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  1. #1
    EmmyGirl
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    Counter Surfing :)

    My seven month old black lab girl has been a breeze to train thus far, except when it comes to "counter surfing" (standing on hind legs to get food off counter, table, from kids lol). My last lab did this too and I knew someone whose lab actually opened their oven to get a turkey out and ate it. I've heard people use two sided tape on the counter, but knowing my very determined girl, she will just eat the tape too. Lol. Any tips?

  2. #2
    Senior Dog
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    Does she do it while you are right there watching? In that case you need to teach “leave it” and use it if you see her even thinking about going for it.

    If it’s more that (like my dogs) she sneaks in and does it when no one is watching, unfortunately the only thing I’ve found that helps with that is making sure the counters are always clean. It takes a few months but eventually they stopped looking. The problem is if they find even one thing worth taking, then that reinforces it and it takes that much longer to extinguish the behavior.

    Someone (Snowshoe?) had some success with leaving vinegar out - apparently it was noxious enough to the dog that they not longer wanted anything that came from the counter, but my dogs tend to be selective and wouldn’t go for the vinegar yet would happily steal something more edible if they saw it. We also tried booby trapping stuff on the counter with a shake can (soda can with some pennies in it - the idea is the noise startles them) but it didn’t seem to bother either Mulder or Chloe.

    With Scully, what worked was leaving the house, sneaking around to the kitchen window and yelling at her the instant she tried it ... it only took one time and she never did it again. The other two were less impressed, LOL.
    Annette

    Cookie (HIT HC Jamrah's Legally Blonde, UDX, OM2, BN) 6/4/2015
    Sassy (HIT Jamrah's Blonde Ambition, UDX, OM2, BN) 6/4/2015

    Chloe (HIT HC OTCH Windsong's Femme Fatale, UDX4, OM6, RE) 6/7/2009

    And remembering:

    Scully (HC Coventry's Truth Is Out There, UD, TD, RN) 4/14/1996 - 6/30/2011
    Mulder (Coventry's I Want To Believe, UD, RN, WC) 5/26/1999 - 4/22/2015

    And our foster Jolie (Windsong's Genuine Risk, CDX) 5/26/1999 - 3/16/2014

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  4. #3
    EmmyGirl
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    Lol at the kitchen window thing. Only because I'm sure at some point my hubby or I did that and I'm thinking the dog was "WTH was that? **chomp chomp chomp**" labs crack me up with their love of food. thanks for the info.

  5. #4
    Senior Dog Snowshoe's Avatar
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  6. #5
    EmmyGirl
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    I'll try the vinegar and see if that does it. Either that or Emmy will just smell like pickles.

  7. #6
    Senior Dog Labradorks's Avatar
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    I'd keep the food put away. As far as the table thing, you might want to crate her during mealtimes or teach her to stay on a mat with her own goodies while the kids eat.

  8. #7
    EmmyGirl
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    Thanks!

  9. #8
    Senior Dog TuMicks's Avatar
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    OK... all of that stuff ^^^^^ All really good.

    But, I was able to almost* stop my counter surfer. He usually grabbed stuff when I left the room to (for instance) check the drier, answer a phone, look for the remote, any of a hundred different things you do that make you turn your back on food for a matter of 30 seconds. So here is what I did.

    I made a peanut butter tortilla. (Whole wheat tortillas... 100 calories.) I took a long length of sewing thread and put it in the peanut butter before folding the tortilla over it. I took tupperware and other light weight containers and put dried beans (just a few) in each one. Secured (with scotch tape) the tupperware containers to both ends of the thread. Then I went to sit at my computer and waited... about 30 seconds. When I heard the containers hit the floor (and make a satisfactory amount of racket) I ran into the kitchen and yelled... "Oooooooo... WHAT DID YOU DOOOOOO!!!! Bad dog!!!!" etc. etc.

    I did that twice on the kitchen counter. Then set the whole thing up on the kitchen table. That has totally stopped the world's worst food thief from getting his ill-gotten treats.

    * I said "almost" because, he will now stand on his rear legs and LICK stuff. Especially the Country Crock margarine. He must have a tongue he can extend 3 or more feet. I've never seen him do it. Just the results.

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  11. #9
    EmmyGirl
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    Yep. She does it the second I leave the room. Like every time I leave the room. Lol. Errr!

 



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