# Jumping Up on The Counter



## WinitheGSD (Sep 21, 2008)

Anytime their is food on the counter my GSD, wini, will jump up and try to get it. This has been going on for awhile and I'm not sure what to do. I don't and will not smack her, I know a lot of people do that. She is also a puppy so I don't want her to still be doing this as she gets bigger and stronger. Although I don't think she is going to get to much bigger. What should I do to get her to stop jumping up?


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## SunCzarina (Nov 24, 2000)

Have you tried yelling "NO GET DOWN" and pushing her feet off the counter?


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## GunnerJones (Jul 30, 2005)

the thread heading is "How do I teach my dog to....."

and you wrote "Jumping Up on The Counter"

Well, what I would do is start small by using the couch, take his favorite treat or toy and really get him cranked up and place the toy or food on the couch while giving him the jump or hop command, then you move on to the bed, once you got that try the kitchen table, use a picnic table at first then you can move up to the kitchen table after that the counter tops ought to be a cinch.......


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## Kayla's Dad (Jul 2, 2007)

Cute Max (as usual)









I would go along with Jenn's suggestion with the added piece:

I would use "OFF" and remove the item-as in put away for a while and not continue preparing the meal. i.e. is there space on top of your refrigerator/cabinet. Put it away and go on to do something else.

Come back in a little while and go on about preparing the meal. Repeat as necessary.

This is also a perfect opportunity to teach or enforce a sit-stay or down-stay. Put her in one or the other and have her hold that position while you prepare her meal. Again, if she breaks you stop the preparation and put her back in the position you had her.


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## GunnerJones (Jul 30, 2005)

inverted mouse traps are good


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## Martie (Jun 3, 2008)

Instead of thinking how to stop Wini from jumping on the counter, think about what you would like her to do instead. Luther was awful in the kitchen - choosing to lay right behind my feet when I worked at the sink and jumping up to grab a morsel or just to see what I was doing. We worked on down-stays in a particular spot when "we're" in the kitchen. He now does this automatically and rarely needs reminding any more. Think, "This is MY kitchen!".


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## SunCzarina (Nov 24, 2000)

LOL, is your Luther my Luther reincarnate? Mien Luther was horrid in the kitchen, I had to do the same thing - find him something else to do!!!


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## Martie (Jun 3, 2008)

I think Luther may just be - or both spawn of.....?!







Can't tell you how many times I almost bought it turning toward the fridge not realizing a GSD was blocking my path. My problem is to keep remembering he needs to understand what to do instead of what his first idea is - which is 99% of the time WRONG!







We're getting there - but in the beginning, I found myself getting frustrated a lot and then







remembering to teach him what to do instead.


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## Hatterasser (Oct 25, 2007)

Both Thor and Freya crowded around me at the counter, their noses sniffing, eyes bulging in anticipation of something yummy. 

I moved them to a part of the kitchen that is not in my pathway, put them into down, gave them a treat and told them stay. 

Now, they'll try the crowding but all I have to do is stare them down and point my finger and with deep sighs, they go and lay down. 

Took repeated efforts but it seems they have learned to stay out of my way (and away from the counters) while I'm preparing stuff.


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## jennafetherolf (Jan 13, 2009)

Shelby desperately wants up on the counter, it seems as if he is always hungry. He is only five moths old, so he is at about 45 sec. max for a stay.......if I am in the kitchen with him I tell him off as soon as I see the idea of jumping on the counter passing through his brain and it is helping as is redirecting him to a toy or giving him a break in his kennel. I think it is really important to give the "off" command, or whatever you want to call it while they are in the thinking-but-before doing mode, for as smart as he is, he is really good at choosing to play dumb about certain things!


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## MrLeadFoot (Jan 4, 2009)

Here's what I do for feeding which results in the dog NEVER even trying to get to their food bowl on the counter.

I make her sit and stay while I prepare he food. Then, when it's ready I call her to a different spot, then issue the sit-stay, down-stay, or bang-stay command, changing them up often enough so that she never knows what's coming, which prevents her from doing "anticipatory" obedience.

I put the bowl down, make her wait, sometimes a short while, sometimes extended, which naturally invokes the "look at me" behavior, as well as teaches extended stays, even under pressure. Sometimes, I walk around a bit, and even leave the room and come back. Then, I release her, and don't need to reward her because the food itself is the reward.

She is 7 months old and has never once even attempted to jump up on the counter to get her food. Instead she tries like heck to behave. In fact, this process has resulted in her act of begging as being as obedient as possible instead. You gotta love it.


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## Sherush (Jan 12, 2008)

Jesse since 8 weeks of age was trained to sit, and wait for his food, then released once it is down on the ground. Also Jesse since 8 weeks has been trained that if we are in the kitchen cooking he is not allowed in, he has to lie down in the doorway. Also went we eat he is trained to lie down.


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