I guess I should have named him Trouble

[Steve D]

Maxwell turned 16 weeks today. Today has been one of those days. Max is big enough now to jump up to reach things on the counter, my computer desk, tables, etc.. I have moved things up higher and higher and I am running out of places to put things. So far today he has gotten a hold of the tv remote, a pair of tweezers, mysterious pieces of plastic, napkins, a container of treats, plants, and a full package of pasta. With each of these things he is well aware he is not supposed to have them and all the commands such as sit, stay, and drop it fall on deaf ears. When he jumps up he knows and usually obeys the Off command but a minute later he is back up. The trouble really starts when I have my back turned. We have the living room arranged to where I can open the gate to his crate to create an enclosed area but since he can jump up on the couch that has now simply become a launching pad to freedom. He has a large variety of toys and things to chew on that are kept in rotation but none of these are as fun as the forbidden items. Help!!! :)

[Lynne B]

I would keep him tethered in an area near you where stuff is put up so he can't get it. If he does get something he shouldn't have, just say 'no' casually take it from him and replace it with a toy.

[Kyoko]

I tethered Charlie for a good while when she was a little puppy. She also did not have free range of the house once she got a little older either. She stayed within the area where I can keep an eye on her, or she was in the area where it was sectioned out by the flexible gate in the house. ( I had to keep the sofa away from the gate as well. when it was closer she was able to jump over the gate and onto the sofa. Now it is away, she won't jump over.)
I was always afraid that she would chew/eat things and cause health issue for herself.

[Deanna Marsh]

Make sure you take him on at least two long walks a day. I did this at this age and my pup seemed to behave better, we continue the walks (weather permitting) even now that she is a year and a half, which is good for both of us. She was not as large as your dog, but constantly getting into things, this progressively got better as she got older. But then sometimes out of the blue she will get something she isn't supposed to have, but generally is a very good dog. I also did as Lynne B suggested, replace the forbidden item with one of their toys. This really helped her realize what she was allowed to have and what was hers. He's still a baby but it sounds like your on the right track with the training.

[Anna and Achilles]

LOL! It sounds just like Achilles, we now call him trouble, it will get better stay consistent.

[Erin and Dexter]

Steve, this worked for us and we only had to do it once...

Dexter was a HUGE counter surfer...we're talking CONSTANTLY....everytime I turned around, he was up scoping out what we had up there. here is what we did:

We put a bunch of cookie sheets/flat pans on the edge of the counter where he always hopped up. we put a peanut butter sandwich (he LOVES peanut butter) on top (basically set him up to fail). when he jumped up to get the sandwich, the cookie trays came crashing to the ground, making a really loud noise and startling him BIG time. Has not done it since. :)

Try that, it worked for us! (at least with the counter surfing)

[Lori]

OH THANK HEAVENS! I'm not the only one! It does get exhausting. Leo likes the dog park and the tip to keep him exhausted does help, but it's not a complete cure. It seems that diligence and exhaustion (either his or he wears me down!) work best. We try hard not to chase Leo when he has something - now that he knows that it's not "game on" he is even starting to deliver stolen items back to us, and then he gets heaped with praise. If it's something really valuable, like a piece of paper that I CAN'T afford to have him rip up, I will resort to trading him for a treat. Now just the sound of the cupboard is often all it takes, and so to be honest sometimes if I'm really mad at him I cheat him out of the treat. Paper towels are a favorite. We keep the toilet paper in a drawer or it becomes a banner strewn throughout the house. Leo will be eight months on old March 5. Good luck!!! I've noticed there's a bit of a cycle...things that were formerly attractive he's learned to leave alone (or else he's just no longer interested) and he seems to have moved on to other things. I'm thinking this is just the way it's going to be for awhile. The good news is, he's at a point now where I can leave him in our back hallway where there's not much he can get into while I'm gone during the day rather than putting him in his crate, and he seems to be fine with it. Keep us posted!

[Steve D]

We have not had the chance to walk as we should. Even here in Oklahoma this winter has been awful. I hear rumors that spring may be coming. This all is certainly not from lack of attention. We have worked on training and played lots today. When he gets something forbidden he of course try to turn it into a game of chase but I have been doing my best to not play along. He is very smart and I believe is actively looking for forbidden items. The tweezers for instance. Why is it I can never find them when I need them. At least I know where they are now :) Maybe a tether might help. I have never confined him like that. Of course in addition to damage he might cause I am really worried about him getting hurt. The front burners on the stove top for instance. I am not sure what to do to keep him from jumping up in the first place. Thanks for the advice. Definitely a work in progress :)

[Lori]

Do you have an electric or gas range? We have gas so I think the fire keeps Leo off that part of the counter. One thing I found online said to tie strings to soda cans with a few coins inside, attach those to a covered "bait container" with something that smells really good (I just used our other dog's canned dog food) and wait. When Leo tried to pull them down we ran into the kitchen and rather than scold him we just carried on saying, "OH NO! What happened!!! This is just awful!!! Oh Leo, are you all right???" He only did it twice and seems to have now stopped - but I doubt if it's a permanent condition. :-)

[Carla, Lucca and Izzy]

At that age...Lucca used to be called "liitle sh-t", lovingly of course:) He got into everything. I never, ever allowed him to roam the house or be alone in a room without someone there. All the other advice is what I would give you too. Stay consistent. It really does get better. At almost 1-1/2 years he still does things but nothing like how it was at 4 months ld!!

[Steve D]

Those are some great suggestions!! I am going to give them a try. We have an electric range and I try to keep the heat at the rear but the two big burners are up from so that does not always work. I am going to try either the cookie sheet or the cans or both!! To prevent the behavior is really what I would like to work on. Thanks!

[Lori]

We did the cookie sheets too, and he stayed down as long as the cookie sheets were there and never ONCE knocked them off. But having a counter completely covered in cookie sheets is a bit inconvenient, so we resorted to the cans. You can also use a soda can with some coins in it as something to shake and startle him. I've also discovered that Leo didn't mind being squirted in the face with the squirt bottle - just MORE fun! However, he HATES having his butt squirted! :-)

[Steve D]

Lol that is funny! I have been meaning to invest in a squirt bottle. Sounds like tomorrow I should go buy a couple cans of coke too :)