I need HELP...

[Carol Hanr]

Willow is the sweetest pup ever, great personality, loving, etc...but I need help. She takes things off the stove (which really worries me), off the counter and out of the sink.  I do keep things on the counter and try as I may to keep the sink cleared, it is not always possible. Never had this problem with my LuLu and don't know how to get Willow to stop.  Did your pup ever do this, and how did you get them to stop???

[Minga & Malu & Costa]

Counter surfing. We all know it well. I used a penny can to keep Malu from doing this bad behavior!

[Taylor & Huff]

Huff never got stuff off the stove and out of the sink but he did grab stuff from the counters. We just bought baby gates and sealed him out of the kitchen. There are other methods like putting a bowl of cans attached to a piece of food, and when they try to steal it the cans fall and scare them. I hope you can fix this problem. Good luck!:)

[Adina P]

Is it possible to gate off the kitchen or otherwise keep Willow from being there alone? Does she do it in plain sight or only when you are not there?

[Melissa]

I heard putting cookie sheets on the counter for the dood to knock off and gets a little gun shy about doing it in the future. Not sure how that would work with the sink...maybe putting a cookie sheet across the sink?

[Donna M Lowry]

Bait & Startle has worked for Riley. Leave something of interest on the counter and as soon as he starts "surfing" I bang some pots and pans or like Minga said below a can of pennies. I also carry a can of pennies to the dog park, just in case there is a confrontational dog with no supervision.

[Nicole]

One thing I tried with my last doodle who was a counter-surfer and stove-stealer was to booby-trap the counter. We put aluminum cans with pennies in them and stacked them up and put something really yummy behind them. When she tried to get the food the cans fell off and scared her. I also put cookie sheets hanging over the edge several inches and when she jumped up the pans flipped or fell over...none of which could hurt her, I also tried a scream mat purchased at a local store...when she stood up and put her paws on it there was a terrible sound. They are worth a try! I was terribly embarrassed when during Christmas dinner for 22 people I looked up and she was eating the Christmas ham off the counter a few years back!!!!! She was also fond of getting spoons (especially big serving spoons) that had food off them out of the sink...we found 16 spoons in the bottom of the couch when we moved it awhile back. I finally just had to keep the counter clear all the time, and have everyone put their dishes in the dishwasher as they used them...

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

More than training Lucy not to do these kinds of behaviors (of which she did ALL that you describe), she finally trained us not to keep things within her reach. We tried everything to deter her (except for a 'scream mat'... not sure what that is or where to find one). Things would work for a while, but she'd be back at it much too soon. Lucy's a sneaky counter/sink cruiser. The moment you step foot out of the kitchen, she's in there investigating. Gating it off was out of the question. So, now we keep the counters and stove top clear, the sink empty and use the crocheted-top kitchen towels to keep them from disappearing. If we're in the kitchen cooking, Lucy will sniff what's on the counter, but she never jumps up in our presence.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I really think your only answer is to gate her out of the kitchen (if you're not there) when there are "tempting things" available for her to grab. I think it is possible to get her to stop, but it would take training. I think you'd have to be there to catch her "in the act" and correct her many, many times. I know I wouldn't fool around with anything on the stove. If I'm not in the kitchen and there are things cooking (that smell really yummy), I don't trust Murphy. I keep him out of the kitchen.

[Jeanne & Shep]

With Shep we use a spray bottle with water in it. The bottle is sitting on the counter and if he jumps up I tell him "leave it" and grab the bottle and spray him in the face. It does stop him especially if he sees the bottle sitting out. I would not trust him in the kitchen alone with food on the counter though.

[Carol Hanr]

Thank you all for your replies. I will try the penny cans, but cannot gate her away from the kitchen. She is not allowed in the living room because she still has accidents...can you believe that, 6 months old and will still wet in the house. Never had one this hard to break. Willow is very bold, I watched her this morning lick a pan that was left on the stove...Thank goodness it was not hot. I told my dd to not leave anything on the stove, but of course she did.

[Minga & Malu & Costa]

Just make sure that when you toss the penny can at her she doesn't see it come from you. That way she won't associate it with you. Sometimes this is harder than it sounds though. :)

[Kimberly Daisy Kalli]

Our doodles have not had counter surfing issues, but the rescued Rottweiler we used to have did. She was a very stubborn (but well loved) girl. What finally worked with her were those rubber mats that have the pokey things on the back. We bought a few a local hardware store and cut them in strips. We placed the strips (pokey side up) at the edge of the counter and when she put her paws up she didn't like the pokey feeling. Our trainer recommended it and in a few days, her bad habit disappeared. We never had to use the strips again.