Dog started thieving and how to secure fridge?

Mince Pie

Mince Pie

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I have had my dog for 5 years and apart from when he was a puppy he has never really stolen food. He has recently learned how to open the fridge and now nearly every morning I get up to find he has stolen something else, last night it was mince, the night before Parma ham and before that it was cheese.

He has constant access to (dry) food and he also gets table scraps/eggs/chicken wings to keep it interesting. I also alternate the dry food every month.

Is there any way to secure the fridge and stop him? Also why would he start doing this?
 
Can you put a child safety lock on it? You know, those things that stop children getting in cupboards? Or a bungy cord.
 
Broke_But_Happy said:
Is there any way to secure the fridge and stop him? Also why would he start doing this?
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Because he's learned he can:D! He's a dog, they are scavengers by nature - just some more than others. Our old lab broke into the fridge at the tender age of 3 or 4 months, and ate half a pound of lard, the little sod:eek::mad:

Child locks are very effective - if you want to put one on top, you can get loo seat child locks on Amazon that should work well. We have one on the dog food bin, or someone helps himself:rolleyes:
 
Set a trap! No, not that sort of a trap!:D

Try a piece of cheese with a piece of thread going to a pyramid of empty beer cans with a few pebbles in them.

Dog pulls cheese, beer cans crash.

It might not work but it's a great excuse for a boozy night in!;)
 
ummm toss up between yummy fridge food and dry?? No brainer Id be raiding the fridge too :D

Mines a bit of a tea-leaf she does it with such style that sometimes you have to laugh we've lost several roast dinners. I train with a lovely old lady and she has a chain around her fridge and another one that goes through all the kitchen cupboard handles her dogs actually help each other to raid the cupboards.
 
cremedemonthe said:
Is your dog a Lurcher?
They are born thieves and are very good at it too as we have found out over the years!
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No he's a collie dog :)

Horseloaner I appreciate that dry food is a bit boring so every night he'll get a "topping" (tonight it's bolognaise sauce) to make it interesting. He's been fine with that set up for 5 years and is normally so good I can go outside and leave a sandwich on the side and it will still be there when I come back in.
 
my lad was a bugger when he was little, lard, raw eggs, ice cream, last straw was when him and his sister drank the contents of the deep fat fryer, two very poorly dogs and a spend out on child locks for fridge and every cupboard door!!
 
Yes will get some child locks but just musing as to why it's taken him 5 years to start the habit! That been said he's not the brightest lad in the world so may have taken him 5 years to work out how to open the fridge! :D
 
folk might remember the chocolate and fridge saga that happened to me a 18 months ago. Tilly was the fridge raider, like you something she started out of the blue, she had always had access to the kitchen and fridge and never opened it and once they can do it they wont stop, I used 3 different types of child locks on the fridge to try and stop her, she undid all of them I now lock the kitchen door so they cant go in there (shutting the door wasnt enough, she opened that too, I had to put a key lock on!)
 
Henry was caught red-pawed this morning, cleaning out the pan from last night's curry:mad::rolleyes:

It's in their nature to do it, after all a wild dog wouldn't know when the next meal was coming, so when food turns up they fill their boots. Henry hasn't worked the fridge out yet, but I suspect that's at least in part because he sleeps in a crate so he doesn't get the chance!
 
you know reading back through this i have some questions (blah blah);

has he lost weight?

has his coat changed?

has his temperament changed?

does he drink/pee more than would be normal for him?

does his breath smell?

if you could normally leave a sandwich on the side without him touching it this is obviously a big change, my lurcher has always stolen when someone was not about, if she could reach it it was gone!
 
Damn sensible dog I would much rather eat quality food from the fridge than overcooked muesli with topping!! Feed him raw and put a lock on the fridge!
 
Vizslak said:
folk might remember the chocolate and fridge saga that happened to me a 18 months ago. Tilly was the fridge raider, like you something she started out of the blue, she had always had access to the kitchen and fridge and never opened it and once they can do it they wont stop, I used 3 different types of child locks on the fridge to try and stop her, she undid all of them I now lock the kitchen door so they cant go in there (shutting the door wasnt enough, she opened that too, I had to put a key lock on!)
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Eek! I don't have any doors and finding a child gate has so far proved impossible - I live in a mobile home so have very narrow doorways :)

jools1234 said:
you know reading back through this i have some questions (blah blah);

has he lost weight?

has his coat changed?

has his temperament changed?

does he drink/pee more than would be normal for him?

does his breath smell?

if you could normally leave a sandwich on the side without him touching it this is obviously a big change, my lurcher has always stolen when someone was not about, if she could reach it it was gone!
Click to expand...

No to all of the above, however I used to feed the scraps from my plate so he always had a bowl full of dry food. I've now started adding them to his bowl so he finishes it and I refill it in the morning. I may start refilling it before I go to bed so he has something to pick at.

KarynK said:
Damn sensible dog I would much rather eat quality food from the fridge than overcooked muesli with topping!! Feed him raw and put a lock on the fridge!
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See above post!
 
My GSD is the worlds biggest thief we have had to put a proper hasp and staple lock on it pop riveted to the door and top of the fridge this is doubly secured with a small carabiner!! This is the only thing which has worked after she raided consuming 6 eggs inc shell, butter, ham etc etc - the aftermath from 'the other end' was horrendous. She has also done a similar thing on the freezer.....she has also been checked over by the vet and nothing found she is just a greedy, greedy dog!
 
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