Whether your family calls it trash or garbage, the scavenging dog can turn a household upside down. The smartest dogs are often the trash hounds. After all, searching out edibles is critical to the survival of canines in the wild. Foraging talent would be highly prized in a wild pack.

Trash hounds can be wonderful companions to humans who are as smart as the dogs. Anger and punishment won't solve the problem and in fact can make it worse. Brains and a sense of humor will keep you one step ahead of your trash hound-most of the time!

Built-in Reward

Digging into the trash satisfies deep instincts in a dog, and any behavior that does this provides its own reward. The dog frequently ferrets out more tangible rewards, too. Smelly stuff, crunchy chewables and tasty treats wait in that trash for the enterprising dog.

Sometimes you'll catch the dog in the act and interrupt the fun, or the trash won't contain anything of canine interest. The dog will quickly learn, though, that you can't watch the trash every minute, and sometimes the pickings will be grand.

Getting into the trash provides intermittent reinforcement, the type of reinforcement that most predicts a behavior will be repeated. Look at it this way. If every time for 50 times in a row the dog got in the trash there was no one to say no and the dog got something lovely out of the trash, the dog would certainly be likely to go back for the 51st time. But if then suddenly there was a human on guard every single time, or there was nothing good in the trash when the dog checked it time after time, pretty soon the dog would give up and stop checking the trash. The dog would figure the situation has changed and it's no longer worth the effort to raid the trash.

On the other hand, if getting past the human and finding something good in the trash was not such a sure thing, the dog would quickly get used to checking "just in case." This is the same kind of motivation that causes humans to get hooked on gambling. Most of the time they lose, but sometimes they win. This intermittent reinforcement powerfully motivates the individual-human or canine-to keep going back and trying again.

The point here is that raiding the trash is a highly rewarding behavior to a dog. It's difficult or impossible to change a behavior like this through training, to the extent that the dog would reliably stop doing it.

Risky Business

Punishing the trash hound can create problems such as separation anxiety where the dog both desires and fears your return home. In this state of mind, the dog may get into the trash even more,

Punishment can also lead to serious resource guarding because the dog wants to keep the trash prize you're trying to take. The safest way for your dog to view you is as the giver of good things, not the taker. You know that turkey carcass could kill the dog, but the dog doesn't know it. You're trying to protect the dog, but to the dog it seems you are a rival for the prize.

The best way to get something away from a dog starts with conditioning your dog to allow you to handle the mouth, and training the dog to bring you things. Then when you see your dog holding something dangerous, you'll be equipped to intervene safely. When the dog does swipe something, you have the perfect opportunity to build on the training to bring things to you. Instead of chasing and cornering a snarling dog, good handling will make your dog eager to bring you the item.

Veterinarians frequently have to perform surgeries to remove trash items from dogs' gastrointestinal tracts, and some dogs unfortunately do not survive. This is another reason not to depend on training to manage the trash hound. The behavior is so rewarding that training has little chance of producing 100% reliability, and one mistake can harm the dog.

Leave It

One thing you can teach your dog is the cue "Leave It." Teach it at first with the dog on leash and some nice treats on hand. When the dog shows interest in the tempting items you're using for training, say "Leave It," make sure the dog doesn't have enough leash to reach the item, and step away from it. As the dog follows you, praise and give a treat. Move around more and give the dog a few more treats for moving with you. Repeat the exercise a few times before ending on a happy note.

Soon the dog will understand that you'll make it worthwhile to listen to "Leave It." Eventually you'll be able to do it without a leash. Remember to take the trouble to provide a reward even when it's not convenient. Consider this "money in the bank" for the time when the dog will be going after something really dangerous and you'll be able to stop the dog with "Leave It," because of the effort you've put into making this a rewarding behavior for your dog.

Puppy Preparation

Puppies are moldable in special ways, and you may be able to get your bluff in early on trash hound behavior with your puppy. This calls for just the right touch. Puppies require 100% supervision when they're loose in your home, to establish housetraining and appropriate chewing behavior. While you're doing that, you'll likely see the pup start to get into the trash. This is the moment to startle the pup and redirect the youngster into a desired behavior instead.

If your puppy gets the idea from your extremely diligent supervision that you are ALWAYS watching, there is a chance that even the budding trash hound might give up the behavior before doing it enough times to form a habit. Lack of supervision certainly increases the chance that your curious pup will discover the trash and all the bounty it contains!

So, watch your puppy. When you startle and redirect the puppy, be quick and upbeat as you bring the puppy out of the focus on trash into a happy activity such as playing with a toy or coming to you for praise, petting and treats. Lingering over the "No" part of a correction causes serious problems. You don't even need the word "No." A startling sound actually works better.

Puppies and dogs new to your home need help learning which items are theirs to chew. Keep appropriate chew toys in the dog's reach at all times. Of course this also means the humans will need to purchase these items. Toys are necessary tools for dogs. They use toys to help themselves fall asleep, to ease pain in their jaws as their permanent teeth emerge and set firmly into the jaw bone, and to vent excess energy.

Training and exercise are also necessities. Bored or anxious dogs often look for things to chew. A dog with adequate mental and physical exercise on a daily basis is less frantic in the need to chew. Reward-based training provides both kinds of exercise, and also helps dogs feel less anxious. Then the dog is less likely to turn the house upside down.

Structure is another dog necessity. Unmet needs-food, water, access to a place to potty-make dogs anxious. Smart dogs often decide to meet their own needs, seeing the trash as a resource.

The first question to ask yourself when your dog shows behavior like this is how you can change what you're doing. People often perceive a "bad dog," but the dog is only following instincts and learned habits from previous experience. All of this is in one way or another caused by humans. It's never the dog's "fault." Dogs have no concept of money, and many things they do that offend us are not offensive to dogs. Getting mad at the dog not only doesn't help, but it will interfere with managing the trash hound!

Trash-Hound-Proofing Your House

Since training isn't a reliable solution to trash-hound behavior, you'll need to arrange the dog's environment for safety. Just as you childproof a house, you can dogproof. Look at things from your dog's point of view, based on what this dog has previously done.

Place tempting trash containers high enough that the dog can't get to them. Another option is to place trash containers in cabinets (use childproof locks if needed), or behind closed doors such as the garage just outside the kitchen door. You can use baby gates to confine the dog to dogproofed areas, or out of areas with excessive temptation. Consider commercial-type trashcans made of metal with lids the dog can't open.

Special Dogs

The same dog whose trash-hounding exploits become legend in your family may be the finest companion dog you'll ever have. You could have several trash hounds in your life, or only one. Dogs are different from each other, and some require much more management. These are the ones who keep life interesting!

Watch for changes in what tempts your trash hound, so you can stay one step ahead. Be alert, too, for behavior of this kind starting or sharply increasing in an older dog. That's a cue to have your veterinarian check for a medical problem.

When your trash hound is especially pesky, it may be time to set your chores aside and take your dog for a training outing. Properly channeled, the canine brains and energy that go into talented trash-hounding can truly bless your life.