Who got into the rubbish bin?

Tank did it!

Tank is large and in charge when human top dog of the pack is away on his mysterious disappearances and not in sight. But Tank was left with no specific duty assignment, no specific responsibility, no reassurances, no breakdown of exact expectations for that day and the emptiness engulfed Tank and left poor Tank in a massive worried state of confusion. Is Tank obsolete? Is Tank not needed? Is master cross with Tank? This is quite worrisome indeed. Tank must worry-gnaw this smelly garbage to bits and spread it all out for sniff-inspection.

Tank has failed to train his human handler properly, but there is still hope. This is going to take a lot of self-awareness on the human's part and that is not promised.

The handler must each time, each incidence of departure, provide stern and direct military-like instructions to his little soldiers. None can be neglected. A stern and mature mission delivery. One that shapes up his little soldiers. He must see their posture come to sharp attention. "I am talking to you!"

It breaks down to k-9 semiotics.

Every single one of your actions is a symbol to a dog, the dogs in your pack, you are the top dog. Every single one of your motions is symbol to them. The dogs are looking to read your signals. And every one of your movements counts.  So that you tying up your boot laces is a symbol that means "Yay! We're going for a ride and I'm going too, Yay! We're going for a ride and I'm going too.  Yay! We're going for a ride and I'm going too.  Yay! We're going for a ride and I'm going too.  Yay! We're going for a ride and I'm going too.  Yay! We're going for a ride and I'm going too.  Yay! We're going for a ride and I'm going too.  Yay! We're going for a ride and I'm going too.  Yay! We're going for a ride and I'm going too.  Yay! We're going for a ride and I'm going too."

Dog thoughts are very repeat-y.

You do best by working with them and their being stuck in repetition thought mode. 

You zipping up your jacket means, "Yay! We're going for a ride and I'm going too, Yay! We're going for a ride and I'm going too.  Yay! We're going for a ride and I'm going too.  Yay! We're going for a ride and I'm going too.  Yay! We're going for a ride and I'm going too.  Yay! We're going for a ride and I'm going too.  Yay! We're going for a ride and I'm going too.  Yay! We're going for a ride and I'm going too.  Yay! We're going for a ride and I'm going too.  Yay! We're going for a ride and I'm going too."

The jingle of your keys means, "Yay! We're going for a ride and I'm going too, Yay! We're going for a ride and I'm going too.  Yay! We're going for a ride and I'm going too.  Yay! We're going for a ride and I'm going too.  Yay! We're going for a ride and I'm going too.  Yay! We're going for a ride and I'm going too.  Yay! We're going for a ride and I'm going too.  Yay! We're going for a ride and I'm going too.  Yay! We're going for a ride and I'm going too.  Yay! We're going for a ride and I'm going too."

So you must anticipate k-9 semiotics, know in advance how your movements are read by them, what your movements mean to them by speaking to them early, at the earliest symbol you send them and throughout. You must keep talking and keep explaining or else they will be lost without your instructions each and every time.

"I'm putting on my boots because I must go outside." *ear pick up, tail wags, dog hops around* "But you must stay here." *ears fall back, tail stops wagging, dog sits." 

"I am putting on my jacket because I am going outside, *excited dog* "But you must stay here and guard the whole place and be alert for intruders." *dog settles down, but follows."

"These are my car keys because I must drive. EH! No getting excited! You must stay here. Your duty is guard the place and bark if you notice intruders but keep your distance. I'll be back in ONE MINUTE! I always lie about that. Dogs have no sense of time at all. I could say "five hours" and it will mean the same thing." 

The point is, the dogs teach us, we must talk to them constantly. This owner/handler failed to do that. It made his poor dog a nervous wreck when he left so abruptly. Was it forever? Was it something they'd done?  Not being talked to just wrecks dogs. It wrecks their psychology that is completely dependent on you. Your abrupt disappearance with no preliminary discussion wrecks the whole pack. Their happiness comes from their being useful to their pack. Look, you wanted a dog and this comes with the territory. As top dog your attention is required. Nothing is automatic. They are all delicate psychologies dysfunctionally centering around you and all of your motions. I am afraid this human did not learn anything from this incident. I do not think he learned he must talk to his dogs before leaving each time, but maybe enough of this nervous trash-picking thing and there is a chance that he might pick up eventually that it gets down to talking and assigning jobs. 

Who's zooming whom? 

When this same thing happened and I realized my failure of communication, that did fix everything. But the first couple incidents the dog kept their distance as I cleaned up the mess, bitching them out harshly the whole time, telling them how cross I am and how I am going to STAY cross for FIVE whole minutes.

But I lied about time again because one minute is the same as ten hours when you are cross. In dog-time it is impossibly long, still they follow around but keep their distance waiting for the moment five minutes is up and, BLAM! It's over, hurray! And everything's back to normal again. Yay! Yippie Yay! Yippie Yay! Daddy's not mad anymore!"