How To Prevent Your Dog from Counter Surfing
Do you know a dog that likes to put their front feet up on the counters to “window shop”, or maybe they are blatant and they steal items to have a tasty snack?
Needless to say, this can happen whether you are in the room or not.
Today I am going to give you some recommendations to help you stop your dog from stealing food on the counter.
#1 It is time to get super “tidy”, its sucks, but it is necessary. Put everything away, loaves of bread, butter, wipe up the crumbs…you name it, your counter needs to be spotless.
#2 Teach a Leave It, for those of you in our online membership, this lesson goes live on Dec 12th. If you are not yet part of our online membership, our doors will be opening again soon, for more info and to get on our waitlist check it out here!
#3 Set your dog up. Sadly, your dog will not learn to leave the items on the counter unless we teach them it is a bad idea. The methods used for this are a bit “old school”, but they are effective. It is time to set your dog up.
To start you will leave something tempting on the counter, BUT don’t put it too close to the edge, we want to tempt them, not have them actually get it.
Next, you need to be prepared to have eyes on the back of your head…set up a mirror, use the reflection on the TV, set up a baby monitor…you get the idea.
When your dog attempts to get the item in question, you pop out and startle your dog.
[SUPER IMPORTANT] - the startle response needs to be done in a high-pitched voice such as an “eh-eh-eh”. You can even clap your hands to add to the effect. I do not recommend using the word “no” or using a low / firm voice. Remember we are going for the startle response voice, not the reprimanding voice. Yes, this does make a difference long term.
With success, wait a few days and repeat the lesson.
It is KEY that you do not leave food or other items of interest out for your dog to steal in the interim, that will just undo the training you have put in thus far.
BONUS DIFFUSER BLEND (safe for pets of course) 2 drops Bergamot 2 drops Douglas Fir 2 drops Pink Pepper 1 drop Patchouli
This blend will spark joy, keep the calm, evoke feelings of forgiveness, and is good for overall health and balancing. PERFECT to diffuse when the extended family arrives.
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