It’s important that you have a way to keep your dog from raiding the trash as there could be potentially toxic (medicine or chemicals) or dangerous items (sharp objects) in the trash.
If your dog eats what he finds in the trash, he could get sick or even die from that action!
What can you do to keep your beloved pet away from the trash?
To keep your dog out of the trash, get a trash can that comes with a lid and lock or place the bin in a shed or garage. Spray deterrents such as vinegar on the bin to keep him away. Make sure he is well-fed and is not feeling bored. Practice positive reinforcement and reward him for staying away from trash.
Keep Trash In A LOCKED Bin
First and foremost, you need to make sure that your trash is properly disposed of.
If you put it on the curb for the trash collector to pick up, then there is a chance that your dog could find it and eat it.
The best way is to ensure that the trash is not accessible to your dog.
You can do this by getting a trash can that has a lid which can be secured with a lock. This way, your dog cannot open the can and access the trash.
You can also place the trash can in a remote place where your dog is less likely to see it, such as in a shed, a garage or in an area of your yard that is fenced in.
Alternatively, you can also set up a baby gate to block off your dog’s access to the trash can if you intend to leave it in your kitchen.
Make sure that the gate is high enough so that your dog will not be able to jump over and get to the trash can.
This will only work for smaller breed types of dogs as bigger sized dogs have adequate physical strength to jump over the locked gate easily.
Use Of Deterrents To Deter Him
Using deterrents will also do the trick for your dog to stay away from the trash can.
Prepare either a solution of vinegar and water (1 cup vinegar to 3 cups water) or ammonia (the same ratio) and spray the solution on the area around the can as well as the outside of the can and the lid.
Do this spraying at least once a day. The strong irritating smell of vinegar or ammonia will make your dog think twice before going near the trash can.
Your dog will naturally start to associate the irritating stench with a trash can. This will make him keep his snout away from the can.
Put Trash Away As Soon As You Are Done
Once you are finished with your trash, do not leave it lying around in your kitchen.
This is especially so if you are throwing the coffee grounds into the trash and the aroma will certainly lure your dog to it. Dogs can suffer from fatalities from eating coffee grounds, so do keep that out of reach for them.
If your dog sees the trash in the kitchen, he will learn that as long as he makes his way to the kitchen, he will be able to get hold of it.
On the other hand, if you put the trash out of sight, then your dog will have to work much harder to find it.
And, when he does find it, he may decide that it isn’t worth the bother as he couldn’t open the lid of the trash bin.
After a few fruitless attempts, he will likely give up!
So make sure that you remove any trash and put it in the can or bin at the very moment that you are done with it.
Ensure That He Is Well Fed
A hungry dog will often do what he can to get his food, and he knows that when you are done with the eating, you will throw the leftovers in the trash.. which means… he gets to eat them!
So, when your dog starts digging the trash, he could be looking for food to satisfy his hunger.
On the contrary, a well-fed, nourished dog will not resort to this kind of behavior, and he will only be interested in much more satisfying types of foods.
So, it is very important that you keep your dog well-fed so that he does not have to resort to scavenging for food.
What can you give your dog to make him feel full?
Well, for one thing, he should get foods that are high in fiber.
Give him more veg such as pumpkin, dark leafy greens, carrots, broccoli, mushrooms, kale and parsley in his diet.
A high-fiber diet not only makes your dog feel full longer but will also keep him regular and prevent constipation.
It is important for your dog to maintain a healthy intestinal tract to keep his stools soft and easy-to-pass, which means he won’t have any discomfort or interference with his digestion.
Protein also plays an important role in providing his body with energy, making him feel fuller.
Eggs, lean meat, fish, poultry, cheese, milk and other dairy products are all excellent protein-rich foods for your dog.
Hard-boiled eggs are great for dogs because they are easy-to-chew, and they contain a lot of protein.
How much food should your dog eat?
Well, it depends on several factors, such as his breed, age, size as well as activity level.
Generally, you should feed your dog approximately 2-4% of his body weight in calories per day.
His Activity Level – If your dog is an active one, he will need more food than a sedentary one.
This is because active dogs have a higher metabolic rate (Metabolism is the rate at which dogs burn calories) and need more calories to keep themselves in top condition.
His Age – Older dogs will need LESS food than younger ones. This is because older dogs have lower muscle mass and less of an ability to burn calories as efficiently as they did when they were younger.
Dogs are considered old when they reach the age of between 8 (for smaller breed) and 11 (large breed).
His Weight – Obviously, a very light-weight dog will need less food than a heavier one. However, even within a specific breed, there are variations in weight.
“KILL” His Boredom
Your dog is simply too bored, and he is trying to occupy his time with something that interests him.
You see, trash is a collection of all sorts of junk, and the scent of it will certainly interest your dog to carry out his “investigation”!
If he succeeds in getting hold of the trash, he will begin to dig and eventually eat whatever has caught his interest.
So you should always have some activities to “kill” your dog’s boredom and keep his energy level low so that he will not be too energetic.
Make sure that you provide an outlet to help your dog release his pent-up energy and keep him tired.
You can do this by taking him for a long walk or letting him run free in the fenced backyard.
Playing fetch games with him is also a great way to let him burn off some steam.
As I said earlier, your dog needs a certain amount of exercise every day. Make sure that you provide this for him daily to help him manage his excessive energy.
The important thing is to make sure that he has something to do other than just sit around doing nothing.
In addition, you should provide him with some sort of mental stimulation.
This can be as simple as playing a game of hide-and-seek with him or giving him a puzzle to solve.
Just make sure that whatever you give him is interesting to him and not merely boring.
You should also get him some toys and leave them for him to play with when you are not around.
This will give him something to chew on and take his mind off being bored.
Reward Him For Staying Away From Trash
Never scold or yell at your dog if you find him digging the trash as that could potentially cause him to be fearful of you and attempt to avoid you.
What you should do is to say “No” to him in a firm and calm tone, pick him up and take him away from the trash.
Practice positive reinforcement so that your dog knows that when he stays away from the trash, he will get a treat. Don’t forget to give him lots of praise for avoiding the trash!
If this doesn’t work, try using a more enticing treat such as a piece of steak or salmon that can get him interested.
The way to train him will be:
1. Leave the trash bag in the kitchen and make it easily accessible for him.
2. Keep a watch-out on him and if he attempts to approach the trash, say “No” in a firm and calm tone.
3. Wait for him to come to you, and you will reward him with a valuable treat.
The goal is to make him learn that by not going for the trash, GOOD things will happen.
Soon enough, he will learn that digging in the trash would mean that he will not get his beloved steak (or whatever other treat you are doling out) and will avoid practicing that behavior.