Why does my dog chew on remote controls?

Because a remote is picked up constantly, it holds a strong human scent, and its light weight makes it easy for a dog to carry off and settle down with somewhere quiet, unlike heavier household objects.

A drawer, a raised shelf, or even a simple remote holder mounted on the wall removes the temptation, and keeping a chew toy on the same table gives an obvious substitute within easy reach.

Leaving the remote as the only object on a low coffee table is an easy setup for trouble, since it becomes the single most interesting thing within reach whenever your dog is bored on the sofa with you. Clearing the table of small items generally and keeping just a durable chew toy there solves several problems at once, not only the remote.

If your dog has already chewed through a remote and swallowed a piece, take it seriously rather than waiting to see if it passes. Small button batteries in particular can leak or cause chemical burns internally within hours, so a same day vet call matters more here than with a plain plastic fragment.

A firm rubber toy shaped with ridges and a similar size to a remote can satisfy the specific texture some dogs seem drawn to, which is worth trying if a generic chew toy keeps getting ignored in favor of the real thing. Wipe the replacement toy down with a damp cloth every so often rather than letting it sit unwashed for months, since a grubby toy loses some of its appeal compared with a fresh scented one.