The next time you wonder, “Where’s the remote?” don’t be surprised if the dog has buried it or chewed it beyond recognition.

Similar in size and shape to their favorite bone, a remote control has the added flavor of its master’s scent, making it an irresistible treat.

“Dogs are devouring remote controls,” remarked Charlie Waters, Customer Service Director for www.remotecontrols.com, seller of original remotes controls for TV, Blu Ray, Home Theater, DVD, Sound Bar, Smart Touch, etc.

According to Waters, “My dog ate the remote” is second only to “I lost it” as the most common reason given by customers when ordering a remote control.

“The average living room has four remotes just in that one room alone,” Waters said. “Combine that with eighty–nine million canines* living in U.S. households and it’s easy to see why the remote is going to the dogs.”

Once pet owners’ remotes are destroyed, they discover that it was more than just a modern convenience.

“Many of today’s consumer electronics are simply useless without the original remote control,” Waters explained.
Most universal or cable remotes just can’t get the job done—they don’t operate such key features as Input, menu and smart functions, which are necessary on most of today’s sophisticated electronic equipment.”

Apparently no one has found a solution either, judging by the number of phone calls and e-mails that remotecontrols.com receives concerning this problem.

From foul-tasting no-chew sprays to homemade bitter-tasting concoctions applied to remotes by owners, nothing seems to be a guaranteed fix. The best course of action may be simply making sure to keep the remote out of bounds of the dog, although that’s often easier said than done.

“We hear it all the time,” Waters related. “People hide the remote from their dog and then they can’t find it themselves.”

Although remotecontrols.com hasn’t found the answer to prevent Fido from slobbering on the remote, Waters said, “We are not really looking for a solution. We figure why bite the hand that feeds us?”

*Wowmypetdidthat Editor Note: Most of our efforts to confirm this figure found the number was more like 78 million.