# garbage



## adasmomma22 (Feb 8, 2010)

*my gsd gets mad when we leave the house and to punish us i guess she gets into the trash and throws everything out. and she peed on the carpet today when we left her alone. the bad thing is we were only gone for like thirty minutes. any ideas how i can prevent this from happening again???*


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## SunCzarina (Nov 24, 2000)

Got crate?


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## adasmomma22 (Feb 8, 2010)

no i dont, i really hate to crate her though, she has never been crated before, we've only had her two weeks and we adopted her from abusive owners,


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

start house training your dog.
crate your dog. put the garbage
somewhere where your dog can't get to
it.


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## adasmomma22 (Feb 8, 2010)

but thats the thing she is house trained. she never goes in the house, today is the first time, and have any ideas where i cant put the garbage, she can reach everywhere, lol


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## SunCzarina (Nov 24, 2000)

adasmomma22 said:


> no i dont, i really hate to crate her though, she has never been crated before, we've only had her two weeks and we adopted her from abusive owners,


What she's doing is called separation anxiety. The safest place for her really is in a crate. Most dogs actually like them, it's a little den, their own personal space.

My female was rescued at 6 months old, brought in as a stray, history u/k but most likely abused by a man the way she acted around men. She had terrible separation anxiety. Her crate was always her safe haven, still is and she's 8 1/2 now. She loves her box, she was hanging out in there earlier when I was doing laundry.


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## sagelfn (Aug 13, 2009)

if you don't want to use a crate (although I think its best, aside from keeping your dog safe it will help it relax when you are away) then I suggest getting baby gates and blocking the dog from areas like the kitchen


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## adasmomma22 (Feb 8, 2010)

ok well i will try the crate idea then, thanks for the advice


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

the dog i have now is the first dog i crated. i never used the crate as a punishment. i never left my dog in the crate longer
than 4 hours. i always had someone come in and take my dog
out for potty breaks and treats. 

i stopped usuing the crate when my dog was 4 months old.
everything was fine untill he turned 8 months old. at 8
months old he decided to eat the house and funiture. so,
back in the crate you go. i stopped crating him again
when he was 15 or 18 months old. my dog is 2.5 years old
now and everything has been fine without the crate.

my dog started going to his crate for naps. sometimes
when you treated him he would go to his crate to eat it.
many times during the night he would leave our bedroom
and go to his crate. the crate is our friend.


adasmomma22 said:


> no i dont, i really hate to crate her though, she has never been crated before, we've only had her two weeks and we adopted her from abusive owners,


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

i put the trash/garbage can on top of the refrigerator.



adasmomma22 said:


> but thats the thing she is house trained. she never goes in the house, today is the first time, and have any ideas where i cant put the garbage, she can reach everywhere, lol


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

My Golden had separation anxiety and she used to steal food/garbage when she was anxious. I kept a baby gate in the kitchen doorway whenever I was away to keep her from reaching the garbage and counters. 

If she is scared of the crate, you can crate trainer her by first starting to help her associate it with positive things by giving her food in the crate and tossing treats and chew toys in it so she will learn to like the crate.


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## adasmomma22 (Feb 8, 2010)

ok so what size do i get? lg or ex lg?


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

If I'm up past 10:00 pm - Hondo is already in his crate wanting to go to bed. He loves his crate, of course he has his own pillow and blanket in there.


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## SunCzarina (Nov 24, 2000)

adasmomma22 said:


> ok so what size do i get? lg or ex lg?


This link says 48" but both my dogs have 42" crates. My female is 23" and 68lbs, my male is 25" and 83lbs. They both have plenty of room. The 48" crate is like a doggie condo...

Pet Crates Direct | Dog Crate Breed Chart

If you look on craigslist, you might get a great deal. Or not...

Having a second door really comes in handy.


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## adasmomma22 (Feb 8, 2010)

ok thanks i just posted an ad up on craigs list looking for one. thanks for your help.


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## Zoeys mom (Jan 23, 2010)

My dogs will get in the garbage just because its yummy,lol Our trashcan is in the laundryroom which is right off our kitchen and we can close the door keeping them out


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## Bama4us (Oct 24, 2009)

Bear usually stays out of the garbage unless we have spaghetti. When we scrape our plate into the garbage, before we can carry the plate to the sink, he's up on the can and trying to help himself. He only has free roam of the house when we are up and at home, haven't trusted him out of the crate even while we sleep yet. When that time comes we're gonna have to get a lid for the garbage can, and figure out someway to block off the cat's litter box. He thinks that's his "other" food bowl. Gross!


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## Lin (Jul 3, 2007)

Getting into the garbage alone doesn't signify separation anxiety, as the garbage is full of yummy things and its more likely the dog is taking the opportunity of no one around to check it out. 

I agree that the crate is not a punishment. If the dog is going to the bathroom in the house then that, or keeping the dog restrained to a single room is the best answer. If the dog can be trusted loose for all other things except the trash, its just best to put the trash where the dog can't get it or get a dog proof trash can. 

Separation anxiety is a much more serious problem, and in many cases the dog can hurt itself as a result. I also don't like the dog being stressed out for hours even if they are being kept safe by their crate. When Tessa's separation anxiety was bad years ago, on another pet forum I posted asking for suggestions and mentioned her shredding anything in the crate as one sign of the SA. The resounding reply was to not put anything in the crate with her. This may solve the problem of her destroying things, but it doesn't do anything for the anxiety she is feeling! Left loose back then she was a danger to herself, jumping through a window (breaking it) to follow me once.

Oh, and dogs don't have the kind of reasoning to think "I'm mad at them for leaving me, so I will pee inside the house"


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## Trina (Sep 11, 2009)

Please don't feel guilty about using a crate. We have to crate Max when we're not home because his stomach gets the better of him (he counter surfs & gets into the garbage.)

The crate stays open 24/7 (except of course when we leave the house and secure him inside of it), and like others have mentioned, sometimes he'll go in there on his own to take a quick nap or whatever. Sometimes, even our other dog will go in there, even though we don't crate her when we leave the house. I think she just wants to know what's so darn special about that crate.

I never use the crate as a form of punishment and I don't "trick" him into going into it. Sometimes I do have to encourage him a little with a toy, but once he's in, I immediately give him lots of praise and affection BEFORE I close and latch the door.

Max is our fifth dog, but only the first that we've had to crate. It's neither a good thing or a bad thing, but just the way it is.


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## Trina (Sep 11, 2009)

Also, remember to remove your dog's collar before crating as a safety precaution.


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