Any tips for curtailing counter surfing? 4-month-old female lab. She is almost never left alone for a minute without being put in her crate. The 'almost' is what got us in trouble yesterday. She is confined to the kitchen where someone must stay with her or put her in the crate. She spends approx 2 hours a day in short periods in her crate, often putting herself in. We keep things pushed to the back of the counters and the middle of the table, but as she grows taller, her reach grows longer. Last night we lost a wallet and a pair of hearing aids. Constantly saying "OFF" without any seeming effect. Advice would be greatly appreciated.
I feel your pain. Zak George and others have youtubes on counter surfing but it's hard. Mine mainly wants food but I lost glasses and paper bills. I say, "leave it" and try to teach him to with treats to leave something but alone is another story. Pretty much they tell you to not leave anything you want within reach as with a toddler but it is hard to keep remembering. Even on one of the training videos a trainer had on you tube while he was talking to us, the lab took the chicken off the counter...he joked he talked to long and he took his eye off of him but it was "real" : ) One site says " Teach your dog to “go to his place.” If you see him in the kitchen sniffing around, instead of yelling at him or punishing him, tell him to go to his place and reward him for obeying. Soon he’ll realize that the likelihood of his getting a treat is higher when he listens to you than when he sneaks a snack behind your back. Still, even if your dog is trained, remember to be vigilant about keeping those counters and coffee tables clear. “There are some dogs who, no matter how well trained they are, will have a momentary lapse in judgment if you leave the room with a temptation on the counter,” Santo says. Whether you listen to Zak George or McCann training videos, pretty much they say, alone, you just have to be very careful. I treat mine like a toddler but messed up a few times. It is exhausting!
Thank you! Your response is very helpful. She is our third lab puppy. You'd think I'd know by now. I remember with our last one, at about this same age, she ate 6 bran muffins that had been left 'out of reach' on the counter. The next morning we were headed out on a 9-hour car journey. . . The 'go to your bed' is very useful. Catching her in the act is the trick. I will check out those two training videos you reference. It is exhausting but on the positive side, I think it is keeping us young. Harkening back to having toddlers. Thanks again.
