My 8 year old chocolate Lab has a major behaior issue!

Question
QUESTION: I have an 8 year old chocolate lab, that we can not keep him out of the refrigerator.  He only does it when we are not at home.  You can feed him before you leave and it doesn't matter, he gets in the refrigerator and gets out and eats whatever he wants.  Its to the point that we have already had to take him to the vet for eating stuff that was very bad for him that made him extremely sick.  We don't know how to get him to stop.  Putting child safety latch does not work....eventually he figures out how to break it.  It is so bad that he even opens the oven when we leave.  Its not the length of time your gone that matters, because he does it as soon as you walk out the door.  We need to figure out how to get the behavior to stop, what is is that he is searching for and why, when he just ate....He should not be hungry.  Please help we are at our wits end with this.  If this behavior does not stop I am afraid he is really going to injure himself. The behavior is only when we are not at home.

ANSWER: I would crate the dog when you leave.  That's the best way to keep him safe while you are not home.

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QUESTION: We have tried that.  We have went through 3 cages with him.  He gets out of them or chews his way out, (metal cages with padlocks on them).  He was more destructive in a cage while we were gone vs leaving him out.

ANSWER: You may want to consider a behaviorist to find out what is bothering the dog.  He appears to have some sort of separation anxiety.  Was he a shelter dog or did you get him as a puppy?

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QUESTION: We got him as a puppy, from the litter to our house.  He does not do this behavior every day though.  Thats why I am having such a hard time figuring out what is triggering it.  Right now it is 3 days in a row now. He did it one day 2 weeks ago, was extremely sick, had to be taken to the vet to get some medicine, didn't do it again until this week and its three days in a row now.  Eating whatever he wants out of the fridge.  Doesn't matter if he has been fed, he may even have food in his bowl and will get in the fridge.  This is a new behavior for him.  He has been doing this for I would say 1 1/2 tops now.  But he is such a smart dog and we love him very much, We just don't know what else to do with him at this point.  While we are home great dog, but when you leave, you never know what you are going to come home too.  He had been put on a medication at one point, but that didn't really seam to help.  I have tried the shock collars to keep him out of a room and he did nothing but destroy the collar, twice.  Figured out a way to get the collar off and then destroyed both of them.  He knows commands, he is loveable very playful and smart....How many other dogs none that I know that can figure out how to get out of cage, get in fridge, open the oven, I know of none, but he is applying his smartness in a bad way.

Answer
Since this is a new behavior, it probably is best that you work with someone local who can come to your house and evaluate what may have triggered this behavior.  Has ANYTHING changed in the home, yard, etc?  New people in the house, old people gone.  New neighbors, change in schedule?