Has your dog ever grabbed food off the counter ledge when you aren’t looking? Perhaps your dog still sneaks a bite even when you’re in the same room? Counter surfing can be a particularly bothersome behavior with puppies. To help stop this behavior, we have created the following guide to stop dog counter surfing.
Counter surfing is tangibly reinforced.
Counter surfing can be tricky to manage because your dog gets a reward every time it happens. Whether this reward is your dinner or attention, your dog sees a positive outcome each time it happens. We can treat this behavior through management strategies.
Preventative steps:
The first management strategy is not to feed them from the table. While it can be tempting to feed a begging dog, it can also encourage counter surfing.
Next, you should keep food or other desirable items, such as clothing and toys, off the counter and out of your dog’s reach. By reducing these counter surfing opportunities, you are one step closer to stopping counter surfing altogether.
Introduce new commands:
Now, you can teach your dog a different command that you can reward. Instead of focusing on the unwanted behavior, let’s replace it with one that is incompatible with counter surfing. Essentially, you’re teaching your dog a new command that can’t be done at the same time as jumping on the counter.
By managing the situation and rewarding these new behaviors, your dog will start to prefer doing them instead of jumping on the counter. We recommend encouraging the following behaviors:
- Wait
- Down
- Place
- Recall
In the short term, you can manage counter surfing by having your dog practice these behaviors while you’re around. Over time, we want to reinforce anything your dog does that isn’t jumping on the counter. For example, if you reward them for sitting by the table without jumping up, they’ll start to choose that behavior more often, even when you’re not around. This helps your dog learn to be well behaved, even when you’re not there to give them direct commands.
How to correct counter surfing
It’s important to set up opportunities for your dog to practice avoiding counter surfing. You can correct them towards better behavior by giving them the chance to make a choice. Start by placing a safe, tempting item on the table, and make sure your dog is wearing a 6-foot leash. If your dog approaches the table and then walks away or offers an alternative behavior, like lying down or sitting, immediately praise it and offer a treat. This will encourage your dog to make that choice again.
However, if your dog decides to jump up and take the item on the counter, gently pull the leash and give a verbal reprimand like “uh-huh or no.” Let them go and give your dog an opportunity to display better behavior, such as sitting. Reward them with praise and a treat. It’s best to practice this at least once a day to help reinforce their good behavior.
We’re here to help:
If you have a serious counter surfer or have any other dog training challenges, you can schedule a free consultation with our Co-Founder, Sean Savage CDBC, CPDT-KA. Sean can provide you with expert training recommendations. Our Dallas Obedience and Manners Puppy Training Programs are personalized to achieve your training goals in your home and wherever you will take your puppy in the greater Dallas area.
