I need a dog-proof bin

Don't give me all the platitudes about moving it, not putting thigns in it, emptying it more often - I've done all of that, not allowed to empty it more or my husband lays into me and I'm at my wits end. Can't move it out of the kitchen because of the layout of the house... and I'm at the point now where I'm a prisoner in the house and about fit to leave my husband and the dog because I can't get any help with this and he won't back me up when I can't bear to come downstairs in the morning in case I've got to pick everything up again, I can't have a shower during the day because the dog's unaccompanied if I do and I can't go out of the house at all - even to the postbox at the end of the road.

Dog HAS to be in the kitchen overnight because of the cat and the fact she gets the living room cos her stuff's in there.

I (would say we but hubby doesn't give a stuff to be honest since it's me who comes into the destruction) tried turning the bin around so he couldn't flip the pedal part with his nose, tried various ways of "locking" the lid shut with an old harness clasp duct taped on - he's just started ripping through the duct tape overnight... last night he shredded through about 10 layers of duct tape, the overlapping bin liner that he could get to and almost went through the metal bin top itself - only managed to get a manky audio casette (remember those) that fell out of the gap... but still I can't take this every day and I'm starting to see the dog as some kind of prison warder for me which isn't fair on him... I'm literally at the point where if I could - I'd walk out and leave both of them and see how my husband likes being left to do it all and pick up the pieces.

Dog's walked twice a day for an hour each time - I don't know where I'll manage to fit in a third walk to wear him out more if I have to go down that road (again, I won't get any help on that front either right now), tried kongs, bones, assorted stuff like that. Tried toys.... I'm literally at my wits end - hubby just hugs the dog and lays into me.

There HAS to be a dog-proof lockable bin out there... don't know how I'm going to have the money to find it on the £35 a week I actually have to spend without going cap in hand to get money out of the bank account but I'm going to have to find it somewhere because I can't flipping well take this anymore - it's got to where I'm lying awake at night trying to hear the destroying of the bin (which I can't easily do because of the layout of the house meaning the kitchen's in an extension at the back so as far away as possible)... I don't need more "inadequate owner doing a crap job" comments here - I really don't - I'm tired beyond belief from doing everything and not getting any sleep, just burried a family friend who was closer to me as a father figure than any of the idiots who actually got to use that title, I'm at breaking point and the bin-destroying is about fit to push me completely over the edge.

Hubby won't crate him - I don't particularly want to go down that route either. Can't let him sleep in the bedroom (although right now I feel like he could have MY spot in the double bed to be honest and no one would notice or care) because of the cat and I've got to do right by the moggy as well because she didn't ask for any of this and she's already pretty much abandoned by my husband.

I didnt want to read and run, not sure I have any suggestions except, is there anyway you can do away with the bin on the floor and put a small bin in a high cupboard, and then just recycle your shopping carrier bags for liners so that it doesnt cost to use a few?

We have a push top bin and have it facing away and cornered by the folding door and the wall, but that sounds like easy pickings for your dog.

I know where you are coming from with your husband, mine always feels hard done by but actually does virtually nothing, he taxis a couple of kids for our minding business, but i do the walking ones while he sits in the car, and i do all the paperwork and house stuff.

Can you say to your husband that although you both dont want a crate if you dont get the support you will have no choice, it might well be money well spent to relax knowing where your dog is!

I know too how it feels to have virtually no sleep listening, thinking and worrying, I have had disturbed sleep since christmas with varying family members coughing and different things with the dog, it is always me that gets up and deals with everything and takes responsibility and worries. Do you have a friend that will come during the day just to watch the dog for half an hour here and there so you can have a power nap, I am lucky in that my husband is here and the numbers of children we have at the minute mean that if i am dead on my feet i can crash for twenty minutes and he has to deal with it.

Hugs to you, tell your husband how you feel, it may not change anything, but they do need to hear it straight sometimes!

The brantana metal type bins are thin and lightweight enough that you might be able to just put it near the door and pop it into the living room at night then back in the kitchen in the morning. or just out the back door when you go to have a shower etc...

Have you tried giving him something tricky but just as rewarding when you leave him? Like a stuffed frozen kong or a treat ball? If he has another activity that is more easily rewarding it might distract him...

Problem with the bin is it is its own reward... Do this get yummy things... very hard to train out of. Also if you come down and get really upset and distraught of the bin, poor doggy might start attacking it for you.. Bad bin always makes mummy so upset.

Dogs dont do things maliciously nor have any idea of consequences.. He's not doing it to get at you or hurt you or upset you... Try to think about it from his 'live in the now want instant food' standpoint and see if there is something you can think of that might take the temptation away or make the situation less stressful for you both.

My friend has got round this by having a small bin that fits in one of her unit cupboards.
You could also try putting no food waste in the bin - the dog will only go down it if it is rewarding. Compost heap?

Forgive me if I am getting the wrong end of the stick here but I am reading between the lines that the bin problem is just the proverbial 'straw that broke the camel's back'.

Would it help to get some advice from a professional trainer who could perhaps encourage your husband to become more involved in sorting it out?

I hope you find a resolution to your problem soon.

I have two major bin raiders and believe me, I have searched high and low for a 'dog proof' bin. It does not exist. I've always said that the person who creates a functional dog proof bin will get rich very quickly indeed!

Is there a reason you cannot move the bin into another room, or put it on a high work surface, at night? I shut our bin in the utility room over night if it is more than 25% full. Absolutely no way would I leave it in the kitchen with the dogs otherwise I would come down to a right mess every morning.

This behaviour is something that is incredibly difficult to train out of a dog when you are not there. Getting a dog to 'leave it' when you are around isn't a problem and is simple training, but when you are gone...well, they are smarter than that. They are opportunists and the bin is very rewarding, so of course they are going to keep coming back and repeating the behviour. Dogs really don't 'get' the concept of a bin and why we chuck what is in their eyes, perfectly good edible food away.

When you have a very food motivated dog, pretty much the only solution is management. At the moment we have quite a heavy duty pedal bin which, during the day, has a heavy weight on top meaning they can't operate the pedal, knock it over or flip the lid. At night it is put behind a closed door. This solution works for us.

With respect, screw what you husband thinks about moving the bin when the dog is unattended (at night, when you leave, etc.) because it is YOU that is dealing with the problem, not him. Or, feel free to ask him what his suggestions are & if he feels like he can train this out of the dog (he won't!) to go ahead and be your guest.

dizzi, have you got an electric drill If you have and you PM me your address I'll send you a flip catch and some screws (I've got a few spares in my workshop) just drill six small holes and mount the catch and and you'll have no more problems I can assure you

Duct tape is no good for this type of problem, 'tho it does have lots of uses and is always in my toolbox.

If the bin is being knocked over to get access ,try putting some kind of heavy weight in the bottom it will stablize it ..

We have kiddi locks on EVERYTHING the dogs can reach.You're NOT a cr.p owner at all!This isn't that sort of forum,they're not critical on here but helpful.Our kitchen bin was a source of delight to the dogs(the missus makes me do all cleaning up jobs as they're my dogs)until I emptied and lined a cupboard for it and put a kiddi lock on the cupboard.Doesn't sound like you've got a big enough kitchen for that so an earlier post's suggestion of a metal clip fitted on the bin sounds like an excellent idea.
Dogs are scavenging animals,bin diving is way up there on their list of favourites.
Might I suggest a 'Free to Good home ad in the free ads paper,"Husband available to good home - needs discipline but kind to animals..."

Hope you manage to get your bin problem sorted -there are a number of good suggestions here.

I had a problem with my husband and the bin. He would keep putting tea-bags in the bin throwing them down so that tea-stains splashed up the wall behind the bin. I kept asking him to be more careful but to no avail! In the end I moved the bin so it was away from the wall and yes I had to walk further to put things in the bin but it solved the problem! We now have one of those food collection bins on the kitchen worksurface so tea-bags go in there now.

Husbands can be much harder to train than dogs I think!