Newly Mischievous Behavior in Older Dog

Question
Hello!
I have a 9 year old Golden Retriever/Cocker Spaniel Mix boy named Yeager. I
recently switched his food to a much healthier, lighter food on advice from
our vet.  Before we switched his food, he had gone through the trash only
when we left it over-flowing and reachable.  After this switch, he has begun
to go through all trash-cans, even where there is no food such as bathroom
trash, on a daily basis.  Could this be a sign of something else?  The food we
used prior was full of dyes and not recommended as one of the "nutritional"
food brands. I thought I was helping him and now I'm worried he's starving.  
My husband and I are at our wits end, having exhausted all reasonable
punishing methods.  
Thank you for any insight you can give.

Answer
Hi Laura,

Knowing you can't trust your dog NOT to go through the garbage, and seeing that punishment doesn't work, it's now time for prevention. Move your garbage cans out of reach of your dog, when you aren't around to supervise. You don't want this behavior to become habit, because then it will be harder to stop.

Being a lighter food might be leaving your dog hungrier than he was before. You didn't say if your dog is overweight or not. If he isn't, feed him a little more of the new diet. Another thing you can do is to increase the amount of fiber your dog gets. This will help him feel fuller, without adding fat to his diet.

Apple is high in fiber and other nutrients. Remove the seeds and core (apple seeds contain cyanide which can be harmful to dogs). A spoonful of unsweetened applesauce is a great kibble topper.Start with small amounts and experiment to see what works best with the dog. Too much, especially in the beginning can cause diarrhea.

Add a sprinkle of bran to the dog food. Rice bran, wheat bran and oat bran are all high in fiber, you could also use a bran breakfast cereal.

Spoon unseasoned canned pumpkin on dog food. Use only canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling. Use up to a tablespoon for a medium to large dog, again start out using less, and work up to an amount your dog will tolerate.

Fix brown rice for a family meal and save leftovers for the dog. Brown rice has three times the fiber of white rice. Spoon a little brown rice as a topper onto the dog kibble.

Mix healthy vegetables in the dog food or use them as treats. Many dogs LOVE carrot sticks, peas or green beans. Do not use canned vegetables as they are often high in sodium which can be harmful. Frozen mixed vegetables low in sodium are handy and can be quickly thawed or cooked.

Best of luck,
Patti