Many dog owners go through several TV remote replacements while trying to get their dog to stop eating them. Replacement remotes don’t cost that much, but programming a remote over and over can get tedious, and obviously most pet owners would prefer to avoid that hassle altogether.
But before you can get your dog to stop viewing television remote controls as chewtoys, you need to get to the bottom of what makes them chew in the first place.
Most dogs are born with a natural tendency to chew. They may consider it an enjoyable way to pass their time. Dogs often think of activities as a path to a reward, and when they chew on something, they’re performing an activity (chewing) and getting rewarded at the same time (with more chewing).
For many dogs, the impulse to chew actually comes from a very affectionate place: it’s reassuring to dogs to chew something that smells like the family that takes care of them. Since remotes and replacement remotes are handled so often, they collect plenty of great smells for your dog to enjoy.
For other dogs, chewing can be a way to relieve boredom, nervousness or separation anxiety. This is especially true of dogs who only chew destructively while you’re away at work: most of the time they’re just looking for a way to sooth themselves, and chewing offers a calming, repetitive outlet, much like eating comfort food.
Chewing can also be a symptom of lack of exercise. If a dog is pent up inside for much of the day and doesn’t get a chance to burn off energy, they may try to burn energy by chewing. This is another reason why dogs that are left in the house all day tend to be the biggest chewers.
If none of these seem to apply to your dog, it’s entirely possible that the remote is just shaped too much like they’re dog bone chew toys. Puppies and younger dogs often find remotes to be just the right size for chewing.
If you want to stop buying replacement remotes every month, try to identify why your dog is chewing and gently train them to stop, or provide them with an alternative. In the meantime, you should train yourself to keep remotes somewhere that the dog won’t be able to reach them. Helpful links.