How to stop my dog from chewing electrical cords when I'm not home?

Question

Spooky pulls and chews on a specific electrical cable. I was able to rewire the whole living room to remove all the cables but that one specifically is not possible. I wanted to teach him that chewing cables = bad but he doesn't do it while I'm at home. What can I do? I tried increasing the exercise and training time (exercise until he's tired, 15/30 minutes of training per day) but it didn't help. Also, crating is illegal here. Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Male | unneutered | 1 year and 1 month old | 55 lbs

Anna M., DVM · Accepted Answer

Hi there, thanks for your question on PetCoach. It sounds like you're working hard to break Spooky of this habit! The short of it is, there won't be an easy solution if Spooky isn't doing it when you're home to catch him in the act. You can try covering the exposed parts of the cord with something foul tasting or spicy, such as bitter apple sprays (there are many brands on the market, but here's one: ) or hot pepper sauce (I don't usually recommend the latter due to the potential for GI upset, but cord chewing is an exception, since that's a habit that could be life threatening!). If that doesn't work, then it will likely come down to husbandry/management, by potentially barricading Spooky away from the exposed cord or keeping him in a separate room. If he never tries to chew it when you're there, then the usual training strategies won't work, as all training options require responding in the moment that Spooky would show interest in the cord. Hope this helps!

How to stop my dog from chewing electrical cords when I'm not home?

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