How do I get my 7mo old puppy to stop chewing electrical cords!!?

Question

He's chewed all my Christmas lights, game controls, heating pad, extension cord. I'm afraid he's going to get electricuted!

Answer 1

And you are right to be concerned. I had the same problem with a number of pets.

You're probably already doing this, but you'll want to keep the cords out of puppy's reach. Someone suggested running the cords through PVC pipes.

One thing I did was yell EVERY time I caught one of my pets chewing a cord. I made sure they knew that cord-chewing was absolutely forbidden, and that they would get their butts spanked if I caught them at it.

Now, at 7 months old, your puppy is probably teething. Try getting him things that he can chew on, such as nylon bones.

good luck!

Answer 2

There is a spray called Bitter Apple that you can use. You spray it on whatever you don't want the puppy to chew and it tastes awful when he puts his mouth on it. It's pretty much straight rubbing alcohol though, which is flammable, so I'm not sure it's wise to spray it onto electrical cords, especially if they may get punctured by puppy teeth.

What I found to work when we had a puppy was making sure he had lots of yummy tasting toys when he was unsupervised. Rawhides and Kong toys filled with treats and peanut butter worked pretty well. And the Kongs are pretty well indestructible. I also got a plastic ball at Walmart that dispensed treats and kibble when he rolled it around. It was hilarious to watch because one dog would roll it and the other just followed him to pick up all the food. The one doing all the work never could figure out where all the kibble went.

He also may not be getting enough exercise. Take him out to run around as often as you can. That way he'll be exhausted by the time he comes inside. Tired puppies are usually good puppies.

Good luck!

Answer 3

This is a common problem. Letting your dog get zapped is not a good idea it can cause burns to the mouth and gums. Putting on a repuse spray (bad taste) can help. This is availble in pet strores. Hiding the cords helps a little but eventually you still have to deal with the problem and believe me even the adults will chew cords. Train your dog not to chew the cord. Put one in front of him and wait till he starts to chew. when he does correct him with a no (punishment is up to you). When he leaves it alone praise him and give him a treat. continue this repeatidily for a few days removing the treats and just use praise. If this doen't work I have some addtional training aids on my web site burdicklabradors.com helpful links page

Answer 4

sounds like some puppy house proofing is in order. There are protective measures you can take for your plugs, outlets, and cords. Keep these as much out of sight as possible. Also, giving the puppy some toys that are his that he know he can chew to pieces may help. When he does chew on things he shouldnt give him a squirt of water from a water bottle in his face and a stern "no". This may help him to associate punishment with chewing on things that are not toys. Also, while you are training him perhaps you should invest in a child gate to keep him out of rooms that could be dangerous for him to be in.

Answer 5

My pup did the same thing! Lost the same items too! She would always get a firm pop on her butt when I showed her the wires -- she learned quick. She had LOTS of toys, chewies, etc but she just loved wires. She is now 1yr old and has just now stopped the chewing stuff. If she is loose in the house while you are gone -- cage her or put her in a safe room. Mine usually chewed the wiring at night when I was asleep. She is not going to be electrocuted, but a shock just might break the habit.

Answer 6

You want to go to your local pet store and buy what is called Bitter apple. You can apply it to anything and your puppy will hate the taste. Also while your there pick up a puppy Kong and some filler. Show him that this is what he is to chew on. Also make sure you watch him closely and if you catch him chewing on something he is not supposed to grab his nose and say wrong. Then give him his Kong. Also when you can not keep a close eye on him put him in his crate if he has one. If he does not have a crate lock him in a safe room. Remember to keep his Kong with him. Never put him in his crate or room for punishment. That place should be a happy safe place he wants to go to.

Answer 7

My (2) dogs are Australian Shepherds. They used to chew everything as pups. I use the apple bitter that I bought from Pet Smart and spray everything while unplugged and let them dry. first before everything in the electricity and the puppy will not like the taste of apple bitter, while chewing on.

While I was away, I used to put my two puppies in the room without everything in it except the child proof plugs for jacks. I gently spank them every time I see them doing it, and tell " no". Train your puppy not to chew it- if you catch your puppy's act, spank gently and tell no. It works well for my dogs. They became wonderful dogs after trained them not to learn doing it.

If having the same problem over and over again, Call for a pet Trainer at Pet Smart and the pet trainer can help you with working on the problem.

Answer 8

hide the cording, get tubes to cover cords, watch the dog and get after it with a shaker can or a strong no, and replace it with proper toys and treats. You have to break that now or the dog will get shocked, worse electrocuted, and get into a very expensive and destructive habit. Its not cheap to replace cording. Plus it trips breakers in the house! Also it cant replace a precious pets life if he gets killed. Some people say coat the wires with Tabasco hot sauce but that doesnt cure a habit! Training and proper watchfullness is required.

Answer 9

I tried everything and couldn't get my 4 month old puppy to leave the cords alone. Sure enough, she chewed through one and all I heard was a loud yelp, and she scurried out of the room. She hasn't gone near it or any other cords since!! Thankfully she wasn't hurt!!

Answer 10

Extention cords seem to be a big problem, but you can get the big staples or two pronged tacks (like the phone company uses)at a hardware store and tack them along your baseboards. The plug ends, you need the flat kind of they are in an area the pup can get to.

As far as the game controlers and heating pads.... keep them picked up out of his reach.