How do I get my dog to quit going through our garbage?

Question

We have about a 5 month old border collie lab and she is a very good dog for the most part. She is potty trained, she knows many tricks, but one thing that I cannot stand is her going through our garbage. We cant seem to break her of that. She sometimes even knocks the cans over and they are all over. We try to keep a close eye on her but its hard as she is a puppy and running around all the time.

Answer 1

I've tried everything to avoid this problem. I agree w/ the previous answer, the one and only thing that worked for us was moving them out of his reach.
Good luck!

Answer 2

We have a golden brittany who is a AMAZING hunting dog, listens really really well and does some amazing tricks. But yes, she is a garbage hound. Not only that but she likes to jump on the counter.
My dad trains dogs, we tried two things.
One, can you get a small mouse trap up there? Sometimes when the can goes over or they stick their noses in, the snap of the trap scares them out of doing it again.
Two, you have to use a little rough love. When you catch her, grab her and point to the garbage and tell her NO, than give her a hard smack on the butt. I know, it hurts YOU to do it.
Make sure you clean the garbage up if she knocks it over when she can NOT see it. If she sees you cleaning it up, she may just see you as the 'maid' of her mistakes, your distress while cleaning maybe her cue that she is now the alpha dog in the house.
You should not have to hide the cans.
Training her to know what is wrong is the best thing to do if you want to have a obiedent dog.
If you dont have much time, yes, consider the hide away trash cans. The convinence may be worth your time.

Answer 3

The easiest thing to do is put the cans out of her reach, and keep bedroom/bathroom doors closed. Of course, that can be incovenient and sometimes you forget to close doors.

You could try something called snappy trainers. They work like a mouse trap (it won't hurt your dog) but instead of the metal part, there is a big plastic spatula type thing that makes a loud snapping sound when it is activated. You can get them at some pet shops, or try googling snappy trainers and order online. I've seen them in packages of two for $10.

You could also try taking an empty soda can and filling it with some pennies or rocks, and closing the hole with tape. Try baiting the trash can with some food, and wait for the dog to go for it. When she does, shake the can to scare her away but don't let her see you doing it.

Hope this helps!

Answer 4

My dog got into the garbage yesterday too!! He's tall enough though that he just got the half eaten hamburger out and didn't tip it over! He doesn't do it often, and knows he's not allowed. I Just give a loud "hey!" and he turns around and walks away. But I would suggest a lid that doesn't come off too easy, so even if he tips it he can't get into it. He'll lose intrest a a few times

Answer 5

I've encountered this problem with one of my dogs and the easy fix is to put all garbage cans into the cabinets, under the sink etc. I kept up this habit since then and actually it even looks better when you don't see garbage cans. Good luck.

Answer 6

You need to move the garbage cans. Managing the situation by doing that is best, as she's learned that she can get freebies by doing what she's done. Enclose them, or put them in a room where she cannot get them. BC - mix dogs will probably obsess about things that they want and cannot get, so that's why I recommend putting them out of sight!

Answer 7

It's an instant reward for her. The best and only answer I can provide is get a lid or a cover for trash can, keep in a cabinet or pantry and just out of reach.

You don't want to spank or hit your dog. He won't understand what he did wrong in the first place.

It's up to you to take preventative measures.

Good Luck.

Answer 8

In my experience it's much easier to put the garbage out of reach than to teach the dog to leave it alone.