Training a dog to not counter surf

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Training a dog to not counter surf

Posted: 5/22/2017 4:15:38 PM EDT

I have 7 year old black lab who is a sweetheart. Shes a great dog. Very obedient, nice with kids, the whole package. She has one flaw that she just picked up in the last year. She pulls crap down from the counters while we are gone. Shes eaten food and chewed up stuff shes found. We started putting food way back on the counter but she still can get to it. I really don’t want to crate or shock collar this dog. I’m willing to spend the time to train her but I’m coming up short on ideas. Foil on the edges of the counter? Some kind of motion activated puffing device? I know shes just going after food but I’d like to be able to keep a banana on the back of the counter without it getting eaten. Shes just so good in every other measure that I want to put in the effort to train rather than resort to the crate.

She ate 6 bananas this morning which triggered this post.

Oh the gas.

Posted: 5/22/2017 4:22:42 PM EDT

[#1]

It sounds like she only does this while you aren't home, which can make it more difficult to train for.

The only thing I can think of (unless you actually catch her in the act) is to put her on the counter (or pull her face to the counter), and then yell at her or speak harshly "NO!"

Repeat until she understands the counter is a "no go zone".

Posted: 5/22/2017 4:26:21 PM EDT

[#2]

I know you said it happens while you are gone, but if possible put a shock collar on the dog and try to monitor it from a distance (baby monitor camera maybe). As soon as it does the undesirable act bump it. Do not go overboard. Just enough to create a unpleasant experience. A few of these and Fido will associate the counter with the shock.

Posted: 5/22/2017 4:27:48 PM EDT

[#3]

mouse traps always worked for my mom, dogs never got on the couch again. should work on counters.

Posted: 5/22/2017 4:38:51 PM EDT

[#4]

change her diet, sounds like she is hungry because she is missing some nutrients

Posted: 5/22/2017 4:41:26 PM EDT

[#5]

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Quoted:
mouse traps always worked for my mom, dogs never got on the couch again. should work on counters.

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Oh, snap!

Posted: 5/22/2017 4:45:24 PM EDT

[#6]

cookie sheets filled with water set up on the counter. Put them right out to the edge. When she knocks one down or ,better yet flips one over, she won't like the getting wet thing. Of course it's messy.

Posted: 5/22/2017 5:09:50 PM EDT

[#7]

Put her in a crate when you leave. Do this for 4-5 days, then leave her out. If she does it again do the crate for 4-5 days. Won't take long and she'll learn cause and effect.

Posted: 5/22/2017 5:10:12 PM EDT

[#8]

Quote History

Quoted:
It sounds like she only does this while you aren't home, which can make it more difficult to train for.

The only thing I can think of (unless you actually catch her in the act) is to put her on the counter (or pull her face to the counter), and then yell at her or speak harshly "NO!"

Repeat until she understands the counter is a "no go zone".

View Quote

Correct. She only does it when we are gone. She will cruise the table where the messy kids eat but stops when we yell at her.

Posted: 5/22/2017 5:13:20 PM EDT

[#9]

Quote History

Quoted:
I know you said it happens while you are gone, but if possible put a shock collar on the dog and try to monitor it from a distance (baby monitor camera maybe). As soon as it does the undesirable act bump it. Do not go overboard. Just enough to create a unpleasant experience. A few of these and Fido will associate the counter with the shock.

View Quote

Yeah She does it when we are gone. Shes a good dog when we are home. I'll think about the camera idea. I do have a camera there already but she usually doesn't do it right away. It can be an hour or two after we leave which might mean sitting in the garage watching a screen for a while.

I was just hoping it wouldn't come to a shock collar. If thats what it takes I'll do it though.

Posted: 5/22/2017 5:15:56 PM EDT

[#10]

Quote History

Quoted:
mouse traps always worked for my mom, dogs never got on the couch again. should work on counters.

View Quote

that's not a bad idea. Could a mousetrap injure a large dog? I don't want to hurt her just scare her from doing it.

Posted: 5/22/2017 5:33:51 PM EDT

[#11]

Quote History

Quoted:
that's not a bad idea. Could a mousetrap injure a large dog? I don't want to hurt her just scare her from doing it.

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Quoted:

Quoted:
mouse traps always worked for my mom, dogs never got on the couch again. should work on counters.

that's not a bad idea. Could a mousetrap injure a large dog? I don't want to hurt her just scare her from doing it.

Do you want to put out mouse traps for the rest of her life. She'll know when they aren't there and will avoid them when they are.

Posted: 5/22/2017 5:36:05 PM EDT

[#12]

Quote History

Quoted:
that's not a bad idea. Could a mousetrap injure a large dog? I don't want to hurt her just scare her from doing it.

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Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
mouse traps always worked for my mom, dogs never got on the couch again. should work on counters.

that's not a bad idea. Could a mousetrap injure a large dog? I don't want to hurt her just scare her from doing it.

One in the eye could put an eye out. You could try some small pieces of flypaper. I've seen animals that get into flypaper. They generally want nothing to do with it again.

Posted: 5/22/2017 5:47:00 PM EDT

[#13]

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Quoted:
change her diet, sounds like she is hungry because she is missing some nutrients

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I've wondered this because she also eats poop (a habit which I am trying to break also). She eats pretty good dog food at the level recommended by her vet. She eats "Wellness".

Posted: 5/22/2017 7:17:42 PM EDT

[#14]

Find a dog behaviorist in your area.

Posted: 5/22/2017 9:33:03 PM EDT

[#15]

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Quoted:
change her diet, sounds like she is hungry because she is missing some nutrients

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If his lab is anything like my lab...it would eat until it killed itself. (my lab lives for any type of food).

I block my kitchen off with a baby gate when I leave the house. I've been able to get almost all the bad habits out of my Lab, but I wasnt able to get her to stop grabbing things off the counter, so I found it easiest to get rid of the problem by making it so she can't get in the kitchen.

Posted: 5/22/2017 11:33:25 PM EDT

[#16]

What's wrong with a dog crate?

Posted: 5/23/2017 4:02:22 PM EDT

[#17]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0001AB42W

Posted: 8/7/2017 2:22:32 PM EDT

[#18]

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Quoted:
https://www.amazon.com/PetSafe-ScatMat-Training-Strip-inches/dp/B0001AB42W

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We've got a GSD/Black Lab puppo that we're having similar issues with. She's really chompy, snatches stuff off counters, and is now badgering one of the other smaller "beta" dogs. Right now she'll get up on stuff even if you're right there so I'm eyeballing this closely to see about when we aren't around.

Hell, that shock strip might help with the kiddos too (2 and 4)

Posted: 8/7/2017 2:43:52 PM EDT

[#19]

Quote History

Quoted:
I know you said it happens while you are gone, but if possible put a shock collar on the dog and try to monitor it from a distance (baby monitor camera maybe). As soon as it does the undesirable act bump it. Do not go overboard. Just enough to create a unpleasant experience. A few of these and Fido will associate the counter with the shock.

View Quote

Pretty much what I did. It worked

Posted: 8/7/2017 3:36:46 PM EDT

[#20]

Leave a banana on the counter sprayed with bitter apple. She will probably lose her taste for bananas after that.

Posted: 8/8/2017 5:46:43 AM EDT

[#21]

Google "scat mat".

Posted: 8/8/2017 7:24:39 AM EDT

[#22]

Quote History

Quoted:
Leave a banana on the counter sprayed with bitter apple. She will probably lose her taste for bananas after that.

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Maybe, maybe not. The dog I had as a kid loved bitter apple, you'd spray it on something and she'd lick it off.

Posted: 8/8/2017 12:46:59 PM EDT

[#23]

Quote History

Quoted:
Maybe, maybe not. The dog I had as a kid loved bitter apple, you'd spray it on something and she'd lick it off.

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Quoted:

Quoted:
Leave a banana on the counter sprayed with bitter apple. She will probably lose her taste for bananas after that.

Maybe, maybe not. The dog I had as a kid loved bitter apple, you'd spray it on something and she'd lick it off.

Me three! Tabasco, too!

Posted: 8/8/2017 12:54:26 PM EDT

[#24]

Quote History

Quoted:
Maybe, maybe not. The dog I had as a kid loved bitter apple, you'd spray it on something and she'd lick it off.

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Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
Leave a banana on the counter sprayed with bitter apple. She will probably lose her taste for bananas after that.

Maybe, maybe not. The dog I had as a kid loved bitter apple, you'd spray it on something and she'd lick it off.

Yeah. My last Golden was like that. For the current one it worked like a champ.

Posted: 8/9/2017 8:57:26 PM EDT

[#25]

labs are food oriented, as are huskies, malamutes and some other breeds. Essentially, if they smell food, and you aren't there to claim it, the food is considered fair game for taking. You have one hell of a job ahead of you....it will be like trying to train herding out of a border collie.

Posted: 8/9/2017 9:00:54 PM EDT

[#26]

Quote History

Quoted:
labs are food oriented, as are huskies, malamutes and some other breeds. Essentially, if they smell food, and you aren't there to claim it, the food is considered fair game for taking. You have one hell of a job ahead of you....it will be like trying to train herding out of a border collie.

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I had to break my Husky of it early on.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Training a dog to not counter surf

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