Pedal Bin Wars... or a fight too far!

Knowing what is important, when dog training, is perhaps the most indispensable skill.

Of vital importance is the fact that your status as pack leader is established. Also your dog must 'Come' when called, and do a 'Sit' or 'Down' on command... these two rules can be so important in any dangerous situation.

After establishing your pack leadership credentials and always getting immediate obedience to the 'Come' and 'Sit' commands... what else you consider to be important is up to you - some fights you might consider 'a fight too far' - like my pedal bin wars, know when to retire, but do retire 'undefeated'!

Our rescue dogs have always been ones to grab anything edible if at all possible! Whilst the dogs we had from puppies didn't exhibit this behaviour... even though they were incorrigible scroungers!

But up until the dog we have now... and only recently... since he's been with us for some years - we have never had a problem with the pedal bin.

Other problems, yes, and they all had an unfailing knowledge of the whereabouts of every food item in the house - so if the phone should ring, and anything was mistakenly unguarded whilst going to answer it, then that food was polished off with alacrity. I well remember an occasion when one Ridgeback wolfed down a packet of frozen sausages, taken with a couple of raw eggs, whole... tasty!

The first night we had our first rescue he managed to open a cupboard door [not easy] and get a chocolate cake out of the middle tin of a stack of three cake tins - all done very quietly, as we didn't find out till the next morning.. He, to be polite, had slight stomach problems the following day - but no other ill effects!

He had the most persuasive eyes and face, and would sit in front of complete strangers if they were eating; ice creams in particular were a favourite. He would sit and watch every mouthful and no way could you move him. Very embarrassing. But no-one could ever resist him for long!

But we digress from the pedal bin wars. First the bin was OK to be left with the pedal facing into the room, then in time it had to be turned round
so that for me it was no longer a pedal bin! After a time that didn't work, as brute force and ignorance was employed and he just knocked it over. So it was fitted tightly into a corner. Then it again had to be turned round. Then a chair was placed in front of it in its corner. Then a washing-up bowl was put on top of it, so that the lid could not be lifted with that persistent nose - I had a job too!

How that was overcome I'm not entirely sure. You would leave the room for a few seconds and bang over would go the bin - he must have hooked a front paw round it and pulled it out and over.

He has a particular fancy for egg shells - I know they are a good source of calcium - and potato peelings. [At least he doesn't employ the tactics of a cat we once had, who would get on the draining board and hook her claws into my hands so that she could get at the potato peelings!]

He was never caught in the actual act of opening the bin, so what could you do?

Best just admit defeat and put the bin away in a cupboard - more convenient than having the contents spread all over the floor and an upset stomach being risked!

The morals of this story?

Perhaps that you should avoid putting temptation in your pets way... if he or she gives in to temptation, well you know it's your own fault for putting it there! And if there is a way around a potential problem... take it... know what is important, and what isn't!