It can be very risky for a dog to chew outside wires. The dog may end up suffering major injuries, possibly even dying. And a dog chewing outside wires can cause expensive damage and losses. Given these facts, people seek to know how they can protect outside wires from dogs. This article tackles that subject comprehensively.
If your dog chewed cable wire outside, then how to protect outside wires from dogs? Effective measures include disguising the wires, concealing the wires, giving the dogs alternative things to chew on, spraying deterrents, retraining the dogs and using spiral cable wraps.
The specific measures to use depend on the actual types of wires you are dealing with.
Take the measures that may be necessary when it comes to protection of electrical cables. Those may be different from those that are necessary when it comes to protection of, say, Internet or phone cables.
On another note, if the dog chewed cable wire outside previously, you know that he is at risk of doing so again.
Thus with that sort of situation, in which the dog chewed cable wire outside previously, you may have to use more aggressive measures.
Then again, a dog chewing on wires is not the only way the dog can damage them. Besides the cases in which you find a dog eating wires, there are those in which the dog’s damage wires by scratching/pawing.
But by and large, the most worrisome damage is that which is as a result of a dog chewing the wires.
Consequently, when it comes to the subject of how to dog proof wires, we mostly focus on the chewing aspect.
Once you figure out how to keep a dog from chewing cords, that is a major victory.
But firstly, let’s find out why dogs chew wires.
Why Do Dogs Chew Wires?
While embarking on a discussion about how to protect outside wires from dogs, it makes sense to first find out why dogs chew wires.
As it turns out, there are many reasons for dogs chewing wires.
Firstly, there are cases in which dogs chew wires as a way of exploring the world around them. Dogs explore the world around them using their mouths.
If a dog finds the wires fascinating, he may be inclined to chew on them. He does this to find out what they are all about.
Therefore some cases of a dog chewing wires are on account of this. And if you discover that your dog chewed cable wire outside, it may have been as part of exploration.
Secondly, there are cases in which dogs chew wires due to boredom. So you find that the dog has nothing better to do. So he opts to chew the wires.
It is not uncommon to find that a dog chewed through cable wire simply due to boredom.
Generally, any case in which a dog chewed cable wire outside may have been due to boredom.
Thirdly, there are cases in which you find a dog chew wires due to hunger.
Thus if your dog chewed cable wire outside, it may have been due to hunger.
Fourthly, you sometimes find dogs chewing wires in a bid to keep their jaws and teeth strong.
Thus if your dog chewed cable wire outside, it may have been an effort to exercise its jaws and teeth.
So these are the key reasons why dogs chew wires.
Knowledge of these will be helpful later, when answering questions like on how to protect cables from dogs, how to prevent dogs from chewing wires and so on.
How Do I Stop My Dog From Chewing Cords Outside?
When it comes to the subject of how to protect outside cables from dogs, there are certain reasonably effective measures.
Firstly, there is the approach in which you learn how to protect outside wires from dogs by concealing the wires. In the context of how to protect wires from pets, concealment often works quite well.
There is also the approach in which you learn how to protect outside wires from dogs by disguising the wires. This often works well, in protecting wires from dogs.
Further, there is the approach in which you learn how to protect outside wires from dogs by giving the dogs alternative things to chew on. For instance, you may effectively stop puppy chewing wires using this method.
At yet another level, you may learn how to protect outside wires from dogs by retraining the dog. If you research on how to keep a dog from chewing cords, you will see that many experts recommend this too.
Then there is the aspect of how to protect outside wires from dogs by spraying deterrents. In some cases, it may be possible to dog proof electrical cords using this approach.
Then in working out how to protect outside wires from dogs, there is the approach in which you can use spiral wire wraps. This, for instance, can help you pet proof extension cord outdoors.
We will now proceed to look at each of these methods in turn, to understand how they work in protecting outside wires from dogs.
How To Protect Outside Wires From Dogs By Concealing The Wires?
When it comes to the question of how to protect outside wires from dogs, concealment works very well.
The idea here is simply to hide the wires, so that the dog won’t be able to find them.
So this revolves about, for instance, working out how to hide electrical cords from puppies.
You may quite effectively stop puppy chewing electrical cords by simply hiding them.
In some cases, concealment may entail running the cables underground.
There are also cases in which concealment may entail running the cables over surfaces that the dog can’t access.
Whichever approach you use, in the context of how to keep dogs from chewing wires, concealment works quite nicely.
Actually, when thinking of how to protect electrical cords from puppies, nothing is better than concealment.
So here, you start by working out how to hide cable wires on outside of house.
When working out how to hide wires on outside of house, you have to be really creative.
You need to understand that dogs are quite curious and tenacious. Thus when working out how to hide wires from puppy, you need to use truly foolproof methods.
Otherwise, in spite of your best efforts, you may come to find that the dog chewed cable wire outside. That in spite of your halfhearted attempt at concealment.
How To Protect Outside Wires From Dogs By Disguising The Wires?
Earlier, we noted that dogs often chew on wires because they find them fascinating. So it is part of their exploration.
As we saw, it is not uncommon to find that a dog chewed cable wire outside as part of routine exploration.
Given this fact, one approach that works, when it comes to how to protect outside wires from dogs is that of disguising them.
Whenever concealment is not viable, disguising may be the next best option.
The idea here is to make the wires unattractive to the dogs. This may entail painting them in colors that make them blend in.
If painting is not an option, you can use an insulating sheath whose color blends in.
Or the approach may entail attaching them to objects/surfaces that won’t ordinarily attract the interest of the dogs.
It can also be as simple as straightening the wires, rather than keeping them in spirals…
The key thing is to ensure that the appearance of the wires doesn’t catch the dog’s attention.
How To Protect Outside Wires From Dogs By Giving The Dogs Alternative Things To Chew On?
While discussing why dogs chew wires, we saw that it is sometimes due to boredom.
It can also be as part of the dog’s effort to keep its teeth and jaws strong.
Consequently, if you provide the dog with alternative things to chew on, it may be less inclined to chew on wires outside.
You can use chew toys, chew treats and so on.
The risk of finding that your dog chewed cable wire outside goes down considerably, if you give your dog alternative things to chew on.
When trying to figure out how to chew proof wires, this is an effective – yet often overlooked – option.
Even when dealing with questions like those on how to protect cords from puppies, how to keep dogs from chewing cords and generally how to stop puppies from chewing on stuff, this method works well.
You just provide them with alternative (better) things to chew on. This normally reduces their tendency to keep on chewing on things like cables.
If you don’t provide alternative things to chew on, you can easily come home only to find that your dog chewed cable wire outside, leading to major losses and perhaps injuries.
For instance, if the dog chewed up internet cable outside, you may find that you have to buy new cable. And that can be costly.
Yet you could have avoided it, by giving the dog a cheap alternative thing to chew on.
How To Protect Outside Wires From Dogs By Retraining The Dogs
Dogs like to please their human masters.
You can use this fact to your advantage, when working out how to protect outside wires from dogs.
For instance, whenever the dog starts chewing on a wire outside, you can issue a ‘leave it’ command.
With time, the dog comes to understand that you prefer if it leaves outside wires alone. So it refrains from chewing, scratching or otherwise interacting with them.
So when it comes to how to train dog not to chew wires, that is all there is to it.
In the context of how to prevent dog from chewing cords, this can be a surprisingly effective method.
Here, you try to keep dogs from chewing electrical cords and other wires using their ‘willpower’.
When thinking of how to get a dog to stop chewing wires, this is very critical. Sometimes, the wires you will encounter are not your own (which you have the option of concealing, disguising and so on).
You may have knowledge on how to cover exposed wires outside, but if those are public utility or neighbor’s wires, you can’t actually cover them.
That is when this concept of training the dog to leave such wires alone becomes useful.
In fact, when figuring out how to stop my dog from chewing electrical wires, this would be my first line of defense. And this is all about just teaching the dog to leave the wires alone.
In the context of how to stop a puppy chewing wires, this approach may not work too well. That is if you have not yet had a chance to teach it the ‘leave it’ command.
So you then have to establish other methods, in terms of how to get a puppy to stop chewing wires.
How To Protect Outside Wires From Dogs By Spraying Deterrents?
There are certain substances that, when sprayed on surfaces, make them very unattractive to dogs.
A good example is vinegar.
If certain outdoor wires are at a particularly high risk of dogs chewing them, you can spray them with these sorts of deterrents regularly.
Then there will be less inclination for the dogs to chew on them thereafter.
It is highly unlikely for you to find that a dog chewed cable wire outside if you had sprayed vinegar on it.
Similarly, you can stop puppy from chewing wires by spraying a chemical deterrent on the wires.
In fact, if you want to puppy proof cord covers, this approach – of using deterrent sprays – can be quite effective.
How To Protect Outside Wires From Dogs Using Spiral Cable Wraps?
There are cases in which concealing or disguising the outside wires may not be possible.
Yet you still want to protect them from dog’s teeth.
This is how spiral cable wraps come into the picture. These are so tough that even when the dogs try to chew on them, they are unable to penetrate.
Thus, for instance, in the context of how to keep wires away from puppies, this can be very effective.
When working out how to keep puppies from chewing electrical cords, this approach of using spiral cable wraps is worth considering.
The idea is to encase the cable in a spiral wrap which dogs can’t chew.
When trying to establish how to stop a puppy from chewing on electrical cords (or other wires), this can be an ideal method.
For anyone with the question on how to puppy proof wires (or generally pet proof cables), it is worth recommending the spiral cable wraps.
The spiral cable wrap is arguably the best cord protector for dogs in most cases.
Understanding The Dangers Of A Dog Chewing Wires
While learning how to protect outside wires from dogs, some of the measures we recommended may seem too drastic.
They take considerable effort, and perhaps expense.
To understand whether they are worthwhile, we need to understand the dangers of a dog chewing wires.
Now in some cases, a dog that chews on wires carrying current may end up suffering shock.
That may leave the dog with severe burn injuries. It can also cause internal organs damage. And it can generally be the genesis of the dog’s chronic health problems going forward.
Can a dog die from chewing electrical cord? That is almost a rhetorical question! If a dog chews an electrical cord with a high enough current, then it can certainly die from it.
Or at ‘best’, the dog may survive but with injuries so nasty that its life is never the same again.
Obviously what happens if my dog chewed a wire depends on whether or not the wire had current flowing.
But even a dog that chews on a wire with no current may still suffer from oral lacerations. These may then develop infections, leading to major problems.
Thus if your dog chewed cable wire outside, there are many possible negative outcomes.
That is why it is necessary to work out how to protect outside wires from dogs.
How To Fix Wires Chewed By A Dog?
Upon learning that your dog chewed cable wire outside, an aspect you may have to deal with is that of repairing the wire.
So you would be dealing with the dog chewed wire how to fix question.
This actually is a major priority, if your dog chewed cable wire outside.
And with regard to dog chewed cable wire how to fix options, they largely depend on the extent of the damage.
In some cases, if the dog chewed cable wire outside at just a few spots, it may be possible to repair the cable.
Thus when it comes to how to fix a cord my dog chewed, this would be one option.
But there are cases in which you find that the damage is so extensive that the wire has to be wholly replaced.
For instance, when it comes to the aspect of how to fix a cut cable wire outside, the best option may be to just replace the entire cable.
Thus if the dog chewed cable wire outside, and the damage is extensive, this may be the only option.
Otherwise how do you fix a chewed cable wire, if sections of it are totally disintegrated? Is it not better to simply buy a replacement wire?
Thus you see that if a dog chewed cable wire outside, the subsequent repairs can be expensive and inconvenient.
And this is why learning how to protect outside wires from dogs is so critical.
Final Verdict – How To Protect Outside Wires From Dogs
There are several strategies through which you can protect outside wires from dogs.
Those include concealing the wires, disguising the wires, giving the dogs alternative things to chew on and simply training the dogs to leave the wires alone.
Other helpful strategies include those of using deterrent sprays and using spiral cable wraps.
Dogs that chew on outside wires may end up suffering major injuries. Some may even die from electrocution.
And even if the dogs don’t suffer that sort of harm, the damage they cause when they chew on the cables may be very expensive to repair.
That is why it is essential to work out how to protect outside wires from dogs.
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Welcome to Learn About Pet. My name is Rajkumar Ravichandran and I love all pets, travel, and amazing food. I write about my passion and personal experience caring for multiple pets in this blog! ❤️
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