuumed and wiped it down.
Using wood filler, I filled in any leftover grooves with my putty knife. After it was dry, I lightly sanded and wiped it down again.
Use a good primer to coat the wood. Then follow up with a coat or two of paint to match your trim.

Repair and Prevent Pet Damage to Window Sills and Doors

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Preventing Further Damage

I purchased this product from Amazon. It's called Claw Shield. There are a few different varieties of these claw protectors. I wish I knew about these before my dog did the damage. I just measured my sill and cut the product to the right dimensions. Then I removed the backing and applied the shield, pressing it down with the tool that came in the box. Wait 1-2 weeks for your paint to cure before you apply the Claw Shield. The image below has the claw shield applied. As you can see it is barely noticeable, but will prevent his nails from scratching the sill in the future.

Repair and Prevent Pet Damage

That's it. No more problems. I do recommend that you have your pets nails trimmed regularly, too. This will help to prevent problems in between grooming, though. I hope this tutorial helps you prevent and repair pet damage around your home, so you can get back to enjoying your furry friends! 🙂