Program Gabriel's assigned to catalogue i found the trials likely I didn't care enough to do anything about it. Last he started gaining weight. He wasn't stealing food off the table to the vet we went. His thyroid was a little off; we put him on meds. He gained more weight. I started taking him walking. He gained more weight. Then one day I came home to his face the dog food bin. Not only had he learned how to open it, but when it was more than half full he could help himself quite tidily! No WONDER he was gaining weight! Yesterday, I came home to that he'd pulled the dog treat bin off the counter and helped himself, gotten into the food bin, AND pulled out the bird papers to eat everything there. Enough is enough. Time to fix this! There are two ways to fix this, and as with everything, it is to either spend more time or more money. The more-time-more-training way would be to start limiting his access to things when I'm gone, probably by x-penning him, and then giving him consequences when I him looking at the counters or the bird cage, and if I hear him nosing moving the dog food bin. This work: I've done it before, though I quit a little early. The thing is I 't want x-pen living room right now. The more-money-less-training way is this: buy a zap mat and put it front of things, or a disk and e-collar system that zap him if he gets too close to the disk or find a way to keep him away from the three things he wants: tie the birdcage tray closed, velcro the dog bin, put aluminum foil on the counter both cases, keeping the counters clean is of utmost importance. addition to myself I need to take into account Cash. A disk with automatic e-collar to keep the dog away from the disks uses a zap I think getting zapped would scare him too much, and I 't want him to stay that far from the birdcage. Since the dog food bin is right next to the bowls, I 't want him wary getting water or eating, either. e-collar and disk system is out, and I 't want the x-pen. That leaves me with a zap mat. It's visible, which is good and bad: he can it, he knows how to avoid it. But I'll have to use it for that he no longer thinks about it, that when I pick it up he doesn't think, Ah! it's gone! 's chance! This means leaving it down for 6 months. But I'm willing! current plan is money over training, a way that won't distress either of us too much: three zap mats, one front of the bird cage, one front of the dog food bin, and one on the counter. You can get strips instead of full mats, and that's what I'll do. He won't hit it every time, but that's fine. It'll make him cautious, and I won't have to store a giant mat! Phew. Home training done! cash, training, trouble shooting McDonald has been training dogs and teaching people about dog behavior and communication since 1998. She believes no problem is past help, if the owner is willing. She's thrilled when people ask for information before a problem ever arises; that is, of course, the best situation. lives with her two dogs Martinez, CA, working and around the south bay area. She believes dogs are our greatest companions and staunchest supporters, and deserve the best we can give them. No dog and owner pair are exactly the same as another, and what works for one set not work for the next. Her holistic dog training acknowledges this and finds the best match. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Join 49 other followers. If you'd like to be a part of the Dog- family, enter your