Hiko goes through the bathroom trash... but is afraid of the kitchen trash... Help?

smcllnssmcllns
edited February 2011 in Behavior & Training
Hiko is deathly afraid of any type of bag (i.e. large garbage bags, grocery bags, backpacks).
He stays away from the kitchen trash, but always goes into the bathroom trash. Now I've had to get into the habit of closing the doors to prevent him from tearing up toilet paper and such. I don't think he's eaten anything. He just likes to make a mess...

Is it because the bathroom trash bin is within reach? Or is he bored?
I play with him a lot. Other than that he likes to nap all day...

Any tips of trying to break him of his messy habit?


*I searched the threads and couldn't find anything related. If I didn't look hard enough, let me know! :)

Comments

  • tjbart17tjbart17
    ha ha ha. Typical behavior. Yes generally bathroom trash bins are short and within reach versus kitchen trash that is high up and it is way more accessible than the kitchen trash. Also, toilet paper rolls are fun!

    Until you can guarantee that you have trained Hiko out of messing with the trash bin, then keep the bathroom door shut.

    I would teach him the leave it command. Easy to do....hold a piece of kibble in your hand a bit curled up between your thumb and pointer finger. When Hiko approaches it with his nose say "leave it". Make sure he can't grab it, but can see and smell it. Allow him to be curious about it without getting it. Don't repeat the command over and over again once should be sufficient. Once Hiko turns away, give him praise and an even better treat then what you have in your hand. I use cheese because that's what my dogs like the most.

    Keep repeating until you think he's got it down. Then on another day do this with a toy. Review until he's got it down. Then take him into the bathroom and do it with the trash can. Once he knows that leaving it alone will get him a better reward then he will chose that.

    I would still leave the door closed when you are not watching him. Better to not tempt the puppy.
  • smcllnssmcllns
    I just didn't know what to do because he is so well behaved. It seemed like we trained him well. We've had the bathroom door open before, but it seems like the trash is just now peaking his interest.

    Thanks for the great advice :) I'll definitely try it out!
  • CaliaCalia
    I remember those days, when we lived at my mom's house both boys would get in the bathroom trash every moment they got (so much fun with a house full of women). Tikaani especially, would poop out his bathroom snacks later on. Since not everyone would keep the bathroom door closed, what helped was getting a small can with a hinged lid. I got one where the hinge was on the short side and (since the can was placed between the wall and the toilet bowl) placed it with the hinge on the outside and the opening towards the back of the toilet. That way the boys couldn't open the can and eat the contents.
  • sunyatasunyata
    Oh the bathroom trash... I had that problem as well.

    Solution... Trash can with a lid. :)
  • AraksAraks
    Yes, my boy goes through the bathroom trash too. We just keep the door closed now when we're not home because he only went through it when he was alone. Haven't tried anything training wise so I'm not much help there.
  • ShikokuSpiritShikokuSpirit
    Awww...the joys of unrolling and shredding the toliet paper. I remember those days...(kittys and Lynx still do it on occasions).

    I opted the "easy way" out. I just made sure not to keep any trash inside the bathroom. Instead, I'd collect trash in small bags and dispose of it immediately in the larger trash can outside (or in the kitchen).

    Let us know how it goes with the bathroom trash avoidance training =]. Also, in addittion...it might good to keep something around the house he can chew on? Like a smoked knuckle, ribeye or hambone. I give Shuran safe stuff to chew on, he is usually so well behaved inside the house as well (by far the easiest puppy I've ever raised)...but I've caught him chewing on my books a couple of times!
  • smcllnssmcllns
    I've been trying to convince my husband that we should get a trash bin with a lid... He says we don't need one. Then I tell him to keep the door closed, and he doesn't do it! ...Wait, haha this is a forum for pup training, not husbands ;)
    I keep the door closed, but sometimes he's in a hurry so I understand.

    He has plenty of things to chew on! A rope bone, a large real bone (I'm not exactly sure what it is, but there's still bits on it he likes to eat), various squeeky toys, the occasional sock, and even my husband's credit card the other day...

    It seems like he's just bored. I am home all day, but I do have a lot of chores that take up a lot of my time. Of course, I take him for 40 minute walks every couple of hours. Maybe more playtime is in order :)

    We figured out that he gets on the coffee table, too! We came home from dinner the other night we came home and the PS3 screen wasn't how we left it... The controller was moved other things were disheveled and it looked like he was signing into our Playstation account, lol. I think it comes from us letting him on the couch, what do you guys think?
  • shibamistressshibamistress
    I had the same problem. I did get a trashcan with a lid in the bathroom, finally, but by then Bel had discovered the joys of unrolling the tp and running through the house with it like a banner. Toby, the other Shiba, saw this and started it too. And once Bel grabbed a razor off the bathtub! So now we just keep the bathroom doors closed all the time, and I've trained myself so well, I do it at other people's houses too! :lol:

    But of course there are occasional errors....I forgot to close the upstairs bathroom door a week or so ago, a I heard Toby running around upstairs like he was playing, so I decided to go see what he was doing....yes, he had a roll of toilet paper and was running with it and tossing it up in the air, etc. I was puzzled, though, because how did he get the whole roll? Well, he's nothing if not resourceful: he opened the cabinet and got it out! :lol:

    So yes, closing the bathroom door is probably the best. Or crating him if he's alone any length of time (because, hey, what if instead of chewing on the credit card, he starts placing online orders for meat? ha!)
  • asiaasia
    I do not know if I have met a dog who does not want to go through the bathroom trash! We opted for the lid.
  • HeidiHeidi
    At our house, the bathroom trash bins are on the back of the toilet, which keeps them high enough that no one's too tempted.

    There may also be something especially interesting in there (I don't know what's in your bathroom trash, obviously). Dirty diapers and nursing pads are Rakka's all time favourite garbage items, but I don't suppose you have those at your house. :oP
  • ShikokuSpiritShikokuSpirit
    Hiko is awesome! He is secretly playing the PS3 when you're not looking, lol. I'm sorry, I don't have any training advice to keep him from playing video games =p.

    Hmmm...ask your husband if he'd be okay should you just buy a trash bin with a lid and come home with it =]. You can tell him perhaps, that yes you probably don't really need one but it'd make you super happy have one. See what he says?
  • smcllnssmcllns
    I really hope he doesn't learn to unhook the toilet paper... I think I'd cry, lol. We don't have much in the trash, mostly q-tips and bits of toilet paper/paper towels. I haven't noticed him actually eating anything, he more just tears them up and makes a mess.

    I don't want to crate him because most of my friends crate their dogs when they're gone... They seem a bit unhappy. I'm just not comfortable keeping him locked away. We do use it for punishment though. We'll isolate him for about 20 minutes. So far it's been pretty effective.

    I guess I'll just have to go buy the trash bin with the lid :) We had one before we moved, now I'm a little peeved we didn't keep it (especially when I told my other half we should).
  • smcllnssmcllns
    And all of your pups' stories are too funny! Hiko is more clumsy than anything else :) One of the time I caught him in the trash, he got startled and tried to run; but when he turned around he hit is face on the toilet bowl, lol.
  • okironokiron
    This is why im so glad theres room under the sink to put a trash can. Its hard to barackade the bathroom when youre trying to potty train a toddler lol.
  • dillydilly
    Both of our dogs are somewhat afraid of the kitchen and one of the bathroom garbage cans. Mainly because of the lid on them. They both have an automatic opening lid that when you wave your hand or something in front of it it opens and then closes a few seconds later. Kaia for example will stealthily leave the area when I change the garbage (she's also deathly afraid of garbage bags. Toshi on the other hand would love to play with the garbage and garbage bag, but the lid is his nemesis. On a few occasions something has been positioned just right, normally a food wrapper when the bin is full over the sensor so it continues to open and close nonstop. This sends Toshi barking, growling, and howling at the trash can and running around for one of to defend him from the monster that is the trash can. Even when the lid is on the floor he tries so hard to inspect it, but as soon as he gets close it opens and he jumps back, I don't give him the chance to get use to it on the floor and it become a new toy though. It's only on the floor when I change the bag. I got them as a set of two (one kitchen and one bathroom) at Costco for $50.
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