What to do about electrical cords?

[Pam 19]

I've had to stay @ my Mom's house for a while & was here when I got Teppi. I've hung T-shirts & towels over all the electrical cords that she can get to because I've seen her too close to them. My daughter & I are getting ready to move into an apartment & I was hoping you could tell me some other way to hide the cords that I can't put furniture in front of, like coming from lamps, phones, etc. In the other thread I just posted I talked about Teppi running wild. I'm just scared to death that she will get to some kind of cord before I can get to her. I wish they made some kind of flexible piping to run them through. lol Puppy teethe proof, of course.

[Sweet Apple]

You might want to get an x-pen, if you are concerned she might chew an electrical cord...True story...When I worked away from home, Apple was in the living room/dining room/kitchen...The only electrical cords that she could get to, were the computer, t.v. and treadmill...Every single day, I threw the breaker to those plugs (on the electrical box) that connected those things...One day, I came home, and she had chewed, completely, through a lamp cord, in the living room...Had I not thrown the breaker, she, most certainly, would have been electrocuted...I don't throw the breaker, anymore, but did for about the first year, while she was teething....If you can't throw the breaker (and you really need to be sure you've checked all electrical outlets are off), then you really should consider an x-pen, for her safety....

[kjcmsw]

Home Depot-type stores (or even office supply stores) generally carry electrical cord covers and such. I would check out those type of places.
You can also lift up the carpet edge near the wall, run your cords under the carpet and tuck the carpet back under the kick boards (use a putty knife).
The cable cord for the kitchen tv comes from the living room and hubby tucked it under the carpet then when it needed to be ran up the wall to the counter he run it through a small metal tube and attached that to the wall...that was the one cord the dogs wanted to go after and needed the metal tube.

[Suze225]

There is also a spray you can use on your cords, just make sure you don't get the outlet part wet. It is called bitter apple and tastes very very sour and dogs dislike it.....therefore they won't chew on things. I have used this on furniture legs as well as cords. Good luck!!

[spartanmom]

I just got back from taking my 3 month old to the vet....she was with me this morning and had ran off to the other room, when I found her she had chewed thru an electrical cord!! I am so ashamed of myself that I didn't tape them up or something!! She was just laying there with her mouth around the cord and I unplugged it and grabbed her up....I just kept pushing softly on her heart as it was still beating. I was absolutely hysterical calling phone numbers and trying to get ahold of my husband and the vet...finally I just threw my clothes on and jumped in the car and rushed to the vet, a 20 minute drive. By the time I got there she was coming to and had crawled up on my shoulder like she does. I checked her mouth and her tongue was burned. My husband met me there and one of the vet assistants showed up we rushed her in they say she should be okay, she is staying there today and starting on antibiotics. I AM SO ASHAMED OF MYSELF!!!! Today is devoted to taking care of all electrical cords. She truly is a family member and unfortunately I have learned a very valuable lesson!!! I just can't quit crying!!!

[chachi]

If your pup is still chewing it shouldnt have free roam of the house when you cant watch her

[Teresamag]

Originally Posted by Suze225

There is also a spray you can use on your cords, just make sure you don't get the outlet part wet. It is called bitter apple and tastes very very sour and dogs dislike it.....therefore they won't chew on things. I have used this on furniture legs as well as cords. Good luck!!

Someone else recently posted to use men's gel deodorant on things you don't want chewed. It sounded good to me. I would make sure your girl is confined in a safe place - like an exercise pen or in a crate when you can't keep an eagle eye on her to make sure she is safe.

Teresa

[lexi43]

I know alot about cord chewing. My two Basset Hounds chewed the wires to the heater, my room mates juke box, the cable wire outside and the air conditioner wire. We got cord covers on all our cords now and the cables are hung high on hooks outside. The vet said they have more lives than Garfield. I don't let any of our dogs free roam when we're not home.

[SWHouston]

Pam,

Thee are several "Cord Protector/Covers available, one is at...
Wiremold 15 Ft. Overfloor Cord Protector - CDG-15 at The Home Depot

Admittedly, this only covers the "runs" across the Floor, one might put something heavy in front of the Electrical Outlet, to protect that.

As far as Training...
I have a couple of "junk" cords. One a two wire lamp cord, and the other a piece of Coaxial Cable. When both of mine were puppys, I'd put these cords down on the floor where they would have to move around them, and when they approached (even for s sniff) I'd say NO firmly.
With these "training" cords, at least one can cause the encounter in his time frame, rather than leave it to happenstance.

[spartanmom]

We picked our girl up from the vet this afternoon. They said she was doing fine, she has been sleeping since we got home with her. I went straight out this morning and bought an exercise pen, the bitter spray and then zip tied and taped up loose cords, unplugged ones that aren't used that much. I am so ashamed that it took something like this happening to do these simple safety procedures. God has truly given me a second chance!!!

[yorkieusa]

Originally Posted by spartanmom

We picked our girl up from the vet this afternoon. They said she was doing fine, she has been sleeping since we got home with her. I went straight out this morning and bought an exercise pen, the bitter spray and then zip tied and taped up loose cords, unplugged ones that aren't used that much. I am so ashamed that it took something like this happening to do these simple safety procedures. God has truly given me a second chance!!!

Oh! I'm so sorry. I think if you've never had little one's before that something like that doesn't occur to you. Please don't feel so bad. This is your first and we live and learn. You are lucky that she is still with you. Was her tongue burned very badly or just a little bit?

[kjcmsw]

Originally Posted by spartanmom

We picked our girl up from the vet this afternoon. They said she was doing fine, she has been sleeping since we got home with her. I went straight out this morning and bought an exercise pen, the bitter spray and then zip tied and taped up loose cords, unplugged ones that aren't used that much. I am so ashamed that it took something like this happening to do these simple safety procedures. God has truly given me a second chance!!!

Don't beat yourself up too bad, all turned out well, thank Goodness. Fair warning on the Bitter Apple...yeah, it tastes bad...try getting some on your finger...everything will taste like that for 2 hours, regardless of how well you washed your hands!!! ---but within a day they'll be back to chewing on whatever you spray it on, despite it's claim it won't evaporate like other similar sprays. It's great to stopping immediate chewing, but I wouldn't trust it for electrical cords for more than an hour or two.

I had a kitchen chair leg the dogs kept chewing...I saturated the part they were chewing...they went over and went to chew it and backed away trying to get the taste out of their mouth...a couple hours later I go back in the kitchen and they were knawing the very spot I had sprayed.
I'm beginning to think it's an acquired taste for some dogs!!! lol

[misslissa]

you can buy stuff that looks like fish tank tube but it is scented like citrus and critters of all sorts stay away from it you used to be able to buy it at petsmart but i dont know if you still can

[candigirl]

Originally Posted by Suze225

There is also a spray you can use on your cords, just make sure you don't get the outlet part wet. It is called bitter apple and tastes very very sour and dogs dislike it.....therefore they won't chew on things. I have used this on furniture legs as well as cords. Good luck!!

2nd the bitter apple. Lexie doesn't have much of an interest in cords but i've had to spray both me and my moms house slippers and as soon as she put her mouth on them she let go and kept shaking her head in disgust

[Pam 19]

Thank you all for the great ideas! I had thought about asking @ Home Depot but the only thing I could think they might have was PCP pipe & I don't think that would work. lol I may use more than 1 of your remedies depending on how things lay out in out new apartment. I was really worried about what to do & I wanted to know what to do before we move. Teppi never has free roam of the house. We're together 24/7 but there are those few minutes I have to step out of the room for some reason & I'm just not going to take any chances. She's my little sweetheart & my companion. When I do have to go somewhere she can't go I put her in her crate & she has no problem with that. By the way, Teppi has a real problem right now associating biting with everything, playing, etc. When she's really wound up she'll dive @ my hands, arms, whatever she can get to & bites then runs back & forth doing this. I've started spraying the Bitter Apple on 1 of my hands when she starts & the first sniff or bite & she starts running zoomies or cutting little flips in the air because it's so bad. Now it's getting to the point that if I she starts & I pick up the bottle she starts backing off. But it's funny because she gets mad & starts barking @ me like she's fussing @ me. lol I don't care if I make a mistake & get a little taste of it as long as it keeps those SHARP little puppy teeth out of me. lol Thank you all again so much. You've been a big help. Pam