[Sherush]

Jesse 6 month old GSD has now started counter surfing yesterday, he got uncooked bacon off the counter yesterday morning, we caught him in the act and got told "no" and taken to another room for time out. Last night we went out to my sister-in-laws for dinner and Jesse walked into the kitchen and stole cheese off her counter, caught in the act there as well.

Anybody have any suggestions to stop him from doing that? Seems last week my sister-in-law's lab cross started doing it as well who is 2 years old. I am afraid that she taught Jesse this bad habit

 

[Brightelf]

Jesse, at only 6 months old, needs to be in a crate while he is home alone.

 

[Sherush]

He is in crate when he is alone. He is not in the crate when we are home. He counter surfs when we are home (started yesterday)

 

[GunnerJones]

set him up, and correct the inappropriate behavior, at six months they start testing their limits

 

[kbigge]

I really suggest keeping him in whatever room you are in. I personally don't like tethering my pup to me, although I know a lot of people have great luck with this. I don't like the hassel of the tether getting tangled up, wrapped around pup's legs (or mine), etc, and since I have small children, I use baby gates to control where Kodee went. If I'm in the kitchen, he's in there w/me with the gate up so he is always where I can supervise him. Same thing if I'm in another room - he's gated in that area w/me. It helps me keep track of both what he's doing, and also keeps him from being alone w/my kids (ages 6 and under).

As a matter of fact, I am having to put our baby gate back up today (Kodee is 10 months old and I took the last gate down about 2 weeks ago). I think he is hitting adolescence now, and he's been getting too rowdy w/kids (or they get too rowdy with him - depends on the day, so it's back to gating him in the room w/me again for a while...

Another thing I try to do is just remove temptation as much as possible, before letting him out of his crate. I try to make sure no food is within reach (which is getting harder b/c he's so dang tall now!), and kids know to keep toys off the floor and bedroom doors shut. It helps lower some of the frustration in dealing w/him getting into anything and everything.

Good luck! Before you know it we will be looking at our grey-muzzled old dogs and wishing they were mischievous little pups again!

 

[Sherush]

He is sneaky cause we have him trained since he was 8 weeks that he is not allowed in the kitchen if we are in there cooking, but now if you turn your back or walk out for anything he runs in and grabs food off counter. Both incidents yesterday happened when the cooker stepped out of the kitchen for a second. Also hubby is home with Jesse right now and we have a web camera that I can view Jesse on the first floor and I just witnessed him counter surfing on it while Hubby was in the basement getting a drink.

 

[OllieGSD]

This may work...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Earnrc30jZ8

 

[Sherush]

Thanks for all the advice

 

[BlackGSD]

Originally Posted By: Sherush....counter surfing on it while Hubby was in the basement getting a drink.

That is the problem right there, he was NOT supervised. If there was a baby gate up between where he as SUPPOSED to be and the kitchen it would have kept him out of the kitchen. Or if your husband had taken him to the basement Jesse wouldn't have been in the kitchen.

I view counter surfing the same was as house breaking, if the dog counter sufts, it is the OWNERS fault. If you (meaning the person that is "pupposed" to be watching the dog) are watching them, you can catch them BEFORE they counter surf.

 

[SunCzarina]

I had a dog who was 2 when I rescued him. Unbreakable habitual counter surfer. Couldn't leave anything unattended or he'd take it. He once took an entire bowl of turnip & carrot off the thanksgiving table!

When Morgan was tall enough to reach the counter, she learned from big brother. The first few times, I pushed her nose off the counter and told her no. Then I started up to tapping her once on the nose with my index finger while saying no with my mean face on.

Only had to tap her nose a few times and she stopped. She gets close now and takes a sniff but she doesn't steal anymore.

LOL, Morgan is a thief too - we have a bench in the mudroom to keep shoes, gloves and hats or she'd drag them all over the house when I'm not here!

 

[kbigge]

Originally Posted By: BlackGSD

Originally Posted By: Sherush....counter surfing on it while Hubby was in the basement getting a drink.

That is the problem right there, he was NOT supervised. If there was a baby gate up between where he as SUPPOSED to be and the kitchen it would have kept him out of the kitchen. Or if your husband had taken him to the basement Jesse wouldn't have been in the kitchen.

I view counter surfing the same was as house breaking, if the dog counter sufts, it is the OWNERS fault. If you (meaning the person that is "pupposed" to be watching the dog) are watching them, you can catch them BEFORE they counter surf.

What BlackGSD said.

 

[sklippstein]

Alright, maybe I'm the dummy here, but I don't leave food out on my counters. It solves the problem. I did (by accident of course) leave some yummy peanut butter cookies on the counter when I had gotten back from Golden Coral on mother's day. The temptation was overwhelming for dear sweet lovely LOLA who ate all, left the crumbs on the floor and left me one of the oatmeal raisin cookies. She obviously didn't like the oatmeal raisin cookies as much as the peanut butter ones.

 

[JeanKBBMMMAAN]

That and get shorter dogs.

 

[StGeorgeK9]

What I do, since I do get dogs in that are half starved, is set them up for success, I NEVER leave anything on the counter that is within reach. If I cook a roast and it needs to rest, I place it way above their reach. The get used to knowing that there is food (they can smell it for sure), but there is no point in going for it because they can never reach it anyway, and stop trying. Consistancy is the only way. After meals, always put everything away, right away. I have visions of loosing a Christmas turkey or Ham....so food must stay in my line of sight, out of reach, or dogs are kennelled. No exceptions. I broke my last foster of counter surfing this way. Also, I never feed them any tidbits while preparing dinner, any tasty bites they get (if they are good) after dinner will go into their bowls. Good luck, it is a tough one to correct. And if you have kids.......even worse since getting them to clean up after themselves is a nightmare.