Is your house carpeted? My son's border collie drove us crazy with his scratching. His skin finally became infected. Our Vets worked with us constantly to try and help this poor animal. Finally my son moved to a place that has no carpeting. Needless to say he does not scratch. If he comes to visit though, within just a few minutes of being here he resumes scratching. The skin being scratched open leads to skin infections that become extremely smelly and irritating. Please check your carpeting for this animals sake.