teaching my dog not to do something

Question
QUESTION: How do I teach my female dog not to go in the garbage?

ANSWER: Sometimes teaching dogs to stay out of the trash is more difficult than shanging your trash container or the location of the trash.

We have a trash can that has a locking top and that works great with our dogs. Lots of our friends have the trash contained under the sink so it is not accessible.

To help you more, I would like to know the type and age of dog you have, what have you tried so far, what has worked and what hasn't.

In the meantime, you can look up additional information at:
http://RileyTrainingCenter.blogspot.com
http://www.OutlawChinooks.com

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: My dog is a poodle tarrier and she is three years old my dog goes in the garbage bag when we arn't looking we put the bag outside after it is full. I think she knows she did something bad but she does it anyway what do my mom and I do?

Answer
Both the poodle and the terrier are smart dogs. This makes teaching them a little more challenging.

Counter surfing and trash raiding are very common behaviors that can be corrected.

Eating any unsupervised / unguarded food left within the dog's reach is normal and expected and they don't care if the food is in a garbage can or on a counter. To them, garbage can food is just easier to get at because it is contained. Dogs, like wolves, are scavengers and predators. Think of it as an economy of time and energy to take advantage of your previous "kills" in the trash. So the trash can behavior as soon as you leave the room is normal.


What do you do now?  

1) NEVER leave any food unattended and within easy -- or not so easy -- reach.

2) Do a lot of Set-Up and Gotcha Training type training and a lot of BOOBY TRAP type training until your dog appears to be reliable. Don't ever trust that really valuable items will ever be safe.

3) Keep the dog out of the room by using doors, baby gates or other blockades.

4) Contain the trash in a dog-resistant trash container or behind a closed door.


The biggest key is to prevent the dog from getting into the trash as it can contain dangerous items and you wouldn't want the dog to get into something that could kill it.

Here are some trash cans that might work for your household:
http://www.simplehuman.com/products/trash-cans/index.html Simplehuman Brand

http://doggy-safe.com/ Has a locking aspect to prevent the little convicts from getting inside.

Hope this helps. Good Luck!
http://RileyTrainingCenter.bogspot.com
http://www.OutlawChinooks.com