If you find your doggy is still wanting every type of people food in sight even though she's well fed and walked, try something simple like not having anything tempting around her. This means put food away immediately after it's served and put the garbage can in an area she can't get to. It's all about taking preventative measures!

Dogs are naturally curious and love to get into everything. Dogs also love food, especially the food they see us eat. So it’s not surprising that pet parents often have problems keeping dogs from “counter surfing” and raiding the trash. Unfortunately, once your dog has learned there’s tasty stuff to be found on kitchen counters, in cupboards and buried in garbage cans, he’s more likely to look for food in those places again. Even small dogs aren’t exempt from food stealing—there are reports of especially clever terriers learning to push chairs up to counters so that they can conquer new heights!

Prevention Is Key
The best way to ensure that your dog never gets in the habit of stealing food is to prevent him from experiencing the joys of thieving. Always put leftover foods away. If your dog has learned to open cupboard doors, install child-proof latches. Close doors or use baby gates to keep your dog out of certain areas.

Perpetually hungry dogs who ransack kitchen countertops and garbage cans for food might be easier to discourage if they have more to eat. Feed your dog several small meals a day.

Providing plenty of physical and mental exercise can also help keep your dog off the counters and out of the trash.

Teaching Your Dog to Stay off Counters and out of the Trash
The first step in teaching your dog that it’s unacceptable for him to get into these areas is to always react immediately when you see him jump on counters, nose around cupboard doors or nudge at the trash can. Clap your hands loudly and say “Off!” in a firm tone of voice. Then take your dog by the collar and remove him from the area.

Some dogs learn that it’s only safe to surf the counters and get into the trash if people aren’t around. If this describes your dog, you can dissuade him from getting into off-limit areas by using “environmental punishers.”
If your dog doesn’t jump up onto the counter but instead reaches for things by placing his front feet on the counter, you can design a “pop-can pyramid.” Build a pyramid with the cans, placing the can with the string on the bottom of the structure.

The advantage to using an environmental punisher is that the scary thing happens whether you’re present or not. Your dog won’t learn to simply wait until it’s safe (until you’re not around) to do things like jump up onto counters and dive into trash cans. Instead, he’ll discover that it’s never safe to do those things.

What NOT to Do
• Do not scold or punish your dog if you discover that he’s already eaten stolen food.
• Do not shoo or push your dog off of countertops and tables. He could fall and injure himself.
• Do not use any device to scare your dog away from forbidden areas if there’s a chance he could be physically harmed by the device. For instance, do not substitute real mouse traps for the Snappy Trainer.

As the ASPCA tips remind us, don't scold your pup if she is still trying to get into the food. You need to do your job better by ensuring she can't get to the food or raid the garbage can.

Of course training also plays a part in ensuring this doesn't take place either. Continue to work on ways you can stop her from eating food she's not supposed to and over time she should stop being a garbage can eater!