My dog keeps eating things they shouldn't, what sort of things can I use to make it stop? Sprinkle some chilly powder over the area?

The most effective way to stop your dog from eating things that she shouldn't is to keep the dog and the things he likes to eat apart. If he eats shoes, put them in a closet. If she eats human food, put it out of reach or in closed bins. If he eats paper, don't leave it lying around.

Knowing what kind of things he gets would help us a lot to answer your question.

garden hose, tools, electrical cords, rocks, tree limbs What kind of things? Are they things you have been left down & the dog got it? Why was it where the dog could get it. Don't you put things up to make a safe environment for your dog? It is called 'dog proofing' your home. Just as you would baby proof a home. This could be the fault of the humans that live with the dog. They leave things down, drop it on the floor, toss it in a corner,

You need to create a safe environment for the dog. Put your stuff UP.

So the first thing you have to ask yourself is why does your dog have access? Is it because you are a tad sloppy and have not taken the necessary steps to put things away (like socks, shoes, and legos) or is he/she getting to things (like electrical cords or furniture)?

This means putting stuff away and out of reach, and in some cases putting up a barrier.

Depending on the training method you have used to train your dog a sharp "NO!" and removing the item over and over may help. Once it is clear that the dog understands, a "time out" in his crate may also work. As noted above, you should have trained your dog with the "Leave it" or "Drop it" command. Use the leave it command and replace the "bad item" with a treat or toy. Some people have success with using a bitter spray, but that spay may stain.

If your dog is grabbing things from counters, you may need to consider a Snappy Trainer or Electrostatic mat -- as well as not leaving temptations on the counter.

Avoidance and prevention works better than anything else. And eyes in the back of your head. Puppy-proof (I'm assuming this is a young dog as they normally grow out of such behaviour) your home so he can't get at things you value, and more importantly, things that may be dangerous for him. And start teaching him 'Leave' and 'Drop' will help. If he gets into something you want from him, trade. Make what you have 'better' than what he has. Don't back him into a corner, if this is resource guarding, that's a hiding to not much!! And could make him worse. Use applied psychology - and training!

Some young dogs will do this - your things are often way more interesting, valuable to them, than any amount of his own toys!!

Tabasco sauce also works. Then provide them with plenty of chew toys and rawhide that they CAN chew on.

spray something bitter tasting on it