# Counter Surfing



## Rockporters (Jan 14, 2010)

I'm sure there's a better way, but Jasper hasn't counter surfed in a long time now. He was counter surfing and didn't see me come in behind him, I accidentally knocked over one of the million fences we had dividing up the creatures on the first floor. I'm sure there's a more positive approach than sneaking in behind and causing a loud noise LOL. Though he was successfully scared straight .


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

Loud noises...that's a good idea. Too bad she doesn't spook easily ha ha. I don't necessarily intend to try and clicker train her not to counter surf..ha ha. I am just hoping someone knows of something that works.


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## Locket (Jun 21, 2009)

There are these plastic mats that you put over carpet so that office chairs (with wheels) can still move around. They have little plastic "teeth" on the underside of the mat that grips the carpet, and they are QUITE pointy and ouchy to the touch.

Someone I know put the mats underside up on their counter, so that when the dog jumped up, they poked their paws on the "teeth" and they never jumped up again.
I don't necessarily think its a good method though.


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## CelticKitti (Jul 1, 2010)

Mia has this problem BIG TIME!! The loud scary noise method did NOT work for her. 

I think you clicker train and I really like this video. I can't tell you if it works yet because we haven't made it to far. Mia thinks all food is just for her! I also like her other video's!






I think clicker training .com also has a section on counter surfing. Although I haven't read/watched it.

I also have soda cans with a few pennys in them lined up along the counter and on top of the trash can. They don't "scare" her but they do give me a warning for when she ducks around the corner very quickly and tries to steal things out of the trash mostly. I also don't keep ANYTHING on the counter... but she still jump up. We're working on it!


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## Fluffyspoos (Aug 11, 2009)

Remember the trap I set up for Vegas? He doesn't counter surf anymore.


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

Fluffyspoos said:


> Remember the trap I set up for Vegas? He doesn't counter surf anymore.


Ah yes - I remember this now! Booby traps it is.


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

CelticKitti said:


> Mia has this problem BIG TIME!! The loud scary noise method did NOT work for her.
> 
> I think you clicker train and I really like this video. I can't tell you if it works yet because we haven't made it to far. Mia thinks all food is just for her! I also like her other video's!
> 
> ...


Thank you! I will consider trying that. I clicker trained with Millie for a short while. I am not a huge fan of clicker training as it seemed to have no significant effect. She learns just as quickly without the clicker and I could never coordinate myself with the clicker in my hand...

The thing with Millie is that she is SO food motivated, you can click her all you want for a good behavior but unless their is a consequence or correction of some sort for actually taking the food off the counter, she will do it anyway. In fact, she is so food motivated that she is will completely ignore a prong collar correction in order to get to a piece of food. Food is #1 above all else on her list. I think I am second


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## Birdie (Jun 28, 2009)

Well, our easiest solution was don't leave food out!  Worked wonders, hahaha. Seriously, we are very diligent in keeping food out of his reach. If we have dinner out, we will move it faaar back on the counter/stove or even put smaller dishes on top of the microwave or coffeepot where he can't reach. That is if and only if we need to leave something out. Honestly, we just clean up after ourselves... or eat everything before Desmond gets the chance.  

I mean, I don't see the point in booby trapping or using physical aversions on your dog when it just makes more sense to not leave food out to tempt her. That's just me, though. If you have a large family and leave food out "buffet style" during dinner, it makes more sense to really train the dog out of it (or just crate her during dinner time) but with just my mom and I, we just put food away or make sure Desmond stays within sight during dinner time, which he usually does.


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

Birdie said:


> Well, our easiest solution was don't leave food out!  Worked wonders, hahaha. Seriously, we are very diligent in keeping food out of his reach. If we have dinner out, we will move it faaar back on the counter/stove or even put smaller dishes on top of the microwave or coffeepot where he can't reach. That is if and only if we need to leave something out. Honestly, we just clean up after ourselves... or eat everything before Desmond gets the chance.
> 
> I mean, I don't see the point in booby trapping or using physical aversions on your dog when it just makes more sense to not leave food out to tempt her. That's just me, though. If you have a large family and leave food out "buffet style" during dinner, it makes more sense to really train the dog out of it (or just crate her during dinner time) but with just my mom and I, we just put food away or make sure Desmond stays within sight during dinner time, which he usually does.


Well, Millie is going to be living with me for the next 10-15 years of my life and I am sure I, or someone else, will accidentally leave something out on the counter at some point during that time. 

I would like for her to be a trustworthy dog, especially as an adult. If she quickly steals my sandwich off my desk when I briefly set it down so I can take a sip of my soda (and YES she does this), I believe that she should have some sort of a consequence. I do not know the appropriate consequence, though. A firm "no" does not work. 

This is not something that happens during dinnertime. There could be a single apple or unpeeled banana sitting in the middle of the counter and she will find some unthinkable way to get the item. This could happen while I momentarly bend down to pick something up thus losing my focus on her. It does not even have to be what we would consider "high value".

She is a very trainable dog and I believe she can learn almost anything. The most difficult part is knowing _how_ to train her.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Would a version of Leave it! work? If you put some low value treat within reach on the counter, while ready to interrupt her, and rewarded her for turning away from it, you could build up to having her sit and ignore it for several minutes. No command would really be necessary - you want her to learn that NOT eating what is on the counter leads to getting something really good. I'm not sure if it is possible to train a dog not to eat a chicken that is left lying around within reach, though - grabbing food when it is available if no one is guarding it is a deeply seated, instinctive behaviour for dogs. I think you may be relying on management for many months to come ...


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## LEUllman (Feb 1, 2010)

Another reason I'm glad I got a mini! As long as you take care to place items away from the edge, Beau is just a little too short to reach most counter surfaces. (He has never jumped up onto a table or counter, though it wouldn't surprise me if he could.) And the item doesn't have to be food! No pencil or pen left on a desk is safe. Of course, when he sees something he really wants, and can't reach it, he often stands there on his hind legs and barks in frustration.


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

fjm said:


> Would a version of Leave it! work? If you put some low value treat within reach on the counter, while ready to interrupt her, and rewarded her for turning away from it, you could build up to having her sit and ignore it for several minutes. No command would really be necessary - you want her to learn that NOT eating what is on the counter leads to getting something really good. I'm not sure if it is possible to train a dog not to eat a chicken that is left lying around within reach, though - grabbing food when it is available if no one is guarding it is a deeply seated, instinctive behaviour for dogs. I think you may be relying on management for many months to come ...


Do you think that this is something that might go away as she gets older? I don't mind using management for the next several months, I just would like to be able to trust her alone in the house _at some point_ in the future. Or do counter surfers generally stay counter surfers forever?


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

ChocolateMillie said:


> Do you think that this is something that might go away as she gets older? I don't mind using management for the next several months, I just would like to be able to trust her alone in the house _at some point_ in the future. Or do counter surfers generally stay counter surfers forever?


Mine are not big enough to counter surf, but will climb and jump and perform circus tricks to reach food or treats. And I have cats - who simply jump up and help themselves. It is surprising how quickly they teach you not to leave food uncovered while the kitchen door is open!

I would think you would be able to teach her not to steal food when you are around quite easily - I have taught Poppy that she is not allowed to eat Sophy's food, even if Sophy walks off and leaves it. As long as I am in the vicinity to remind her she will stay several feet away from the bowl. If I leave the room, she will make a dash for it. I suspect she sees me as a super-dog, with a very large sphere of possession, but even super status is not enough to protect food if you are not even in the room. If the food is within reach, the dog will eat it once your back is turned. It may be possible to make jumping up on the benches so scarey they never try again, but that could have unfortunate repercussions in other directions. I would put food away, close the kitchen door, and be grateful she has not yet learned how to open the fridge or freezer - or the kitchen cupboards!


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## bigpoodleperson (Jul 14, 2009)

If i ever own a counter surfer i would not "go light" in training the dog out of it. I would "hit" (not literally!!) it hard and fast at the begining. Riley has never been a counter surfer, doesnt even nose the counter which he could easily reach without jumping. I have left the room with a plate of good food on a chair ottoman, and he wont even think of taking it. It has just been a rule from the begining. Any Motion to my food got a firm "ahh ahh" and progressed from there. 

Counter surfing can be too dangerous to not "get it through" to the dog, IMO. I would use motion activated alarms, scat mats, prickly mats, booby traps, etc. I would also train the dog to keep their nose away from the counter. Riley is not allowed to nose the counters, and has to stay out if we are making dinner (really the only time any activity is in the kitchen). Its mostly to keep him out of underfoot. He knows to say out so well when food is being made that when i make his food he will anxiously sit/lay at the entry way without even being told. Does the dog really ever learn anything if things are just kept away from it?


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

bigpoodleperson said:


> If i ever own a counter surfer i would not "go light" in training the dog out of it. I would "hit" (not literally!!) it hard and fast at the begining. Riley has never been a counter surfer, doesnt even nose the counter which he could easily reach without jumping. I have left the room with a plate of good food on a chair ottoman, and he wont even think of taking it. It has just been a rule from the begining. Any Motion to my food got a firm "ahh ahh" and progressed from there.
> 
> Counter surfing can be too dangerous to not "get it through" to the dog, IMO. I would use motion activated alarms, scat mats, prickly mats, booby traps, etc. I would also train the dog to keep their nose away from the counter. Riley is not allowed to nose the counters, and has to stay out if we are making dinner (really the only time any activity is in the kitchen). Its mostly to keep him out of underfoot. He knows to say out so well when food is being made that when i make his food he will anxiously sit/lay at the entry way without even being told. Does the dog really ever learn anything if things are just kept away from it?


I completely agree with you, bigpoodleperson. Millie in particular has never learned much from keeping her away from things. She learns best with direction. If she does something right, she gets a reward. If she does something wrong, there is some sort of consequence. Rules are rules. 

I am going to start being more strict about her even coming close to the table or counter while food is present. If she puts her nose near the table, I will tell her "no". I will also try the booby trap method. It probably won't work because she is almost impossible to startle - but it is worth a try! I will also ask my trainer what he thinks.


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## Beach girl (Aug 5, 2010)

I've trained both Casey and Pippin to stay out of the kitchen while food is being prepared. They know exactly where the line is (it's easy, because of the difference from carpet to vinyl) and will wait. Neither of them are tall enough to be counter-surfers, so no worries there.

However, Casey has the very bad habit of chewing on pencils! Both my husband and I are big Sudoko fans and we usually each have a book going, and we tend to leave our pencils in the middle of the book. We have learned to leave our books on high counters, as if we leave it on the middle of the dining room table, Casey will actually climb on the dining room chairs and reach over to get the book, find the pencil, jump off, and start chewing!

If we see him going for it, we say "ah-ha" and take it away, of course, but just today, he got hold of a pencil from my husband's book and chewed it to bits. 

Any ideas how to train away from that?


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## Winnow (Jan 2, 2010)

Dima does this and we almost never see it until the food is gone.
She has stolen a half pizza, she has even been so bold to steel food from a dinner plate just behind our backs.

We try to no leave any food unattended and if it is on the counter its way back where she can not reach it.
But this is hard to stop since she knows not to do it when we are watching her.


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## jazzi480 (Sep 19, 2010)

Jazzi and Ella both are surfers, much better now, they don't even try if we are at home but when we leave all bets are off! So we do clear anything that might get thier attention, bread, chips, cookies, but every so often we miss somthing or think it's far enough back on the counter. They seem to really like opening packages and leaving pieces all over but never a crumb! They are almost 3yrs and 21/2yrs and definatly much better with age. Lots of NO, LEAVE IT and BAD DOG Here!
Also if we are just running an errard they are crated, if we are both gone all day then they get raw meaty bones, works as all day suckers, they seem less interested in investigating the counters if they have thier bones.


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## Beach girl (Aug 5, 2010)

Are they in their crates when they get their bones? If not, how do you prevent chewed-up gunk all over the house?


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## jazzi480 (Sep 19, 2010)

Beach Girl,
No they don't get bones in the crate as we only leave them for 3 or less hrs, But for all day ( 3 to 10 hrs ) we can block them in kitchen/family rm access to outside/doggy door. they are really good about not making a mess with bones, we use Primal Beef Marrow bones, they start off frozen so no real mess. They do drag them to throw rugs and couch but I keep furniture covered, has not been a problem.
Also mine are on tile/wood, only carpet is in bedrooms, no bones allowed in bed!


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## taxtell (Sep 17, 2009)

Flip taught himself (by mistake) that counter surfing is bad. I had a bowl of shredded cooked chicken I was going to use to make chicken enchiladas (mmmmmmmmmmm), and I left the room for a few. He pulled down the ceramic bowl onto his head (I can only assume) and it shattered all over the kitchen making a HUGE ruckus.
No more surfing for that dude. He slinks out of the room when something tasty is on the counter. LOL


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## Beach girl (Aug 5, 2010)

That's hysterical! Probably not a training technique that could be easily adopted - but sure sounds successful!


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## jazzi480 (Sep 19, 2010)

If improvement stops I might consider a booby trapp or planned accident for them!:scared: but for now our approch is working, we will see. As we live with our incredibully smart pooches we all have to make are own decisions on how to handle this very perplexing behavior. Hope all have the best of luck in thier endevors of training thier irresistable spoos! Most of the time the "I'm so sorry Mom" look is all it takes for me to forget how mad I am good luck to all


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## Pamela (Sep 9, 2008)

Fluffyspoos said:


> Remember the trap I set up for Vegas? He doesn't counter surf anymore.


that is hysterical and I think I will try it for Teddy! lol lol


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## onlypoodles4me (May 18, 2009)

I have used these in the past with great success.

http://www.snappytrainer.com/


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