Anyone who owns a large dog knows what counter surfing is. For all those of you who never: it is actually when the dog puts his paws around the kitchen counter in search of something appealing. Until you have got seasoned this canine phenomenon you might have no concept how far a dog can extend his otherwise stubby neck when a hugely valued item is just some more inches away.
I look at myself as a professional on the topic like a dog trainer and dog owner I have, over the years, personally lost: baked goods, tissues, medication, a bologna sandwich, and on one particular occasion the contents of a whole dinner plate within this manner. It can be humorous, but this habit is undoubtedly unsafe. Before I talk about what it is possible to do I’ll clarify why it is best to do anything quickly. I could go on and on about how embarrassing it is when you have enterprise over for dinner and also the dog runs off with all the roast, or how difficult it is to clean gravy out of tile grout. But very first and foremost, the reason should be to preserve each of your and your dog’s wellness and safety.
The superior news is you will find as numerous ways to cease this behavior as there are dogs. The bad news is that you are going to possess to take some time to figure out what works for the dog. Dogs often repeat behaviors they are rewarded for and are likely to prevent behaviors that bring consequences they dislike. If your dog has a dilemma with this behavior, then he, at the least when should have gotten something off the counter that he liked. This was his reward. Dog physiology 101; to extinguish the behavior you will now see to it that he brings on consequences that he dislikes each time he performs the behavior. Under I have listed a handful of factors you can give your dog to dislike counter surfing, but since diverse dogs have diverse dislikes you are going to must retain trying until you find the dog training technique that functions for you. Set the scene for your experiments when you’re going to be around so you can see what your dog’s reaction is. Try not to let your dog associate with what is happening with you. Use some bait (something the dog wants) to have him perform the behavior. And, don’t forget to be constant.
THE POT & PAN MONSTER
Your dog may not know that the very scary pot & pan monster lives on the counter. It is possible to teach him this by setting a cookie sheet hanging slightly over the edge of the counter where he is sure to pull it down when he tries to put his paws up. By stacking some non-breakable pots on top of the cookie sheet, you could create a very noisy scary event when he pulls it down. Use your imagination, the far more noise the better. Put your bait behind the cookie sheet and leave the kitchen.
THE KITCHEN STINKS
A dog’s strongest sense is its sense of smell. That being said, come across one thing the dog hates to smell (but you’ll be able to tolerate) and put it around the counter where he is sure to pull himself up and take an excellent whiff. Possibly put it in a container that he has stolen ahead of or something he would need to pop open to acquiring to the fantastic stuff, like a small plastic butter container. Your bait can be a smudge of butter on the outside. Make sure the top is on loosely so he is sure to have it open. Or, you can soak some paper towels in terrible-smelling stuff and put them on the counter. Please do not use anything that will make your dog ill.
KITCHEN AND SECURITY
In case your dog does not like noise, then go to your nearest home improvement store and look for alarm devices. You should be able to find some inexpensive, cool devices that are normally used on doors and windows. They usually have two small parts that are silent when they make contact with each other and set off an alarm when separated. Set a trap that will cause the alarm to go off when the dog steals one thing off the counter. If you want to obtain real fancy, get the 1 using the laser light that could be installed at the kitchen entry. When the dog passes through the light beam the alarm will go off. If your dog learns to not go inside the kitchen, then he won’t be getting on the counters.
You could also go to your local pet store or search online for devices made to help keep dogs off furniture (scat matt) or out of garbage cans (snappy trap) and put them on the floor or counter inside the kitchen. Fantastic luck and never give up. Use your imagination. Anything safe is worth a try. In case your dog continues to steal things off the counter then maybe you need to help keep the counters clear. That would also solve the problem. If all else fails, obtain an excellent dog trainer.
