Need some help with the garbage problem.

[Jag]

An E-collar for a TRASH CAN?!?!? Are you kidding me?? Pick your battles!! Either find a place where you can 'hide' your trash for awhile, or keep your eye on the dog giving a strong "NO" when the dog approaches the trash and reward and praise when the dog walks away and leaves it alone. You may have to put it away somewhere when you can't watch the dog.

[SofaBear]

Drizzle ammonia into the trash container and of course close the lid tightly. I don't know if you've already tried this, but it has always worked wonders for me.

[msvette2u]

Gates and crates
Our dogs aren't allowed in the kitchen for a number of reasons, this is one of them.

[lsatov]

How old is your dog, how long has this been an issue.
When my dog was a pup I defined boundries and behavior that was acceptable and not.
I do not let my dog dictate where our how I keep my garbage or when I take it out. The same goes with food. I can leave food out on the counter on a coffee table and it is not touched, as it is mine not the dogs.
That being said, by hiding the garbage or removing it the problem is not being solved. The dog needs to understand that this behvior is not allowed. This behaviour needs to be extinquished. Black and white no grey.
There are numerous ways to extinquish a behaviour. You need to know your dog and need to know what you are comfortable with so that what ever strategy you utilize it will be black and white.

Laurel

[Blanketback]

I'm surprised that the step-on lid didn't work for you, but the dogs *are* smart. I have a swing lid on mine and my dogs have never gotten into it. But, I'm also forever on guard that they might try one day, so I never put anything in there that might be a problem - when I have leftover bones I always bag them and freeze them until garbage day. I'm guessing that you have delicacies in your trash that your dog just can't resist, lol? I also poured a small amount of vinegar on my trash to keep it from smelling interesting when my puppy was very young.

[Cassidy's Mom]

Originally Posted by msvette2u

Gates and crates

Agreed. And to that I'd add supervision. My dogs are allowed anywhere in the house, and are from the time they come home as puppies. But until (or unless!) they're trustworthy they are not allowed to roam loose and unsupervised. My bathroom can has a lid, and my kitchen can is a built in type under the sink that slides out, so it's behind a cabinet door, but that's because I have a very small kitchen with not enough extra floor space for a can.

At night my dogs are in crates in our bedroom, during the day or whenever we're not home they're in the chain link garage pen with a dog door to an outside run. Puppies are crated whenever I can't watch them, (and "watch" means eyes on), or they're closed into whatever room we're in with us, so they can't wander off and do damage and destruction.

[Narny]

This is what we have. Its a bit dirty now and needs to be repainted (house is under renovations) but you can see how well it works. My husband is a nerd and was going to make a life sized R2D2. I almost got rid of it 5 times before we planned on the dog. After we decided we were getting a GSD I was grateful I hadnt. It is some what annoying because we have to pick up the whole thing (you have to pick up the entire thing to get to the trash container under neath what you see, however I find it difficult to believe a dog could get into it.

[harleyboysmom]

The step on lid took him about 5 mins for him to figure out how to use it.
He is 9 mos old the eighteenth of this month. He is in that bull headed period.
To all, I do use crates and gates, my husband says we live in a gated community.
he isn't left unsupervised, one eye on him all the time, but he is stubborn, he will go near the trash and look at me knowing not to do it, just daring me, then he does it, I correct him, and then it goes on and on.

[Scarlettsmom]

Step on lids are just a fun diversion and a challenge until they find something better to get into. Our previous dog NEVER, EVER messed with the trash. Scarlett would not leave it alone. We got a smaller can and put it under the sink. I do take the trash out often, but I think that's better given the bug issue with fight constantly (darn sugar ants).

My parents got a fancy can that you wave your hand over the lid and it opens. It took their Border Collie about 3 nano seconds to figure out how to get it to open for him. It's still a battle for them, but at least they can hear it opening if Dillon isn't in the room with them.

[msvette2u]

The dome one, if a dog did get it's head in, it could choke...