Is your Bulldog obsessed with your electrical wires? While Bulldogs aren’t known for mouthiness, boredom can lead them to target power cords in your home. This happened to me a couple of years ago, but I found ways on how to stop my dog from chewing electrical wires without using physical punishments.
In this post, I will discuss why dogs love chewing wires and what you can do to stop it.
Why do dogs like chewing wires?
Chewing and mouthing objects are a dog’s way of exploring the world. Since they don’t have hands like humans, they use their mouths to quell their curiosity.
Before you lose your patience, it’s important to understand why your Bulldog chews wires in the first place.
First, you should consider the dog’s age. Is your Bulldog still a puppy? If so, it might be dealing with the teething stage, which will occur twice in its first six months of life. During this period, your Bulldog pup will experience mouth discomfort as its new teeth erupt. To ease the discomfort, the doggo will chew on almost anything, including power cords.
Aside from that, Bulldogs that aren’t given proper physical and mental stimulation will vent their energy toward destructive ways. It will target electrical wires, the couch, your shoes, and almost anything it can fit inside its mouth.
Lastly, you should consider the possibility of separation anxiety and fear. This extreme emotional stress can push your Bulldog to find coping mechanisms. Unfortunately, chewing is one of them.
Why chewing power cords is an urgent matter
Chewing electrical wires is very dangerous for both your Bulldog and your home. If the wire is plugged, it can electrocute and injure the poor canine.
Pet owners whose dogs chewed plugged wires report burns on the canine’s mouth as well as muscle tremors and shortness of breath. Elevated heart rates will also occur. And if the shock is strong, your Bulldog may even suffer from a seizure.
On the other hand, a chewed wire can also start a house fire. The exposed cable can short-circuit, causing the appliance to explode and soon produce flames. It’s a harrowing experience, especially if children are left inside the house.
Overall, no one wants chewed electrical wires. It’s dangerous and will surely cost a fee to replace. To save your dog and yourself from all the hazards, it’s best to correct the behavior right away.
How to stop my dog from chewing electrical wires
Is your dog Bulldog chewing your wires? The following steps can help put a stop to the destructive behavior:
✔️Secure your wires
The first thing you should do is secure your wires, so your dog won’t reach them. You can place the electrical cords behind furniture or run them along the door frames.
Aside from that, hooks and cable ties are a big help in securing cables in an elevated spot that your dog can’t access. Take note that cord protectors only work for wear and tear and not dog chewing. You can still use them, but don’t rely on them when it comes to your Bulldog’s chewing habits.
✔️Block your dog’s access to cables
Your Bulldog can’t chew wires if he can’t access them in the first place. If your dog has specific wires it seems to be fond of, it’s best to close the door of that room. You can also use pet gates high enough for your Bulldog not to jump over.
If all your efforts fail, crating your dog is the last resort. Still, you should do this while looking for solutions to secure your wires. Crating should never be used as a punishment as it plays a big role in housebreaking.
✔️Address teething symptoms
If your Bulldog is still a puppy, you should help the pooch with its teething symptoms. You can ease its gums by giving chew treats, ice cubes, frozen carrots or bananas, and so on. This will keep your little Bulldog’s sore mouth off your precious power cords.
Don’t worry because this phase will only last within the first six months of your Bulldog’s life. If you adopted an older dog, you wouldn’t deal with this part.
✔️Train your Bulldog out of it
Training is still the best way to correct any behavioral problem of your Bulldog. For wire chewing, you should teach your dog to ‘leave it’. This is a command that’s usually part of basic obedience training among canines.
The ‘leave it’ command is a powerful cue for your dog to stop negative behavior. The key here is associating the command with a reward. For starters, you can use a food reward like treats or kibble pieces. Then, over time, you can reduce the treats and replace them with physical affection like petting and hugs.
✔️Give the wires a bad taste
If you want an instant solution, giving the wires an awful taste is the best move. You can use a bitter apple spray formulated especially for animal pets. This has a bitter flavor but safe for canines.
Spray this formula on the wires your Bulldog loves chewing. The next time your doggo tries to chomp the cords, it will be startled by the bad taste. Most dogs will stop chewing right away due to the unpleasant taste in their mouths.
However, there are some hardy dogs that will slurp up the wires even more. In this case, you should use another deterrent formula and see how your Bulldog will react.
✔️Offer alternative objects
Providing alternative objects to chew will help divert your Bulldog’s energy into less destructive habits. For example, you can buy chew toys, dental chews, and tug toys to satisfy your canine’s mouthiness. You can also use these items to train your dog with basic obedience.
Aside from getting these items, you should still observe other preventive measures discussed here.
✔️Provide ample mental stimulation
Ample exercise and mental stimulation will also help keep your Bulldog’s mind off chewing your electrical wires. While Bulldogs don’t need a lot of physical activities, you should still take them on short walks. It will keep their weight in check and burn their excess energy so that they won’t vent it toward power cables.
You can also schedule indoor playtimes throughout the day to beat boredom. For example, it can be 10-minute drills scattered throughout the day to keep the bored Bulldog entertained.
✔️Keep your dog supervised
Lastly, always supervise your Bulldog until you’re sure it’s no longer targeting your electrical wires. This should be done in conjunction with training and the use of alternative chewing activities.
If you’re letting your dog near electrical wires, you should keep a close eye on it. This way, you can intervene should it start putting its mouth on the cables.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can a dog die from chewing electrical cords?
A: Yes, your dog can die if it chewed on a plugged electrical cord. While this occurrence is rare, most dogs will suffer from burns, shortness of breath, and even convulsions. The effects would be much worse for puppies due to their smaller bodies. This is why you should address wire chewing the moment you discover that it’s happening.
Q: Do dogs outgrow chewing?
A: Most dogs will outgrow chewing once they are past the teething stage. However, training and socialization have a big role to play here. It’s important to train your dog as early as 8 weeks old to prevent it from chewing wires as an adult dog. Also, you should observe precautionary measures so your dog won’t access electrical wires at home.
Q: Can you punish a dog for chewing wires?
A: Punishments aren’t the best solution for wire chewing. Your dog won’t understand the physical violence; worse, it will fuel further chewing due to stress. Instead, you should use positive reinforcement to divert your pet’s attention away from chewing power cords. You can ask all dog trainers in the world, and they will agree that violence has no place in correcting a canine’s behavior.
Q: Will my dog stop chewing after getting neutered?
A: Neutering your dog will help calm aggressive chewing, but it won’t fully stop the habit. You still need to train your Bulldog if you want to stop chewing wires at home. Also, you need to secure your cables so your pooch won’t find and chew them.
Q: Can dogs get poisoned by chewing wire?
A: It’s not common for canines to experience poisoning after chewing and ingesting wires. However, the canine can suffer from intestinal blockage and choking if it consumes a sizeable amount of cables. Still, the biggest threat to this habit is electrocution when the chewed wire is still plugged into a power source.
Final words
Chewing is pretty common among canines, even the laidback Bulldog. Over the years, I’ve found ways on how to stop my dog from chewing electrical wires by utilizing simple hacks. Exercise, mental stimulation, chew toys, and training never go out of style when correcting canine behavior. Paired with patience and positive reinforcement, you’ll never go wrong. Of course, you can also consult dog trainers if you’re having a hard time dealing with your Bulldog’s destructive chewing.
