A year and a half ago I adopted what I'm assuming is a rhodesian ridgeback/jack russell terrier mix from the Humane Society.  She is smart and an amazing dog.  We are very close.  I take her everywhere with me and she will listen to me very well.  There were a few things I had to help her through when I first got her.  She was around 6 mos old., spent a month in the shelter, and about another month on the streets.  Before then I believe she was abused.  If she threw up, she always did it in her kennel and would start shaking afterwards.  She also would lay down and start shaking when I got the leash out.  She over came those problems.  She does get into a lot of things (I'm hoping she grows out of that), but when I go to yell at her, she growls, snaps, and has even bitten me before.  I'm worried that at some point shes going to eat the wrong thing and really get hurt.  This usually happens around the garbage, that's the biggest problem.  She does take shoes and clothes every once and awhile and try the same thing.  About 2 minutes later she comes up to me and kisses me all over my face.  Is there anything I could do.  I've thried yelling, talking to her calmly, sending her to her kennel, and after awhile "spanking" (tapping her on the butt to startle out of the garbage, not hitting her).  She snaps, leaves, and then goes right back to it.

Oh, I totally agree with you.  When I say yelling, I'm not screaming at her.  I meant telling her "no" firmly.  I normally have everything I can think of picked up.  I'm staying with my parents until I buy my new house and I try to make sure things like their shoes are put away, but she's my dog not theirs.  Their dogs aren't destructive and they don't understand why mine is (I know, every dog is different and I disagree with them).  It is their house though so there is a limit to the preventative measures I can take until I can get into our new house.  She is getting better with dropping things when I tell her to.  If she really wants it though, she will grip it tight and show her teeth.  I do agree with startling not making it better.  It was a temperary solution to get it out of her mouth.  I watch a lot of animal planet about dogs needed surgery for things they've eaten.  I don't think we have a problem with the bonding.  That dog is my life.  She's very smart and knows she shouldn't be doing what she's doing.  I'm going to try to work more on the prevention.  It just upsets me when she does bare her teeth at me because we are so close