It seems almost too ludicrous to be true to imagine a dog manipulating appliances alone. But one person asked Reddit for advice after their dog started doing just that while they were at work.
"Help, dog turns stove on when not home," the owner wrote. "He's turned the stove on 2 times previously and tonight it was clicking when I got home."
"How do I get him to stop?" he asked. "This is obviously extremely dangerous."
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Price 💰 Many people jumped in suggesting buying a pet gate to keep the kitchen out of reach for the dog. Another shared an even more affordable option: "We use a couple fireplace grate covers bought at thrift stores, just as an alternative."
Others suggested locking — or removing — the stove knobs. "The child lock stove knob covers work great," one person said.
"We had the same issue and got these plastic things that slip in behind the knobs so it can't be pushed back and turned," another agreed. "Gates didn't help us as my dog just jumped over them."
One person even suggested unplugging the oven, but as another pointed out, "Ovens don't need electricity to release gas, so turning it on will just fill the house with gas without starting a flame."
Even for those without stove-happy dogs, the idea of a gas leak or a fire is often a constant worry. It's one of the reasons that many homeowners have been opting for induction stoves instead, which are both a more affordable and safer alternative to gas.
Induction stoves conduct heat from an embedded electromagnetic coil directly into specialized magnetic cookware, meaning they heat up extremely quickly without the stovetop itself getting overly hot — a key draw for those with curious kids or pets. Also, since no gas is used, it eliminates both the risk of gas leaks as well as the high amounts of indoor air pollution that have been found in homes with traditional gas stoves.
Induction burners from brands like Copper are also vastly more efficient than gas or standard electric ranges, meaning they also slash monthly utility bills. And combined with the hefty incentives from the federal Inflation Reduction Act — up to 30% off the price in the form of rebates and tax cuts — induction burners have quickly become a no-brainer. However, President Trump has announced plans to repeal the IRA, per the Salt Lake Tribune, so it's important to act quickly to take advantage of those incentives while they're still around.
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