# Getting in the trash



## N2Mischief (Dec 3, 2012)

Others may not agree, but in my experience, certain dogs are just trash diggers and will continue to do it, especially if you aren't there. Problem is, it is super dangerous. Who knows what they will find and it can make them super sick and cause pancreatitis. I am of the opinion that it is not worth the risk and I just make sure there is no way for them to succeed in getting the trash so I don't have to worry about it and also to save on the frustration.


----------



## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I have my kitchen garbage under the sink. Lily and Peeves definitely would be dumpster divers if they were street dogs and they do the equivalent nosy looking every time we replace the bag.

I once managed to leave the bag on the floor in the kitchen when I went out (it was hectic and I didn't pay attention). Lily had a field day and gave herself a pretty good GI upset (both ends), including a moderate case of pancreatitis. the garbage is a very dangerous place indeed.

I would either put the can under the sink or secure the lid with a child safety lock. I think this behavior is like counter surfing, unless you extinguish it the very first time it happens it is self rewarding. The dog will never learn to associate having been in the garbage with getting sick and will check it out any time you aren't looking.


----------



## PoodleFoster (May 25, 2013)

MonaLisa said:


> What is the best way to keep her out of it? It's not just enough to buy cans with lids she needs to learn to stay out. She is a yr old Spoo and it seems she does this mostly when we leave although I have caught her nosing the edges.
> 
> Crate or kennel her when you go out, problem solved.


----------



## Lisa75 (Jul 16, 2014)

In my experience, you just have to keep it out of their reach. All it takes is one time getting into it and they're hooked because the treasure is so rewarding. My kitchen trash is under the sink and the bathroom doors are closed at all times.


----------



## Shamrockmommy (Aug 16, 2013)

I have to keep mine under the sink in the cabinet and locked with a baby lock.


----------



## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

MonaLisa said:


> What is the best way to keep her out of it? It's not just enough to buy cans with lids she needs to learn to stay out. She is a yr old Spoo and it seems she does this mostly when we leave although I have caught her nosing the edges.
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


That best way to keep her out is to make in inaccessible to her. Forget trying to teach her not to scavenge. It's really, really a hard thing to undo since dogs have been opportunistic scavengers for thousands upon thousands of years and that's the very way they survived and evolved. lol.

I only know one dog that will not take the opportunity to get into garbage or food that is left in reach, in plain sight, that is not her dog food and that is my son's dog. She is some kind of incredible dog. You can leave anything opened on the floor and she will not touch it. Just today when I visited, my son had a muffin half eaten. The other half was on top of a wrapper on the grass and we weren't even sitting right there at the time...we had wandered away. And his dog did not take it...did not even think about taking it. lol. Amazing. And she loves food, is not picky but won't take anything without being given it. And there was no training specifically involved. That's what amazes me. 

Well, I am rambling. But anyhow, yeah...I just put it under the sink. In my old house in Idaho, Jose` figured out how to open the cabinet door and knock the can out. So, I put on child proof locks. For some reason in this house, he hasn't generalized the behavior and hasn't tried it so far. Knock on wood.


----------



## Desiree (Feb 14, 2010)

Get a locking garbage can from simple human.


----------



## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

Yup! There is no 'cure' ......only prevention! If it smells good it's eatable , period! LOL!


----------



## Mel (Apr 4, 2012)

Sandy loves to go through the kitchen trash. Also she will snatch food off the counter if she can reach. If you leave the room she will jump on the bar stool chairs and get on the kitchen bar top that way. nothing can be ever left on tables for sure. Even a paper plate. She likes to tear them up. Sandy likes a bunch of different kind of drinks too and will spill them when trying to drink. It's frustrating sometimes having a thinking\sneakydog lol. Don't leave coffee on a coffee table in my house:ahhhhh:.

We have had more than a few tears over lost food. 

Since the kids sit at a small kids table during some meals Sandy has to be put in her kennel . Little hands holding food is fair game. 

Since we have moved we have a cabinet trash can which has helped. Before that we had a Very tall tash can with a top. During all meals and cooking Sandy has to be in her kennel.

She loves people food and normally I don't allow it. So I bet she is frustrated too.

Be careful if your dog likes to eat tissues. Awhile ago we had a dog that loved tissues. Her stomach not so much. We had to have surgery to get tissues out. Dog was fine but our wallet wasn't.

We also have to make sure our 3yr old doesn't leave pull-ups or diapers that she wears at night on the floor. Sandy thinks those are fun to chew up and makes a big mess all over the floor. Thank goodness the diapers are almost done in my house.


----------



## PoodleRick (Mar 18, 2013)

lily cd re said:


> I have my kitchen garbage under the sink. Lily and Peeves definitely would be dumpster divers if they were street dogs and they do the equivalent nosy looking every time we replace the bag.


Yup, Penny would be right there with them. She likes to be right in the middle when we're making lunch or dinner and getting a good look at what's going in the trash. Here she is in her spot. I'm making lunch and the trash can is under the sink right next to her left elbow. In the cabinets under the sink is the only way to keep her out but I've caught her a couple of times using her nose or her paw to try and open the cabinet. Little stinker











Rick


----------



## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I have found closing the kitchen door usually works - as long as I first check which side of it Poppy is, of course! Think of it as being left alone with nothing to do, and knowing that there is a fridge full of your favourite wine and food and chocolate, a stack of really good DVDs, and several of your favourite games - how long would you wait?!


----------



## Charmed (Aug 4, 2014)

Trash eating is a self rewarding behavior and therefore, very difficult to break. Prevention is the key.


----------



## MiniPoo (Mar 6, 2014)

Dealing with this issue is much easier if there are no.kids in the house. Still even with adults only there has to be rules about food prep and eating around dogs.

First, we usually keep the dogs out of the kitchen when fixing our food. If they want to be near us they have to be laying down on the edge of the kitchen. We have a garbage can with a lid that rises with a food peddle and is otherwise closed. I use scented garbage bags to mask odors and take out garbage with really enticing smells.

Second, we never feed the dog from our plates. I mean never ever. We often eat on the couch. Dogs can lay down next to me while I eat but they cannot put their face near my dish. They can even lay on my lap. If they look too interested in my food, I push them off my lap. So now I can eat anywhere I want and my dogs don't bother me.

We don't leave glasses or dishes on side tables. They are always returned to the kitchen sink when empty.

The few times my dogs tried to counter surf I ran at them waving my arms and yelling and banished them from the kitchen. They did not try that often.

So far this has worked for 5 different dogs. Just set rules at the beginning and follow them.


----------



## mvhplank (Dec 5, 2012)

MiniPoo said:


> Dealing with this issue is much easier if there are no.kids in the house. Still even with adults only there has to be rules about food prep and eating around dogs. <snip>


You've put your finger on it--absolute consistency results in well-trained dogs.

Neely has counter-surfed in the past--I don't know whether he's stopped or just hasn't found that I've left anything in reach. None of the dogs have gone for the trash can, and they could easily get into it if they so desired--even the rat terriers, I'm sure. The girl, Bridget, has been known to get on the table and help herself by using a chair as an intermediate step.

But yes, Neely is crated when I'm out and is NEVER left loose in the house with no human for company. But then I work at home, and he's rarely cooped up more than 3 or 4 hours, and that might occur once a month or so.


----------



## Feelingdoc (Feb 18, 2014)

Thanks Mel for the heads up on the tissues. Noel loves digging them out of the trash (small baskets in my office)...I'll be more careful. 

My trash goes on top of the counter or the dogs are put in bed when we go out. We generally don't have a problem with trash but my dogs are not above counter surfing. And yes never leave coffee sitting by a chair! And never leave treats in pants pockets...they will find them in the laundry basket and chew right through the pocket.


----------



## MiniPoo (Mar 6, 2014)

We also never leave food on the counters. The only exception is a bunch of bananas on a wooden holder. Otherwise, food is out when being prepared but after meals, all dishes are in the sink or dishwasher. We are not neat freaks by any means, but there is no reward even if our dogs somehow found a way onto the counters or the kitchen island.

Around the holidays we make cookies and keep them in tin boxes in the middle of the island. So there is not much of a smell to attract their attention.

The only times I have seen our dogs try to sniff what is on the counter is when we bring in the groceries, and I think that is just curiosity not really trying to find food. 

We also have a refrigerator where the freezer is on the bottom and the refrigerator on top. So when we are getting food out of the frig, they can't reach it or even try to see what is there. Of course, we don't have a long legged standard poodle. They might be able to see into the higher shelves of the frig, but if they are never given food directly from the frig, it should not be too much of a problem.


----------



## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

BF actually decided to get rid of the wastebasket in the bathroom while I was away with Lily this weekend. This way visitors who are unaware of Lily's tissue eating proclivities have to ask what to do with their used ones (under the kitchen sink, please!).


----------



## Charmed (Aug 4, 2014)

Good one, lily cd re! When my grand-dogger is here for sleepovers, the bathroom trashcan is shut in the shower. She just can't resist foraging and I got tired of dealing with the aftermath. It's kind of a strange solution, but it works.


----------



## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Sophy has a thing about Q-tips, which I never use but my sister does. When my sister visited she would wrap them in loo paper and bury them in the bathroom waste paper basket - every time Sophy would empty it out to find and chew the cotton bud. I now have an extra tall pedal bin, and she has not worked that one out yet!


----------



## PoodlePowerBC (Feb 25, 2011)

:ahhhhh: As mentioned above ... the reward is too great! Having a dumpster diving dog is a challenge, you have to find a way to lock them out. My last Spoo even learned to step on the pedal to gently pull the garbage out, whether I was around or not!
Good luck


----------



## Axeldog (Aug 29, 2014)

PoodlePowerBC said:


> :ahhhhh: As mentioned above ... the reward is too great! Having a dumpster diving dog is a challenge, you have to find a way to lock them out. My last Spoo even learned to step on the pedal to gently pull the garbage out, whether I was around or not!
> Good luck


We have always used the kitchen trash can with a pedal to open the lid. None of our spoos have ever figured it out. They were not as talented as yours Poodlepower! LOL!!!


----------

