Even if you have to fight your significant other for the remote, you should never have to fight your dog for it. Because of its size, shape and smell, your remote control may be irresistible to your dog. Solving the problem takes a simple combination of prevention and replacement.
Step 1
Place the remote where your dog can't reach it. This is the simplest, most reliable method of prevention, so pick a place that he can't access.
Step 2
Take the remote from him if you catch him with it. Don't scold or chastise him, or acknowledge what he has done in any way other than taking the remote. Replace it with a toy or chew more suitable, and when he plays with it, shower him with praise. Dogs learn from positive reinforcement more than negative reinforcement.
Step 3
Give your dog chews that stimulate his teeth and gums in the same way as the remote. This means giving him hard, durable toys instead of plush toys like stuffed animals. If he isn't getting the oral stimulation he needs from his toys, he'll seek out alternatives, like the precious remote.
References
Writer Bio
Tom Ryan is a freelance writer, editor and English tutor. He graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a degree in English writing, and has also worked as an arts and entertainment reporter with "The Pitt News" and a public relations and advertising copywriter with the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh.