Dogs are beloved four-legged companions that have earned themselves the reputation as “man’s best friend”. Thanks to their trainability, playfulness, and ability to adapt seamlessly into human households, these furry creatures have become immensely popular pets.
As dogs’ instinctual behaviors make them inclined to explore your trash cans, learn how to keep your dog away and prevent mess and health risks.
Table of Contents
1. Keep Your Trash Cans Locked
Food waste, paper trash and other items needing collection for commercial garbage pickup are put out due to their foul odor and messiness; unfortunately, dogs often misunderstand this concept and view trash cans as potential snacks or chew toys; this leads both pet owners and local garbage service workers into frustration.
However, there are a few simple steps you can take to stop your dog from raiding the trash cans. One effective solution is purchasing a locked garbage can. Although this may seem counterproductive at first, locking up your trash will make it far harder for your canine friend to access its contents.
Heavy materials should be used to construct the best trash can locks, to prevent them from easily being broken or knocked off, as well as tighten the lids tightly enough that animals cannot access its contents even if it tips over.
Some of the best trash can locks are made of stainless steel or other rust-resistant materials to better withstand damage from weather and any attempts by animals or pets to tamper with them, offering additional layers of security for pet owners who leave their garbage can outside for longer periods without worry over weather damage. This allows you to leave it outside without fear of animals damaging its contents or weather erosion.
Others pet owners have discovered that bungee cords can serve as an inexpensive yet effective deterrent against dogs that want to explore their trash cans. A simple bungee cord hooked together by a side-release buckle works just as effectively at keeping indoor and outdoor garbage cans safely closed as an expensive commercial lock would do.
2. Keep Your Garbage Out of Your Pet’s Reach
Veterinarians and pet trainers have long warned pet owners of the perils associated with feeding pets leftovers, trash or other unattended food items from kitchen and bathroom garbage cans – including leftover food but also medications, cleaning products, tampons or dead animals that pose significant health risks to our companion animals.
Now is an excellent time to take simple preventive steps against your pet eating garbage! Make sure your trashcan is out of reach by keeping it shut or placing it in a room with doors you can close when not home, such as your garage or workshop.
One way to prevent trash scavenging by your pup is channeling their natural instincts away from dangerous materials like garbage and towards more beneficial behaviors such as chew toys and store-bought leg bones, according to trainer Denise Herman. “Tapping into their natural instincts by providing safer alternatives may help shift their attention away from trash towards behaviors which provide greater benefits,” as explained in training sessions with Denise.
Finally, it’s essential that you recognize when your pet is sniffing around trash or cupboards and take immediate action to discourage this behavior. According to veterinarian Allison Witherow of Witherow Animal Care, as soon as your pup starts sniffing around pantry closet or trash can start nose sniffing clap your hands together and say in a firm voice “Off!” in an urgent tone to quickly end his or her sniffing around these places.
Make the trash less appealing to your dog with other activities, like tiring them out with exercise, rewarding them with food rewards before leaving, and leaving a chew toy behind while you’re gone. Training them to drop items may reduce their tendency to raid trash bins but doesn’t guarantee it will stop them stealing food and objects altogether.
3. Keep Your Trash Cans Clean
Cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting are all crucial tasks to keeping your garbage cans fresh and free from bacteria that cause unpleasant odors or worse yet, dangerous ones. Make a point to perform these duties at least every month (more frequently if they become particularly pungent).
Before beginning cleaning, take out and completely empty out your trash cans. This step is especially vital if they’re located outdoors – this helps prevent wildlife from searching through them in search of food! Additionally, wearing rubber gloves and a face mask when emptying trash will provide additional protection from harmful bacteria that might be present.
Once the can is empty, use a garden hose (or sink for indoor trash cans) to rinse it clean (or use extra liners in your garbage can in case one wears out quickly). For plastic trash cans with removable liners like Glad ForceFlexPlus with Clorox to quickly eliminate odors, remove them before dumping out their contents and replacing with new sturdy and antibacterial ones like Glad ForceFlexPlus Plus quickly if need be. Keep extra liners handy as spares so that when one wears out quickly it can be replaced quickly with replacement liners quickly if need arises! Store additional liners to easily replenish their use quickly when need arises!
Once your trash can has been rinsed clean, pour a strong cleaner or disinfectant into it and saturate it completely with disinfectant or cleaner solution. Scrub both inside and outside with a scrub brush; for areas with excessive build-up from liquid spillage add baking soda for deodorizing purposes as well. Once finished, rinse out your can completely to allow it to dry before disposing it properly.
4. Keep Your Trash Cans in Your Garage
Maintaining your garage as an ideal environment for garbage can storage can be challenging, but often pays dividends. Garbage cans left sitting out can quickly become smelly, especially if food scraps get mixed into them; composting them or running your disposal are both great ways to eliminate bad smells, but if neither are available to you then placing trash cans inside will prevent unpleasant odors from pervading into the rest of the home and surrounding neighborhood.
Storage of garbage cans in your garage offers another benefit – keeping out pests and rodents. Pests love raiding garbage cans and leaving behind an enormous mess, creating more clean up work than you want and possibly leading to health issues for pets. By keeping your trash cans there, however, they won’t gain entry to your home from these predators.
Oftentimes HOAs will enforce visibility regulations regarding trash cans. Some people create outdoor alcoves for their garbage cans in order to hide them from view, while others use landscaping such as large shrubs or tall ornamental grass to screen out view from neighbors’ properties and street. But this approach takes up space in your yard that could otherwise be put to better use – this might not be ideal.
Storing your garbage cans in your garage can be an easy and effective solution to these problems, saving time and money over time.
5. Keep Your Trash Cans in Your Yard
Opened trash cans attract all sorts of pests. Rodents, ants, flies and other bugs are attracted by food waste in your garbage, such as paper and food waste, which attracts rodents, ants and flies that spread germs while damaging property – potentially spreading disease as they chew through wires and walls looking for sustenance – making your trashcan an inviting target for these unwanted guests.
Simply move your trash cans farther from your house in order to reduce critter infestation and make life harder for dogs who might try raiding them. Doing this should stop any unwelcome guests from nesting there!
Another simple and straightforward way to protect your trash cans from being tampered with by critters is purchasing one of the many devices designed specifically to deter them. Clips, bungee cords and self-securing lids designed specifically for this task will prevent raccoons, feral cats and rodents from raiding bins while being affordable and straightforwardly installable – an attractive solution for homeowners dealing with this issue of animals raiding trash cans.
Make an effort to distract your pup from raiding the trash with toys, snacks, or activities such as agility training; she might be less inclined to dig through discarded paper and tissues if her attention is diverted elsewhere. If your cans are visible in public areas such as city public utilities departments or homeowner associations they might also have regulations regarding visible garbage containers that you should check into as well.