I never think of it as spicy - like chili. It's a really, really strong horseradish! And it sure clears the sinuses!!
Mousetraps, even hot sauce, wasabi, etc, are not "force-free" training - you're using punishment. Just FYI. I'm okay with using punishment in very limited circumstances. Some folks are not. For various complex reasons (my son has autism and eats chicken but can't sit to eat it, he paces back and forth), there is often food on our counter. Very small house, can't block off the kitchen easily. Well, after trying everything else, I got a can of stuff called Pet Corrector. Basically, you press a spray and it makes a loud, scary hissing sound. Again, punishment. I kept it with me, sat on the couch where I could see the counters (small house), set up some food to tempt her, and when she'd put her paws on the counter - BAM! Hissing sound. I had to hide the red can from her because she got wise to what was going on right away. She'd think about surfing (sniffing near the counters), then turn around and look at me to see if I had the can. So I hid it in the couch pillows. About 10 sprays cured her of counter surfing. Hasn't done it in two months. I don't like to resort to that but for some behaviors it can help. I was losing my mind, and she'd snagged some chicken and bread, so she knew it was a great way to get food. (And geez, labs are always starving to death!) I have a rug near the kitchen and I have her and Burke in a down-stay there and reward them with treats (and even bits of what I'm cooking) if they stay there. She now will offer that behavior - she'll go to the rug and lie down - when she knows I'm cooking. I also never reward anything but a down in the kitchen even if she's off the rug, so now I get a nice lying-down behavior when I'm prepping food or eating.
Thanks @b&blabs my best friend swears by this can. I will see how i get on with some mat trainin etc first but I will definitely bear it in mind.
