I'm not sure if this fits that well into the discussion, but my 8 mos old GSD has recently found the trash cans

We have to keep them in the backyard because of deed restrictions. The first time she did it I didn't catch her so there was no correction...but every time after that, 4 so far, I've caught her and done several variations of rebuking her, hitting the garbage can/making loud noise/yelling "no", and putting her long line on and waiting for her to approach the cans again and attempt to drag them open and popping her with the prong collar and yelling "No!".

All of these get her attention and she immediately goes into "ok, you caught me" mode but haven't convinced her to stay away from them. I've even put chili powder on them and she acts like it's not even there.

Any ideas? I've gone so far as to strap the cans down thru the handles to the fence and she's so big now that she can wrestle the lids off and just take off with the cans strewing garbage everywhere.

I have several toys with her when she's outside and bought her a baby pool to play in last week, too, which she now loves---to bring garbage into the water to play with...

use a kennek

What about getting her a garbage can of her own to play with.
A smaller different shaped one?

My Dutch LOVES the empty "lick tubs" we put out for the cattle and horses. He ONLY plays with the blue ones though. The black ones he does not touch.
They are as big a round as a garbage can but half the height, he rolls it all over the property.

Thanks for your advice---we've done something like that already, Carol...I've given her those 3 gallon landscaping buckets and sometimes she will play with them...but she really wants the trash it seems. She chews it and tears it into a million pieces. Argh! Doesn't matter what it is...this last time I had nothing but plastic wrap from bulk bundles from the grocery store. Nothing "smelly" at all.

I agree about the kennel, too...but this happens when we are with her outside, too...not just by herself. She does it so fast it's amazing.

Mike, I'm leaning toward an e-collar for fixing problems like that, although I don't have one yet and couldn't advice on its use at all. I think its use in a situation like that is called avoidance training but don't know for sure. From reading threads that mention the e-collar, it seems like the way to go to correct when nothing else seems to work.

With my dog the problem is an area that gets muddy everytime I turn on the hose, and he loves to get in there. Need I say more - I'll leave it to vivid imaginations. NOT FUN (for me)!

yep..I know exactly what you mean, Sandy...Brenna loves to play in the mud and then run thru the house slinging it everywhere!!! I couldn't scold her for that cause we left the patio door open just enough for her to get her head in and then push it open for the rest of her to get thru all the time we're running towards her and telling her "down! down! down!"! It was good enough for a disney movie

but boy, what a mess!!!!!!

OH, she's a shredder huh????
My Lab is like that. He gets into everything no matter if we are there or not......drives me nuts because we have about 6 sheds and buildings and even though we think they are "lab-proofed" he comes running up to us with something. But he does not rip up the trash as we have a small dumpster (we live in the middle of nowhere with garbage pick up )and he cannot get into it.
Not sure what to tell ya......sorry

Have you seen those locking-lid trash cans, designed to be raccoon-proof?

They're great.

I realize this is not a training solution, but it might be nice while you work on it. :>

That is a great idea!!!!

I don't know if I"ve seen those or not...ours have the lids where the handles flip over the top and lock the lids down. She's so darn smart she's figured out all she has to do is pull down on the handles and "Presto"--instant smelly gratification!

I moved the cans into the garage for now along with the water hose which she loves to pull all over the yard.

My dog needs a part time job I wish she would run with me on a bike but her herding instinct would have her running back and forth in front of me. That would result in my going to the hospital in about 2 minutes lol

I know I've got to get her into some more training...she's got so much to offer. She's already putting her nose down to find her toys when she can't see them right away...and she's learned to "go find" my daughter in sort of a hide and seek game.

She's a blast but also a handful.