In our modern world of tech, there are now a lot of cords and wires. At Troomi, we’ve gone over how to keep our kids safe from cords, especially babies and toddlers, but what if we also have pets? Maybe we have pets who like to chew on cords. Maybe that pet is my sweet dog who has destroyed yet another tupperware. Maybe a lot of us have sweet dogs that haven’t outgrown their puppy habit of chewing cords.
So let’s go over the question we all have: how to stop my dog from chewing electrical wires.
First look at why your dog is chewing on cords or wires in the first place. This is known as destructive chewing. Dogs, as part of growing up, chew on things for a number of reasons. Teething, separation anxiety, boredom, or even they just haven’t been trained out of it yet.
Okay, you might now be thinking, “what, are cords safe for cats or something? Why all this focus on dogs?” No, cords and wires are also dangerous for cats and even rodents (if your family has mice, hamsters, or rats). Dogs are the most common culprit when it comes to wire gnawing, but they aren’t the only ones responsible. And chewing on wires is dangerous. They are at risk of electric shock and even choking. Let’s look at how to prevent pets from chewing electrical cords and keep our tech, and more importantly our pets, safe and healthy.
- Hide power cords. …
- Block access to electrical cords. …
- Spray taste deterrents on cords. …
- Train your dog to leave it. …
- Watch and redirect your dog’s interest. …
- Give your dog chewing options.
Keep your puppy away from cords when unsupervised by using a crate, or creating a safe play area with barriers, where there are no wires present.
It is imperative that your puppy not chew electrical cords that could result in serious injury or even death from electrocution if he bites into an electrical wire. Because this is critical, supervising your puppy and preventing him from having access to wires is important. There are several strategies to keep wires away from puppy until he learns to leave them alone as he matures, including moving or covering wires or creating a safe wire-free zone for puppy. During training, you will want to provide alternatives, distract your puppy from wires, create a negative association with chewing on electrical wires, and create a command you can use to instruct your puppy to leave wires alone. A leave it command can be used to direct your puppy not only to leave wires alone, but can be applied to lots of other dangerous or unsavory items he may be motivated to chew on, and is useful in a variety of situations.
Puppies like to chew anything they can, even electrical cords! If your puppy is chewing on an electrical cord, they can compromise the insulative coating of the wire and make contact with the conductive materials, resulting in an electric shock to the mouth. While this may deter him from chewing on cords in the future, you would be surprised how often it does not!
Remove the opportunity by putting cords up out of reach, unplugging appliances and coiling up cords, or using painters tape or duct tape to elevate cords out of reach.
When your puppy approaches an electrical cord, call his name, get his attention, and toss a chew toy in the opposite direction.
Toy alternative
One reason pets, both cats and dogs, chew on cords is due to boredom or anxiety. Giving them an alternative toy to play with or chew on will alleviate their desire to chew on your cords.
Not sure what to do once the damage is done and your pet has chewed through your electrical cords? Depending on the type of cord and amount of damage done, an electrician might be able to cut the chewed portion out and splice the wire back together. In cases of extreme damage, it is likely time to replace the appliance. It’s a good idea to call an electrician for a home electrical inspection if you suspect your pet might have gotten into any other wires in your home.
Everyone loves their furry canine and feline friends. However, if you’ve been noticing that your pet has been gnawing on electrical cords recently, you’re going to want to break them of this habit ASAP — both for their safety and your own. This type of behavior is particularly common in cats, who are thought to instinctively see wires and cords as the tail of a piece of prey for them to catch. However, some dogs will also chew on an electrical cord if given the chance — especially puppies, who, without training, will chew on pretty much anything.
If your animal has decided to make playing with electrical cords their new favorite hobby, there could be several root causes of this behavior. Your animal may have dental problems, and frequent chewing is one of the only ways they can ease their pain. This action can stem from other medical issues too, such as hypothyroidism, which slows down your cat’s or dog’s metabolism and makes them feel like they need to be chewing on something constantly. Cord-chewing can also be tied back to everything from stress to sheer boredom. But regardless of what’s causing this behavior, the point here is that you need to put a stop to it. Keep reading to learn how to keep your pets from chewing on electrical cords, and make sure to call our experienced electricians at Roby Services for all your essential electrical repair and replacement needs.
FAQ
How do I get my dog to stop chewing on electrical cords?
Why do dogs chew up electrical cords?
What happens if a dog chews an electrical cord?