Dog keeps going through bin/cupboards

[PierreLeBear]

Not sure what has gotten into my dog recently or whether I need to be worried about her. She is approximately 6 years old and a rescue, we have had her for around 18 months and she's always been perfect albeit OBSESSED with food.

In the last few weeks she's been tipping the bin over and going through the contents, to the point I can't leave her unattended with it in the kitchen even if I'm just next door. She will nose the kitchen cupboards open and pinch whatever she can (an entire loaf of bread yesterday!). We keep our counters clear of food as she is tall and can reach them, but I'm having to start keeping non food packaging items and medication out of her reach now as she just wants to have a nose of everything.

I WFH so I don't think it's anxiety as there is usually somebody around, she's not left for hours on end and she gets a good walk in the morning. She's fed in line with her weight and gets treats so she can't possibly be hungry.

Has anyone ever had this?? My other dog isn't like it at all, he turns his nose up at most food!

We had this problem. We ended up putting heavy stuff on top of the bin lid as a temp measure and emptying it daily but ideally we needed to get a bin which had an electric mechanism and or couldn’t be opened easily at all. One that if tipped would stay closed. Our dog died of cancer before we got the bin. But that’s what we would’ve done.

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do you know what she experienced before you adopted her? Was she potentially withheld from food and hungry a lot? This could be a delayed trauma response

dogs are scavengers
i have to keep my bin on the counter
my dm had to lock the fridge
put all things very far back

is your dog a lurcher, as they well known for stealing food

We had a rescue we got from a tiny puppy like this, the rescue behaviourst said its just in them, .I just had to make sure she couldn't get in anywhere and food waste went straight outside,

I'd maybe see if you can weigh down the bin lid and put child locks on cupboards, try and not chase her or tell her off because that might be a negative reward,

See if you can see a behaviourist, but ime it was just a managed situation.

We put child locks on all the cupboards and kept the bin on a counter.

Do you give her chews or kongs something to keep her busy ?

I can’t believe people saying being greedy is a trauma response. All my dogs have been greedy af 🤣🤣

It's a bit of a self fulfilling circle - she raids the bin / cupboards once, gets a yummy reward, so will do it again, gets another reward, thinks bin / cupboard raiding is great!

My dog can't be trusted with a bin. I have a clip lid heavy duty bin which stops the opportunistic lid lifts and quick grabs. He can still break in (brute force) given time though so isn't allowed in the kitchen while I'm out. Thankfully (I give thanks for this regularly) he cannot do cupboards. I'd get child locks, or shut your dog out the kitchen whilst you're not there. But if you're worried that the ravenous has gone up you could always book her in for a vet check.

Yes she is 🤣

Thanks for the replies! We don't know her exact story as she was found wandering but she wasn't underweight. Obviously she did spend some time having to scavenge her own food though. But she's been very well fed for the last 18 months which makes it odd.

I'll have to invest in a sturdier bin! Childlocks a great shout - actually have some knocking around from when DD was small!

She has chews to keep her busy but she seemed a bit baffled by the Kong so I stopped bothering - she does enjoy a licky mat though.

I knew it would be a lurcher! Ours is fine with cupboards but can't be trusted with a bin. We had a Foster that was a bloody nightmare with food. She ate several roasts, took saucepans off the hob, broke 2(!) Slowcooker dishes. She could open draws and the bloody fridge. Other than that, the most beautiful girl. Was very sad to see her go.

I’ve had my girls since puppies, they’ve never missed a meal, and they are still total thieves. My bin is bolted to the wall. Some dogs are just wired that way.

Some dogs do it. It doesn’t necessarily mean anything other than they’re stronger scavengers. You need to lock the bin away really. It’s management.

I just thought this was normal dog behaviour. The hungry ones are scavengers like a PP said.

You just weigh the bin lid down and/ or somehow attach it to the floor to prevent upending or place it behind a locked door.

Im so used to guarding rubbish and leftover food now that it seems normal to me 😂

Thanks all. Went out last night and shut the bin in the utility room and put a chair in front of the food larder as a temporary measure until I sort the childlocks.

I think I've been naive here, I knew dogs were scavengers and would never have left food unattended within reach before (easier with my other dog whose much smaller!) but being able to open cupboards and the bin is another level, especially since she's been with us 18 months and only just started doing it. But I've learnt now and will have to manage it better before she gets her nose into something that could harm her - bloody dogs!