I have a large dog who loves getting into the kitchen trash. I have been looking for a trash can that he can't get into, but haven't found anything affordable. As a result, the trash can is in the pantery taking up space that I need and I have had to bungy the door knobs together because the dog can open the door. My doors need replaced (I bought a bank owned home) and I don't want to put nice new doors on that Sebastian is just going to scratch up trying to get into or that the bungy cord will tear up around the knobs.
Does anyone have any suggestions for a trash can that dogs can't get into? My garage is across the house so I can't put it there. Thanks for any suggestions you have!!!!
We have an invisible fence in the house. It was the best investment we have made. Our dog can no longer get into the kitchen where the garbage can is. He also cannot get into the cabinets and pantry...he had a VERY bad habit of getting and eating whole boxes of cereal!!!
Good luck!
Same problem here, we got a child safety lock for trash cans in the children's department. Applied them to the trash cans and recycle cans in the kitchen. Seems to do the trick, there are several variations, so I think one will work for you and your type trash can.
My dog used to get into the trash by jumping up and knocking the tall kitchen can over. This is just a plastic tall kitchen wastebasket with a lid that swings open if you press a foot pedal. We solved our "trash hound" problem by putting several weights in the bottem of the can, underneath the plastic bag liner. The weights were from an old weight bench and we found about 20-25 lbs would foil the dogs fun!
My suggestion wasn't to buy a new trashcan but to deter the dog. There is a mat called "Scat Mat" that is clear with small wires running through it. Everytime the dog touches the mat it gives a small shock and you can control the shock level. I had a very curious dog, intelligent dog. We used the mat at different times around the house to protect things - piano, table, trashcan. I ended up wrapping the mat around different things to protect them and the shock really doesn't hurt the dog. Trust me, I have shocked myself quite a bit.
Simple Human Stainless Steel trash can from Bed Bath and Beyond. Use a 20% off coupon and you can get it for around 50 dollars. I LOVE mine and I also have a very curious food-sniffing large dog! He hasn't figured this one out!
I don't know how affordable you will think it is, but we bought one of the stainless trash cans from Bed Bath & Beyond (made by SimpleHuman) that has the step pedal with a hinged lid. The back is flat and the front is rounded, so it sits flat against the wall will a rounded front. It has a hard plastic liner that lifts out, and they sell "special" bags for it, but we use regular old 13 gallon Hefty Kitchen bags in it just fine. We used to keep our old trash can in the pantry, then we moved and didn't have a pantry in our rental unit. We have a German Shepherd (she can open doors too... lol.. smart pups, huh?), so we had to figure out how to keep her from getting something she shouldn't have. She has never bothered this trash can.
It runs about $100, but with their 20% off coupons, it was only about $80. My folks liked it so much (it keeps the smell down, too, if you don't empty your trash very often) that we gave them one for Xmas the next year. They loved theirs so much, they gave one to my brother and his wife! We have had it for almost 5 years now, and it still works perfectly.
Hope this helps.
http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&...
Try using Repellem trash bags; animals won't bother anything in one. I use them, and can actually set my trash OUTSIDE on the deck to wait for pickup, and nothing bothers it, no matter what's in those bags! Even the smelliest and "yummiest" garbage doesn't seem to attract the possums, raccoons, and neighborhood dogs any more. You have to keep the bag completely closed, but that's a small price to pay. I haven't seen a single gnat, ant, spider, silverfish, roach (ugh), or moth since I started using Reppellem, and the cats haven't touched the trash since, either. The products are 100% recyclable and made of 100% natural products - completely harmless to children and pets. They work for us; give them a try! http://www.ecosmartplastics.com/index1.html
I was also going to suggest the simple human brand. They are expensive, but I think they are great!
Another Idea would be to just keep a small garbage can, (more like a Tupperware) on your counter, and any food garbage, you put in that and then just take it out to the large garbage as soon as you are done in the kitchen with prep and meals. Eventually he will realize there is nothing good in the garbage can. Then maybe after he is leaving the can alone and if you get a can with a lid you can slowly start putting food items back in it.
Good luck
E.
Hi N., We have struggled with this issue ourselves. You didn't mention what kind/size of dog you have...I bought a very tall trash can at Lowes which has helped quite a bit. The drawback is that we have to use the big black trash bags which cost more and we still have to watch when the can starts to get full (we have a very tall greyhound). If you can put your trash can in a corner why not build a surround with a lid that can be locked (or at least weighed down)? I wanted to do that in our house, but I don't have the space. Good luck!
Our trash can is a wooden one with a tilt-out door similar to a laundry hamper. You can only open it by pulling out & down on the handle. It's similar to this: http://www.ekitchenislands.com/microwave-carts/wood-top/b... but you can probably find one somewhere else for cheaper. Since it's made of wood it is pretty heavy and stays shut tight, which keeps smells in better than plastic or metal. It also looks fine out in the open because it doesn't look like a trash can!
Don't know about affordable, but we bought http://www.amazon.com/iTouchless-Stainless-Steel-Hands-Fr...\
We got an amazon card and got 30 bucks back, so it was reasonable. Our dog figured out how to open it, but he never knocked it down or got anything out.
Man, I feel your pain. There wasn't a trashcan I ever found that my Benjamine couldn't get into. At 14 he still tottered around and strung out trash if he could. Of course, he was always very sorry and apologetic... he'd hide behind the couch and look at me like "well...um...gee... did I do THAT???"
The only successful methods I found were:
1. if I kept it in the kitchen; but at night I set it up on the counter (and locked him in the bedroom with me!)
2. My mom kept a small can under the sinks with a baby latch and took it out every night.
3. Spritzing Amonia on the top of your trash will *usually* keep them out of it.
4. My friends have a large wooden box with a heavy lift lid that they had build for their can. It's awesome, but bulky.
We have a wooden can with a lid that is pulled straight up from the top. We bought ours at a craft show. Our dogs are large and have managed to get the lid open a few times but I think that was more because the kids had not put the trash all the way into the can. You can also try spraying the bitter apple on your can. The taste really seems to help keep the dogs away from other items in the house.
