Need a tough finish...

[steveg]

Hi all!

I'd like to solve an issue I'm having with some wood finish. We have Marvin wood windows in our home, with the wood on the interior being pine. The wood is stained, and had some type of lacquer or whatever sprayed on by the painting crew which was hired by the builder. The issue is, we have a Labrador Retriever, and the windows are just the right height that she can put her paws up on the sills and look out, when she hears people outside. Since I am finding it very difficult to break her of this, we are getting scratches on the sills from her claws. So, I want to re-finish just the sills -- and want to coat them with a poly-type product of some kind that will give me as durable a coating as possible, to hopefully resist scratching from the dog's claws. What would you all recommend to accomplish this goal?

Thanks!

Steve

[tommyt654]

http://www.sillshield.com/Clear-Sill-Shield_p_9.html , http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...52&cagpspn=pla , http://www.doityourself.com/forum/pa...dow-sills.html, all valid ideas. I would venture to say look into your local HD or Lowes and see about some flexible clear vinyl. I just don't think a stain or clear coating is gonna hold up very well against repeated scratching from your dogs claws although we have 3 inside dogs and a hardwood flooring thats holding up quite well after a yr. Maybe check witha flooring company on what they use or replace the sills with a hardwood instead of pine

[cabinetman]

An oil base polyurethane would be your best bet. Training your dog to stay off would be thing thing to do. Any film finish will show that type of abrasion.


.

[Dal300]

http://www.discount-pet-superstore.com/dogtrainingcollars/electric_dog_training_collars.htm

[tropicalarcadian]

This will probably work, but do a test first. Rub Cayenne oil extract on the window sill. It should keep the dog at least three feet from the window. If it works, mix it with a Tung oil or the like to rub on the wood instead of poly. Keeping the dog from the window will be more feasible than scratchproofing it.

[gerti]

Un-training an established behavior, especially one so much in the nature of the dog (who is coming?) is going to be nearly impossible, and would not be fun for dog or owner...

I do not see any finish holding up to that. If it is just the sill, I'd suggest adding a sacrificial layer to it. 1/4" (or more if it works) pine to match, or simply hardboard if looks are not so important.

[steveg]

Hey all -- thanks for some very good ideas.

I am gravitating toward the acrylic, and two-sided tape idea right now. cabinetman -- yes, training would be best. But, this is an energetic, still-puppy Lab, and I haven't yet figured out how to pull this off...! She's smart and trainable, but her exuberance (for people, animals, etc.), given her lack of maturity at this point, overrides her ability to "follow the rules!" Funny thing is, we HAVE an electric collar for her (for her in-ground pet fence) that has the ability to double as a "training collar;" I don't really think it would work, in this case, though...

gerti -- I actually agree with you. This would not be much fun for either she or I to work on, as a "training issue." COULD it be done, sure. But my experience with training dogs is, when trying to deal with certain "natural" behaviors, there's a price to pay, for the animal especially, and you have to ask "is it worth it?"

ANYWAY, for now, at least until she gets a little older, I think trying to mitigate the problem by using a protective covering of some sort may be best. Sounds like while oil-based poly might be the best "brush-on" option, sounds like there's not anything that will fully resist the abrasion.

hey tropicalarcadian -- I presume though that the cayenne extract has a pretty strong smell to it?

Thanks all...

Steve

[tropicalarcadian]

it would only take a few drops for the dog to be irritated by it. But it would take a lot to be detected by humans. You would have to drench it in extract to be able to smell it.

[steveg]

Hmm...interesting...

Steve

[LCHIEN]

found on the net:
A dog interprets the world predominantly by smell, whereas a human interprets it by sight. As a human I cannot even imagine what that would be like to get most of my information from what I smell. This is why a blind or deaf dog can get along just fine if allowed to be a dog, given the proper leadership and exercise and their sensory whiskers are not cut off when they are groomed. While a dog's brain is only one-tenth the size of a human brain, the part that controls smell is 40 times larger than in humans. A dog’s sense of smell is about 1,000 to 10,000,000 times more sensitive than a human’s (depending on the breed). A human has about 5 million scent glands, compared to a dog, who has anywhere from 125 million to 300 million (depending on the breed). Ever wonder why your dog's nose is wet? The mucus on a dog's nose actually helps it smell by capturing scent particles. When a dog’s nose is dry they may lick it to aid them in scent.

So I would suspect the cayenne would be detected by the dog long, long before you smell any. OTOH, does he mind it? I see dogs sniffing at piles of poop and if their sense of smell is 10 million times more sensitive than mine I can't imagine how bad I would think it smelled but they seem to find it quite interesting. Any animals whose sense of smell is that acute can't afford to be easily offended by smells.

[steveg]

That's a very good point, Loring!

Steve