If your dog is getting on the table or counter and stealing food, you are not alone. The topic of counter surfing is one that I get a lot of questions about, and it’s frequently requested for me to cover on my podcast. Your dog taking things from the counter is a big frustration, and we’re looking at how you can turn this around.
In the episode you'll hear:
- The three ways you could deal with a dog who surfs the counter.
- Why dogs start stealing food, and the gradual climb to the crime.
- Where the reinforcement is for your dog, and why it might not be what you think.
- What you might be doing that rewards your dog’s counter surfing.
- How to recognise a behaviour chain.
- Games to fix counter surfing and the steps for food theft prevention.
Resources:
- Podcast Episode 11: The Power of Permission in Dog Training
- Podcast Episode 16: The Thing Before Your Dog’s Thing
- Podcast Episode 20: Bridging the Gap Between Blame and Kindness in Dog Training
- Podcast Episode 27: Do Dogs Need Rules?
- Podcast Episode 32: 20 Easy Ways to Exercise Your Dog at Home
- Game: Learn how to play ItsYerChoice (IYC)
Episode Transcript
This is very useful as my mini poodle is an expert counter surfer. Now I have started to put him in his hotzone when he does it, but he now tries to escape my grasp and hides under the table. Should I have him on a lead so I can get him? He is quick and clever.
I watched this video and thought “at least I don’t have that problem”. Oscar Wilde has not counter surfed since the first few days we got him. I learned that bananas must be put up high, other than that no problems. Oscar is on a diet and I started giving him green beans to fill him, he is about 20 pounds overweight. (My fault he was so thin when we adopted him I overfed him.) I fed the dogs and planned to eat after my bath. When I was in the tub Oscar pulled the pot of beans off the range and ate them all. I’m glad he likes beans, doesn’t know they are diet food but now have another behaviour on my list of what we have to work on.
Hello,
I am enrolled in Home School the Dog and working diligently on Hot Zone which is helping with counter surfing but I have a specific question. There are times that my 6 month old Lab/Irish Setter mix will come in from our garage door and will walk by a counter near the washing machine and take a quick backward look at me then jump up and pull some freshly folded clothes off the counter. I would appreciate knowing specifically what to do in that moment.
Thank you!
Had my first case of counter surfing today with my 4 month old Bernedoodle. I immediately found this podcast and now know somethings I need to work on to prevent this from happening again or becoming a big problem. I do have a question about hotspots. Can you have more than one? Right now I have a kennel in my living room, a blanket near the kennel, and another blanket in my bedroom. When I do treat diving I use the blankets as hot spots. In this podcast Susan says to have the dog go to their hotspot while I’m working in the kitchen. Right now the hotspots are not where I can see the dog when I’m in the kitchen and there is no way she will stay in the hotspot very long at this point without close supervision. So…should I put her in her kennel and close it when I’m working in the kitchen or when she has been caught counter surfing or should I set up another hotspot blanket where I can see/monitor my dog and she can see me from the kitchen—maybe in a corner of the dining room???
Well I am glad I watched this, because it seems I have been a bad teacher to my dog. There are many things that I need to fix. Thanks for the wonderful podcast. I am going to make significant changes immediately. I just told Ozzie – you’ve been had buddy, mom’s been doing a lot of this stuff wrong. We’ll see if things improve in two weeks or sooner. Thanks again Susan.
Awesome podcast, I have struggled with figuring out how to use IYC to stop counter surfing. I appreciate the clarification and step by step instructions.
Susan is a teacher of humans who happen to own dogs. As a high school teacher, I see so many parallels in her positive reinforcement that has been so studied with teens and we all know dogs are more easily trained than teens! I use her easy and thoughtful techniques on my own loving but dopey Great Dane puppy and if he responds there is hope for any dog. Thanks, Susan. You have saved me so much time and money I would have spent on countless dog trainers. Keep the podcasts coming, please.
THANKS Susan!! Perfect timing! My 4 month old puppy just started doing this! I was doing IYC but not the right way for this issue. Thanks to you now I have a solution and a plan! Can’t wait to start training her. My other 2 dogs are good and don’t counter surf (my pug is too short LOL), but it’s been years since I have had to deal with this. What a relief (sigh). You are the best!!!
Fortunately, my puppy hasn’t gotten anything from the counter but I definitely tell him off and he gets into the DW when my husband loads it. You must be a mind reader.
All of this sounds doable given that the puppy has made great progress with IYC and HZ. BUT, he goes limp and tries to mouth my wrist when I grab his collar and try to get him to move. I’ve been looking everywhere to see what the solution for the limp noodle challenge. Please help