At the age of five my GSD discovered that if she opened the fridge door she could eat the contents. I'm now on my third fridge freezer in two years and just come home to discover shes broken the door seal on this one. I've tried the child proof locks but she just breaks through them.
She's always had the run of the house when I'm out and when I have tried to confine her when I'm out she has just destroyed the door.
She has two long runs a day, fed twice a day and is left with our other dog for up to four hours during the week. Does anyone else have this problem ?

Oh dear I don't share your problem or have any advice regarding fridge locks but I do symathise with you. Have you considered crating him/her? I don't know if this would be a reasonable option but I'm sure that someone will offer you some better advice. Good luck - it must be awful.

We had problems with our old dog when we left him confined. We used to leave him in the kitchen as the hall had an alarm sensor. He tried to eat his way though the wall to get out. We tried him in a crate and he actually managed to force his way through the bars even though they were steel, it was unbelievable . Eventually we found that provided he could lie at the door we left by he settled fine so we just stopped using the alarm and left him in the hall. he was fine after that. Fortunately he didn't attack the fridge though. have you tried stuffing kongs with food etc to try to keep her occupied, or locking her out of the kitchen but allowing her the run of the rest of the house?

Thanks for your replies. She is left with a selection of chews and toys when I'm out. I have tried locking her out of the kitchen but she scratched all the door. I couldn't crate her as I didn't as a pup and now at seven I don't think she would be too happy.                                                                                                                                         I had put the remainder of the sunday roast in the fridge yesterday so she could smell it. i was only gone 45 minutes and my two teenagers were upstairs. I'm thinking about putting the fridge in the garage which would be a pain.
Theres a lot to be said for having small dogs, my JRT can't reach the fridge!

Have you tried an alarm? I used to have one that was a small thing with a sensor that you could shut in a door/ window. the alarm sounds on door opening, and it was horribly loud. It might just put your dog off fridge raiding.

My goodness, how about a padded cell! :-D

I like the bike chain and padlock he shouldn't get through that. What a nightmare for you, how old is he, is he in his teenage years?  I hope that he will settle .

To be honest if I had a dog that was so distructive when out, so that you could not even contain him without him going through doors, or crates (if tried) how about the best option of just popping a muzzle on him whilst you are out for your quick pop outs, though the 4 hours it would probably be cruel to do so, or perhaps kennel him in the garden to stop the distruction whilst out.

Just googled and found on another forum someone asked a similar question and one reply was a bike lock (or chain and padlock) put though the handles of fridge and freezer.  Sounds like an idea if you have the handles to do this with. :)

Could keep the kids out aswell ;)

We have a big treasure chest with a padlock to store biscuits and choholate crisps and all the unhealthy rationed snack foods etc... in... for the kids. ( and for me! I know my linitations so don't have key! )

Back onto the  issue of the the fridge with teen kids I'm amazed you actually have anything left in  the fridge to eat!   My fridge is always empty I give up on trying to stock it up. The more I put in it the emptier it is next time I look.

..and what a smart dog you have.

Thanks Pinklilies an alarm sounds like a great idea. I don't have a handle on my current fridge so a padlock is not an option. Someone at work told me about an episode of `Its me or the dog` where an alarm was fitted to stop the dog raiding the fridge and it worked. Thats me off to Homebase  
Tenaj, my kids are so fussy, I stopped buying biscuits and crisps as they were just thrown away. Be grateful your kids will eat anything, I have to cook three seperate meals every night :rolleyes: 

Be grateful your kids will eat anything, I have to cook three seperate meals every night  

I am probably a horrible mother then My chiildren were always given a choice - eat what is offered for dinner or go hungry :) No fussy eaters at all here :)

Tried that they would rather starve, told they would grown out of it but they never have. My daughter is better than my son. My son could be on that programme on BBC3 at the moment about fussy eaters. He even says he wishes he could try new things but he actually gags. Don't get it from me I love my food.

My SisterIn laws kids were like this. Used to drive me nuts if they came to stay because they would only eat sausages and chips. One wouldn't eat anything at McDonalds, the other nothing out of Pizza Hut , neither like chicken or even pasta so if you were out and wanted a quick meal it was a nightmare. The eldest is now at uni and cooking italian meals from scratch for her boyfriend. She will now eat anything so they can grow out of it :-) . Its hard when your kids are like this though. Have to say mine had two choices - take it or leave it - I don't have the time or inclination to make different meals for them!! ( I know I'm a baaaaaaad Mother lol)

Ditto, Like it of lump it. And they wouldnt get anything else till the next meal time!!!
Both my kids aged 8 and 11 Eat salads, Veg of all kind, go MAD for Brussel sprouts.
Dont really like oven chips and not that keen on McDonalds.
Put chips and beans or full roast dinner, My kids go for roast dinner every time :D
Lea :)

My son has had problems feeding since the day he was born. He's 19 now and still underweight. He will eat mashed potato, chicken breast, frozen peas and Yorkshires every day.
As a child he would be sick if forced to try anything.
My daughter is 16 and just likes to eat healthily, shes never liked chips or chicken nuggets.

My mother was like that.  She would serve up a meal and what we left we didn't have, if we didn't eat it all then we didn't get pudding.  Still today I will eat things I don't like back home, although much prefer living away as I only eat what I like, even if it is just pasta 3 times a day!!!

Lea, myself, brother, boyfriend and many of my friends will choose a roast dinner all the time over most things!  BUt nothing beats a mum's roast dinner!!!! :D

And with a 16 year old and 19 year old who come and go as they please if they aren't here at meal times they get their own.

Have you tried spraying your fridge with chew deterrent?

No because I assumed she was opening the door with her front paws, maybe I'm wrong.

Well I know it has a horrid taste so maybe the smell would be a bit of a deterrent?
If she is opening the door with her paws, it may not help but could be worth a try!

I know some chew deterrants are for cats and dogs and deter from scratching and chewing, could be worth a try?

I was told that dogs get used or even like some chew deterrents so to mix up some fiary washing up liquid with some ground pepper into a paste, paint it onto furniture, it dries like paint but does not damage furniture and can be washed off when needed. Never tried it but it sounds good ;-D

Have you tried the alrams yet? I think the ones on It's me or the dog had one on the fridge door that if the dog opened the door then it set the alarm off and they also used an alram that had either a motion sensor or soemthing nder a mat (can't quite remember) so that if the dog got too close to the cooker then the alram went off but it stopped after a while. It did seem to work immediately.
GG