How to Keep Dogs From Eating on Power Cords

Doggie chewing more than just bones?
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Power cords proving too irresistible for Fido? Don't waste time fixing things up. Electrical bite injuries can be very serious and leave your dog with a burned lip, coughing or a much-needed visit to the vet. If Fido is eyeing that electrical cord with interest, act now.

Block access to the cords. Push them behind desks, under rugs or over bookcases. Just make sure nothing's dangling, which makes it even more tempting for the dog. Don't allow puppies to sleep behind the furniture, on top of the cords. Even if they're not chewing on them right now, temptation is never too far away.

Place the cords inside flexible tubing, PVC tubing or an electrical cord protector. These are thick enough that dogs' teeth won't get through, no matter how hard Fido tries. Don't have any of that available? Double-sided tape will be a very unwelcome surprise to any curious teeth. Simply wrap the cables with it, making sure they're completely covered. This might work better as a solution if you only have short sections of cable exposed; otherwise, you'll have sticky tape everywhere.

Apply a pet deterrent spray to the cords. You can get these at many supermarkets and pet stores. Hot pepper sauce or bitter apple spray can also work. If you're going to do this, however, you have to commit fully and spray every single inch of the cords. You can be sure that if you leave a tiny section uncovered somewhere, that's the section Fido will find and chew on.

Provide alternatives. Puppies are natural chewers, especially when teething, but adult dogs should not be going around your house looking for things to chew. If they do, it's probably because they're bored. Get some nice chew toys or one of those rawhide bones that seems to last forever, so Doggie will have something more interesting than cords to chew on.

Tips

  • When you're going out, close the doors to any rooms full of cords, such as the home office. Even if you've done everything possible to protect the cords, no need to leave tempting stuff available.

Tips

  • When you're going out, close the doors to any rooms full of cords, such as the home office. Even if you've done everything possible to protect the cords, no need to leave tempting stuff available.