Why Does My Dog Bite Cords?

Dogs, especially during puppyhood, are true explorers. This means they'll sniff and put in their mouth any object they can access, including ones that can be dangerous to their physical safety, like the cords of electrical devices we have at home.

Also, a bored dog may look for entertainment by investigating everything we leave within its reach. That's why it's not unusual for them to end up chewing on cords, which they can easily pull and move around. Below, we explain why they do this and how to prevent it, since it's genuinely dangerous.

Dogs Bite Cords Due to Exploratory Behavior

Dogs love exploring their surroundings. Thanks to their amazing sense of smell, they can "see" much more than we can. This exploratory behavior is much more pronounced in puppies, but it never fully disappears. Even if less pronounced, it remains present in adult and elderly dogs. The problem in puppies is that it comes paired with more energy.

We call it a problem because, in its eagerness to explore, a dog can expose itself to dangerous situations. For example, when it eats trash it could suffer poisoning, but a plugged-in cord could also give it an electric shock. That's why it's our responsibility to not only provide a completely safe environment, but also keep it active.

In other words, when the dog is alone, it needs to stay in a space free of any risk, with suitable toys it can entertain itself with. But we also need to make sure that time alone is spent calmly. That's why beforehand, we'll need to tire it out with exercise and games. This minimizes the risk.

The Danger of Electric Shock in Dogs From Biting Cords

When we think about the risks a dog left alone faces, we usually focus on trash or cleaning products. But we often forget to put cords away. Usually, the dog will destroy the charger or computer cord, and we'll simply need to replace it. But it can be more dangerous.

If the dog swallows a cord, it could suffer digestive issues of varying severity, like obstructions, tears, or even perforations. But there's a risk we sometimes don't consider — electrocution if the dog bites a live electrical wire.

What Injuries Can a Dog That Bites Cords Suffer?

Dogs are guided by smell, but since they don't have hands, they explore everything with their mouth. The damage from biting live electrical cords will depend on the intensity, the type of current, exposure time, voltage, the contact area, and so on. Generally, the signs we might identify are the following:

1. Burns.
2. Arrhythmia, meaning an altered heart rhythm.
3. Circulatory collapse, when oxygenated blood fails to reach the whole body.
4. Pulmonary edema, since lung capillaries are affected by the current.
5. Involuntary jaw muscle contractions. We might see the dog biting a cord and unable to open its mouth to let go.
6. Unconsciousness.
7. Cardiac arrest — the heart stops beating.
8. If the dog survives, we might see coughing, trouble breathing normally, excessive drooling, bad breath, and burns in the affected area.

What Do I Do If My Dog Has Bitten a Cord?

If we find live electrical cords that have been bitten, it's a good idea to contact the vet, even if the dog seems fine. It needs to be checked. Of course, if we find our dog unconscious near an outlet, we need to rush to the clinic. On the other hand, we need to be careful if it's still in contact with the cord.

In that case, the first thing to do is never touch the dog — instead, we need to turn off the main power switch to cut the current. If the dog isn't breathing, we need to immediately start artificial respiration or CPR, and of course, go to the vet.

When burns happen in the mouth, they usually heal on their own, but they need monitoring. Sometimes a grayish ulcer forms where the dog suffered the burn. In these cases, treatment may involve surgical removal.

How to Prevent a Dog From Biting Electrical Cords

We shouldn't just keep loose cords, like chargers or phone cables, out of the dog's reach to prevent digestive problems. We need to make sure we've truly kept them away from the dog. It could climb onto couches or furniture to reach them. Fixed cords around the house also shouldn't be accessible to it:

• Route them through completely inaccessible, dog-proof spots. Get down on all fours and assess how far your dog can reach from its perspective.
• Cover them, just in case, with plastic sleeves.
• Keep them unplugged whenever possible.
• Simply keep your dog in a cord-free room while it's alone.
• Of course, give it suitable toys so it doesn't feel driven to explore looking for entertainment.
• Lastly, we stress the need to give them enough physical exercise and mental stimulation too, to combat boredom.
• When destructiveness becomes a serious problem you can't control, check whether the dog's routine is appropriate and reach out to an ethologist or canine behavior expert for guidance.