Positive Dog Training Counter Surfing

Teaching your dog incompatible behaviors.

Positive dog training counter surfing.

Many dog owners complain that their dogs steal food from kitchen counters or even the dinner table. Put yourself in the dog s paws and place your favorite food on the counter when you are hungry. Counter surfing is a very common dog behavior problem and for some dog owners it seems the most difficult to deal with. Counter surfing if you re tired of losing your dinner to a sneaky pooch every time you turn your back here s what you can do about it.

Remove the opportunity make sure nothing not even crumbs is on the. You can even set up your counter and catch your dog in the act. Now walk past and see if you can resist taking a bite. He smells something tasty in the air and that incredible canine nose leads him to the counter.

Counter surfing just like chasing objects is a type of dog behavior that we see as a problem but that in reality is a perfectly natural and normal. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Obedience training is the key to preventing and solving most behavior problems including counter surfing and other thieving behavior. Leave it is a useful cue for many situations not the least of which is managing counter surfing.

But most importantly there are better and more humane ways to address the counter surfing behavior. Dog counter surfing is a pretty typical behavior for medium to large breed dogs. To discourage counter surfing there are a couple behaviors you can teach your dog. Kathy santo a dog trainer and columnist for akc family dog recommends the following when dealing with a counter surfing dog.

Find the why and take away temptation. Training your dog to not jump up on counters in search of food is all about. His nose reaches up followed by his front paws. Some basic obedience training will also build respect and strengthen the bond you and your dog share.

Use these with the following tips to stop a counter surfing dog. A new term was even coined to describe this behavior. Knowing the reason your dog is surfing the counter is important so pay attention to why and when your dog is about to counter surf. Let s look at it from the dog s perspective.

The simplest way to explain why this is happening in the first place is that this is a perfectly natural dog behavior.