How do i keep my dog from tearing up the trash.?

Question

i have an american pitbull, and the only problem i have with it is that it keeps tearing up the trash in the backyard. i've tried swatting his butt with a rolled up news paper and shoving his face in his mess and telling him no, but he still doesnt learn. im afraid because of this problem im going to have to give him away. any idea on other methods of training him seeing that my way has severely failed. im getting sick and tired of picking up little pieces of paper, and i dont want him to lose trust in me for disciplining him. please help me because i know if i take him to the pound they will only put him to sleep. im on my last nerve with this dog and i dont know what to do.

Answer 1

You should never use physical punishment with a pit. They are very attuned to their humans, and yes, they will become distrustful, always wondering when it's going to come at them again from seemingly out of nowhere.



Put the trash can up high enough where he can't reach it, move it to the side or front of the house, get a can that is better designed, or make a small containment area of chicken wire and metal posts.



You might even try scooping up his own poop and put it in the trash or near the can, he will probably stay away. My dogs won't go near their own poop. I scoop it up from the yard and toss it under shrubbery where they used to like to dig.



Edit: It is not true that your dog won't remember you hit him before. My pit has a very good memory, he remembers where in the neighborhood he has seen dogs or cats, he remembers where his "dog friends" live, and neighbors he's met before. He remembers the house on the next street over where they pop fireworks every holiday. Once he had to have drops in his ear and he didn't like it, and now the vet has to be very careful examining his ears.



And yes, exercise might help. A tired dog is usually a well-behaved dog. He should have at least one long daily walk.

Answer 2

Can you move the trash out of his reach? That'd be my first suggestion. I have a trash can raiding pooch too (who was taught the "art" by the "grand doggy which is a whole 'nother story!) and that's about the only thing that stops her. Or a tight fitting lid.......



There are "training" sprays on the market, some work pretty well, some don't. Ask your vet for a recommendation. You could try giving the trash a good dose of either red pepper or something similar, letting him get in it and suffer the consequences. But keep a bucket of water handy. It will probably only take once or twice and we will learn that playing in the trash is not the thing to be doing. Good Luck and don't give up! You might have to think outside the box a little but I know you can come up with a solution!

Answer 3

Your dog is bored and wants companionship.



You'll notice when he's in the house he causes no grief. When he's outide alone... Bingo.



Most importantly, you're not using the right kind of discipline. NEVER use physical punishment on a dog. Shoving his face in it teaches him nothing (he put it there, after all, and made the mess-- he knows what it smells like), and swatting his butt is useless because all you're doing it hurting or startling, not teaching or redirecting.



You need to give this dog other things to do. It's a puppy, it has a lot of energy but it also has a lot of needs. It's like a baby, and all babies need supervision, direction and love.



Redirect. Watch him. Reward him for NOT going to the trash, and if he heads that way, distract. Keep the trash in a sealed area, make sure he has lots of toys, and NEVER use separation from you as a punishment.



Good luck!

Answer 4

Don't worry!

You could try spray that will repel your dog from the trash once you spray on it, you could even use large doses of vinegar, all dogs hate it. He we go to it more than once, both times realising it's not a nice taste, and he wont want to come anymore.

You could try distracting him, give him something else to do such as bones and chew toys.

You could try moving/hiding the trash or keeping him away from it. If you move the trash he won't know where it is, and when you see him running around for it, you can call him and start playing with him.



Hope this helps :-)

Good luck!



Remember: Dogs live in the present, so he won't remember or won't care that you've hit him before. But when hitting your dog, only do it as a punishment and don't injure them. Do it straight after or while he is doing something bad so it's a quick "No, I don't like that, stop" message. If you leave it too late, your dog will think you did it for fun.

Answer 5

I think people should really stop trying to delve into dogs minds in this situation. The dog doesn't "know" it's an undesirable behavior, if its still doing it. I would give the dog lots of chewies, get out for a 1/2 hour minimum of hard, aerobic exercise, and find a way to "booby trap" the trash. Don't do the whole mouse trap thing (i've seen that recommended a lot). Try sticky tape, a scat mat, or a trash can that is dog proof.

Answer 6

Simple - keep the trash where the dog cant reach it. Just remove the temptation and give it something else to play with . Pit Bulls are energetic and strong willed dogs- maybe its not getting enough exercise or you're not spending enough time with it and it just wants some attention. I don't think that's reason enough to give away your dog, unless you got it for all the wrong reasons in the first place.

Answer 7

One word: amonia. Pour a bit in the garbage before you take it out. It will keep EVERYONE out of it!



On a more personal note, please PLEASE don't give up on him! Make sure that he's neutered (makes them less aggressive) and give him lots of love. Look into local trainers who can help you to train him. Pits are obedient, loyal and loving dogs but they DO need direction. They want little more in life than to please you. If no one is doing it, he should be walked AT LEAST once a day. People often think that because they have a yard they don't need to walk their dogs, but that's not the case at all. That's like saying that because you have a yard you don't need to go outside of it for recreation. Dogs of all sizes and breeds need to be allowed to experience new things and people, because without it he will become bored and restless.



There are many sites too, where you can get info on the breed and what to expect as well as how to handle them. http://www.pitbulllovers.com/ is a great one!



Good luck, and bless you for being open minded about the breed :)

Answer 8

Sounds like separation anxiety and/or boredom.

Remove the trash and replace it with toys.



Try using an elastic rope tied to a branch on one end and a durable dog toy on the other. The elasticity provides resistance and pulls back like another dog would. I had an Aussie that would play with it for hours.

Answer 9

ah...u shudnt hit a dog with a newspapar its gets them aggresive and they can get scared of you and the "trash tearing" wil get worse dogs hate the taste of pepper u shud get pepper spray and jst over load the trash with this taste the dog wil realise its hates the taste and wont go in the bin u will need to carry this particular method out for some time until you can risk the chance of not putting on, and the dog will still think not to tear the trash

Answer 10

Hitting your dog with a news paper or rubbing its face in the rubbish are VERY outdated training methods. If you cannot seperate dog and rubbish by a fence use something like "get off" spray or bitter apple spray. Ask in your pet store.

Answer 11

Buy some bitter spray from your local vet or pet shop and spray it on the rubbish bin or bags. When he bites it he will realizse its bitter. Although he may still rip them up for a while, keep doing this and he will learn the taste is from the bins. Good luck =]

Answer 12

Each dog is different, so I watch the dog to see what it is responding to. Learn here http://OnlineDogTraining.enle.info/?PS0X



I use different words, sounds, hand signals for each of my puppies. If the commands are not working, I change them. I do not beat, yell, or rub their nose in pee. I don't use the command "no" because it confuses puppies. The words, "know, no" come up in conversation, and it confuses them, I use something like "shame" or "ssht" or "off" or "settle down" or whatever that puppy responds to. Some I use signs from sign language, some I use thumbs up hand signal if I want them to continue what they are doing, or a shake of a finger like I am scolding them, if I don't want them to continue what they are doing. I was taught that puppies/dogs want to please you, so I focus on that. I teach them what behaviors I allow and what ones I don't allow and remember to praise good behavior so they keep doing it. There isn't a right or wrong answer in my world, what works for one puppy might not work for another. I do a lot of things you would find farmers do with their dogs, it doesn't have to make sense in my world, it just has to work. My neighbor calls the ducks with a duck call and they come. I burp on the way down to the pond and the ducks come for me when I burp. It doesn't have to make sense, it just has to work. I want to train my angel dolls, I don't want them to be terrified of me, and I don't have to make them terrified of me to get them to please me, just like I didn't have to make my troops terrified of me to get the job done. I address a behavior the second it starts, each time it starts as many times as it takes until I win the war. I realize my IQ doesn't matter, diplomas and awards don't matter, I am about to do battle with an 8-week-old puppy who is already smarter than I am, and hopefully at the end of training, they are trained, and I have the very smallest amount of sanity left

Answer 13

move your garbage to a place where your dog cant get to it.



Youre never supposed to hit your dog, it only makes them resentful towards you.



The best thing I learned from my dog trainer..."Ignore bad behavior, reward good behavior".