# Counter Surfing



## DHau (Feb 24, 2007)

Tosca does this. I use the off command and physically pushing her off but it's not working. Suggestions other than to keep the counter clean?


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## Castlemaid (Jun 29, 2006)

Catch her BEFORE she even jumps up to check-out the counter. 

When she responds to your verbal correction and and stays off, praise the living daylight out of her! 

Repeat everytime she even THINKS to couter surf. If you are not there to watch her, and catch her, keep her out of the kitchen.


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## tibvixie101 (Nov 26, 2007)

Counter surfing is the reason my dogs are no longer allowed in the kitchen. We have an *invisable* barrier, they will lay in the doorway to the kitchen, but arent allowed in. We had a surfing incident where the thanksgiving day turkey was snatched! After that they were trained not to go in the kitchen. everytime they walked in, i'd yell "out of the kitchen" and they would drop their heads, sulk, and go lay in the doorway so they can keep an eye out on me, but arent breaking the rules... lol


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## DHau (Feb 24, 2007)

Keeping the dog out of the kitchen is not an option. I spend the majority of my time there.


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## SunCzarina (Nov 24, 2000)

> Originally Posted By: tibvixie101We had a surfing incident where the thanksgiving day turkey was snatched! After that they were trained not to go in the kitchen.


oh no! 

Luther was horrible about counter surfing. I used to finger tap his nose but he'd still do it every time I turned my back. We have stone counter tops so you would think MAYBE IT WOULD HURT A BIT but oh no, I just learned to never leave food where he could get because he would get it. Then I'd try to take it back on principle and have to pry his jaw open!

Morgan had her nose tapped a few times and learned not to do that. If I'm working with meat, she'll come in take a sniff but she's never stolen anything. She just sits and smiles at me like 'Please can I have some?' I'm a sucker for her big brown eyes so she always get a taste.


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## tibvixie101 (Nov 26, 2007)

We had a trainer once who believed in *anchor points*. In a certain room their is a special place where the dogs are allowed to lay, so they can feel involved, but be watching from a distance. Could you try putting them in a down stay in a certain place, so that when you are in the kitchen, they can be in tehre with you, but laying off to the side? You can even give them a Kong or a bone to chew on to keep them occupied to they dont attempt to counter surf?


I;ve tried these anchor points in my own house. While i think my dogs should have free reign, when we have company, its nice to ask them to lay in their place until the guests come in, sit down, and get comforatble without having the dogs giving them the *goose* in the butt, or circleing them til they get dizzy. Once everyone is seated and relaxed, i'll release them from their down-stay, and they can gently greet the guests at that point. It works out pretty well here.


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## Castlemaid (Jun 29, 2006)

> Originally Posted By: DHauKeeping the dog out of the kitchen is not an option. I spend the majority of my time there.


Excellent! Then you have lots of opportunities to train appropriate behaviour. 

And remember, don't just tell Tosca what _ NOT_ to do, but teach him what you want him to do. Like sitting nicely, laying down and gnawing on a bone, following you around, but not getting underfoot, ect.

I really like the "anchor point" suggestion that Ailyn brought up. It isn't so much as correcting unwanted behaviour AFTER it occurs, but setting Tosca up for success by showing him what is the RIGHT behaviour. The more opportunities Tosca gets to countersurf (even if you correct right away), the more the behaviour will become ingrained, the harder it will be to re-train.


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## StGeorgeK9 (Jan 5, 2008)

Counter surfing was a problem with my last foster, he was 30in at the shoulder so his snout was right at counter height. For a few weeks he could be in the kitchen if I had him on lead, I could feel the tug before it was too late and correct him before any damage was done. I keep all food stuff off the counter except what I am immediately working on, is it possible for you to build a little shelf at the back of the counter? About an additional 15-20inches? I use something like this to put the good stuff out of reach when I have to walk away for a moment. I also clean as I go, so that slop on the counter gets wiped down immediately after it occurs and I dont have dogs nosing it. Ava never counter surfed because there was no point, she couldnt reach and I would reward her by staying in her place. Ailyn's anchor points is a really good idea, I have always done somthing similar with Ava. She has her place, which is out of the way, but she can see everything, if she stayed there I would toss her tasty tidbits from time to time. This is the same place I send her when guests come over as well.

"We had a surfing incident where the thanksgiving day turkey was snatched!"

I was always paranoid of something like this happening, Loosing the Easter Ham of the Thanksgiving turkey would be a disaster. I dont mean to laugh at your loss, Ailyn........but I have visions of a great turkey conspiracy...what a prize!!! LOL talk about self rewarding behavior!!!

This is kind of like barking, it is a self rewarding behavior, they get stuff if they surf. So if you start rewarding the good behavior with something even better, I think you can break them of it, but this one will be hard because you have to think of something better than the raw chicken on the counter, OR they get a bit of it while they lie nicely. Another thought is to give a raw bone, something a little more recreational that they cant go through in 15 min. I envision something a long the lines of rewarding the stay in the kitchen with a bone or other long lasting treat, to make it even better, they only get that treat when they are staying in their place. First reward quickly then extend the time gradually. If they take it off the rug that is theirs....you make them take it back to their rug. I'm not above bribery. It's the lets make a deal of the dog world!!! LOL


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## DHau (Feb 24, 2007)

I think the reason why Tosca counter surfs is because she is bored and curious what's up there. So far we have been really lucky that she hasn't found anything really worth stealing. It's just that when I am working on the counter and turn my back, she is looking, sniffing, whatever and has her paws on the counter. Occasionally, she will find something interesting and lick the counter but so far has done nothing more serious than stealing a paper napkin or a piece of newspaper.

I try to give her things to chew such as a kong or a bone of some sort but how many things can you give her safely throughout the day? 

I do try to keep her exercised too. I remember the saying "a tired dog is a good dog." lol.


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## kelso (Jan 22, 2007)

I don't know how young Tosca is but it might be something if you just keep at what you are doing, she will get over it.

The only reason I say that is we had a persistent counter surfer and after tons of times of saying "off" and just keeping at keeping him off the counter, he is now actaully really good about not jumping on counters, ect. 

The more we reinforced "off" and didnt make a huge deal of it, the more I think he realized how not fun it was. He doesnt like things that arent fun









Maybe he just gave up, but it didnt really take that much, now i make dinner all the time and his fave thing to do is lay in the kitchen, no counter surfing, but just hoping he might get a little crumb!


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## Cindi D (Oct 25, 2007)

My mom's GSD that went to the bridge a couple of years ago did something one time that almost killed her. My mom made a chocolate cake and left it on the counter to cool and stepped outside a few minutes she came back and the dog had eaten the entire cake. She had never done anything like that before and she was at least 10 years old I think. Well she almost died. She was in the hospital over a week and it was weeks before she was back on her feet. My mom learned a lesson the hard way and I don't remember how much the vet bills were but you can imagine. My dog is starting to surf now and no matter what I do, every time I fill her water bowl she jumps up on the counter. I do make her wait for the water till I put it down and everything. I am gonna try to make her wait while I fill it the same way or she does not get it. (until she does)


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## Helly (Mar 31, 2008)

Years ago, DH and I had a Dalmation, we had great luck with him, just a great dog...anyway, I had heated up leftovers for DH for dinner...sat the plate at the back of the counter, went outside to tell him his dinner was ready...I stayed out to talk to a neighbor...he came out a minute later wanting to know where his dinner was....I swear it wasn't two minutes and that plate was licked clean and the dog was smiling...he liked meatloaf and mashed potatoes.


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