Counter Surfing!

[Adrienne and Finn]

Whenever I turn my back, Finn seems to be getting up on the counter to get ANYTHING he can reach! I have to push all my food to the back of the counter. Most of the time I don't have food up there but when I'm cooling food or there are dirty dishes on the counter he can't seem to resist.

I've tried leaving peanut butter and butter (his favorite steals) on a cookie sheet balanced on the edge of the counter so that when he gets up the cookie sheet falls and makes a loud noise

to scare him. It worked once or twice...but now he's learned not to take anything from the cookie sheet.

I've tried spraying his nose when he gets up there...but most of the time I don't catch him.I don't know what else to do! HELP!

[Adina P]

I think your first line of defense is not to give him the freedom to practice this by crating him or tethering him to you while cooking.  Something that makes it physically impossible to get up there unless you are setting him up for a lesson.  Also practice his down stays while you cook.  If you work hard in obedience then you can just give him commands that are incompatible with counter surfing like 'down stay' in the kitchen while you cook.  

[Denise & Hunter!!!]

Hunter does this to and it is driving me NUTS! She won't do it if we are in the kitchen or she thinks we are going to catch her. The only time she will do it is if she thinks she is not being watched and she does it super fast so she can't get caught. Whenever I do catch her I tell her no, stay down, blah blah blah - she shrugs into her crate like she is in trouble and the next time she has the chance she is right back up there. I tried with the cookie sheet to and she just avoids the cookie sheets now. If you can't catch them what do you do?

[Deb Stanton]

Wakefield has done this since he was tall enough to reach the counter. Last night he thought there was something interesting on the stove. When he tried to investigate his front feet accidently opened the oven door and when it crashed down,he skittered out of the kitchen so fast I only saw a white blur running past me. Maybe this will make him think twice next time :)

[Denise & Hunter!!!]

I hope it does! I don't think I would be that lucky LOL

[Karen and Bridget]

I solved Cooper's counter surfing problem by putting pennies in several empty soda cans then spacing them about a foot apart on the edge of the counter. I took string and taped it between the tops of each can to make a long chain with a little slack between each can. The next time he jumped up to the counter, his paw caught the string and all of the cans crashed to the floor. It scared him and after a few more attempts with the same result, his counter surfing days were over. Maybe this will work for you too :)

[Denise & Hunter!!!]

That is a great idea! I am going to try it tonight :-)

[Carol and Banjo]

WOW! I imagine that would cure any dog! This tip will go in my "file". So far Banjo hasn't shown much interest in what's up there.

[Deb Stanton]

I tried the pennies in cans. Wakefield was scared when they all fell on the floor and ran, but then went right back in the kitchen, grabbed them and started playing with them and trying to chew on them. Did not have any luck with this at all. I'm trying to remember to keep all food off the counter if I'm not in the room. If I'm in the room, I tell him no if he even stops and smells the food. The minute he looks away from the food and at me, I praise him to high heaven and call him over for a petting. I'm stepping further and further away from the counter, keep telling him no and praising when he walks away. If he even starts to get up, I give him the "off" command (which he obeys most of the time) and he knows he's in the wrong. He knows the meaning of "NO" and "Off" and I'm thinking in time he will learn not getting the food is good and will earn him pets.

[Denise & Hunter!!!]

Ok, I tried the pennies in the can - I strung 5 cans together - mind you this took me about 1/2 hour to make. I left some cut strawberries a little closer to the edge than I normally do so I could watch from around the corner. She started "surfing" knocked all the cans down, jumped back when they fell then proceeded to play with them and toss them around and pull the whole string of cans........ On to plan B - if only I had a plan B......