How to break a dog of counter surfing?
Lavon Williamson
2025-06-13 03:02:44
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: 13
To break a dog of counter surfing, it's hard to blame your dog for trying to get food whenever he can. Dogs are foragers and finding food is a self-reinforcing behavior because not only does eating the food feel really good, the very act of seeking it out strengthens the dog's desire to find their next tasty meal. Block access to places where food is left out by using baby gates or putting your dog in another room when you are cooking and/or you have company. If you are working in the kitchen and unable to use a baby gate, place a mat or dog bed on the floor and teach your dog to settle there or behind an imaginary line he cannot cross while you cook. Give your dog something to do to help him settle, an enriching and interactive toy or chew will give your dog something to do and focus on rather than trying to get the food you're making from the counter or table. Do not leave your dog in the kitchen unsupervised, each time he is successful is another opportunity for reinforcement and makes counter surfing harder to stop. Ensuring all the food your dog gets comes from you or an enriching toy on the ground will keep his paws off the counters.
Adrain Spinka
2025-06-03 02:15:01
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: 8
You can do this by limiting your dog’s access to the kitchen counters. This could be by simply shutting them out of the kitchen, putting a gate on the door or putting your dog in a pen or crate. Whenever your dog does go into the kitchen, this should be strictly supervised so they don’t have a chance to make a mistake. If you have a persistent counter surfer, you may want to bring your dog into the kitchen on their lead so you have more control. Push items to the back of the counter or just clear it completely. If you set up your home so that your dog can’t get to the counters, then you don’t have to worry about giving them attention if they do the wrong thing. In this case try and delay your response by just a couple of seconds so that you aren’t immediately reacting. Then casually grab a toy or treats and pretend they are the most exciting things you’ve ever seen in your life. Now you’ve stopped your dog from doing what you DON’T want, you need to teach them what you DO want. The simplest approach is to give your dog an alternative behaviour to perform that makes it impossible for them to jump up at the same time.
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