I'm probably gonna get blasted for doing this....but I can't take Trace destroying my $5,000 worth of less than 2 year old carpet....any way he doesn't bite at it....he digs and sniffs...frantically I might add. When I've caught him doing it you can just tell he's thinking..."I'm a lean mean carpet tearing up machine..gotta do it faster, faster
" What I've done is sprinkle a little pepper there and that's seemed to work. He doesn't like the smell and if he takes a good enough sniff....his response is the same as yours...he sneezes. He's only worked on an edge and it's been repaired. He's never done it to any other area. Keepin' my fingers crossed, that and the baby gate isn't coming down any time soon.