Hello, My 7 month old Standard - Steeler has been a surfer from day 1. Now that he is a lot bigger, he swipes a lot. Anyone had this problem and success in stopping the behavior? We yell, he gets down, and back at it again. Pennies in a soda can? Setting him up with a bake sheet with items on it? Just a couple of things the trainer recommended that I have not done yet. ANy help would be great, Suzanne
Counter Surfing
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I have a almost 5 month old standard pup (Sting) that is the same way. What ever he can get his paws on he does. I do like the few idea's the trainer mentioned and hope they work. Please let us know if you have any success at it as I will be probably asking eventually too. lol
P.S. I love the name Steeler....sounds like he fits the bill. lol
Please post pics of Steeler if you haven't already. We love pics!
Our new KaJ, he's also a standard..is great at counter surfing too. I tell him NO, and he's down..but if he thinks I am not looking, he will try it a second time. I dont leave anything on my counters so there is nothing for him to steal, but I dont like the thought of when I do have food up there and if it just suits his little fancy to something he is going ot be hungrey for...it will be GONE.
Actually Steeler is his name because I am a Steeler's fan, I had no idea he would live up to the name though, I should have spelled it stealer. It really doesn't matter if it's food, paper, anything at all really is fair game to him. He loves the chase, he runs off with whatever in his mouth with his tail high... he is all boy!!
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Sam is bad about that too, we just don't leave anything on the counters. Its a real pain when we are having a party or something, although he won't even think about doing it if someone is in the kitchen. But the second all is clear he takes whatever he can get. We have gotten pretty good at knowing where he is at all times when any food is on counter.
Wrigley is also guilty of this. I was at a dog show last week and a woman who used to show spoo's said to set mouse traps with dish towels over them (so that the towel would get snapped but the sound would scare the spoo).
I haven't been brave enough to try that because I'd be afraid that somehow it would get Wriggs' paw and I'd feel terrible about it. However, I can see how something that caused a sudden noise would help deter them. On the show "It's Me or the Dog" - Victoria Stillwell has used noise to stop surfing. But it was some kind of alarm that went off when the dog got too close. After a few times, the dog DID stop.
I haven't been brave enough to try that because I'd be afraid that somehow it would get Wriggs' paw and I'd feel terrible about it. However, I can see how something that caused a sudden noise would help deter them. On the show "It's Me or the Dog" - Victoria Stillwell has used noise to stop surfing. But it was some kind of alarm that went off when the dog got too close. After a few times, the dog DID stop.
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This is why I have miniatures these days
I had a standard named Clara in the past who absolutely drove me nuts standing up and taking things of tables and counters.
Miniatures can get their noses to the edge and some big ones can get their entire muzzle over edges but.....
well
I prefer not having to deal with standards
:tongue:
I had a standard named Clara in the past who absolutely drove me nuts standing up and taking things of tables and counters.
Miniatures can get their noses to the edge and some big ones can get their entire muzzle over edges but.....
well
I prefer not having to deal with standards
:tongue:
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Our trainer recommended:
Tying a soda can filled with pennies (lid sealed closed) to a used fast food bag. Place on counter and leave the room. When your spoo jumps up to get it, it will come crashing down and probably scare him/her. The trick is, though, when you rush back into the room, you don't scold the dog. You make a big fuss over how scary that was "Oh my gosh are you ok? Oh you poor poor dog". This way they associate the counter with being mean and scary and don't usually attempt that again.
We haven't tried that yet with Holly--she is thankfully getting better at surfing (or we are just getting better at not leaving yummy things on the counter).
Tying a soda can filled with pennies (lid sealed closed) to a used fast food bag. Place on counter and leave the room. When your spoo jumps up to get it, it will come crashing down and probably scare him/her. The trick is, though, when you rush back into the room, you don't scold the dog. You make a big fuss over how scary that was "Oh my gosh are you ok? Oh you poor poor dog". This way they associate the counter with being mean and scary and don't usually attempt that again.
We haven't tried that yet with Holly--she is thankfully getting better at surfing (or we are just getting better at not leaving yummy things on the counter).
For mild counter surfers...jump up for food and get down when corrected I use the baking sheet idea. I put a baking sheet on the counter with a set of keys or something and when they jump up there the noise scares them.
For serious counter surfers...jump up for anything on the counter right in front of you and then give you the "What?" look when you correct. I put something really yummy on the baking sheet...but cover it in hot sauce...along with the keys, ect. Then I take up the water bowl and wait...when I hear the offender take the bait I run in with the squirt bottle and blast the one covered in hot sauce with a shot and NO. I let them have hot mouth for a couple of minutes then give them the water back...that is the ONLY thing I have found to work to deter the afghan hound.
I have to keep a dish of hot sauce right in front of the cat food bowl which is up in the kitchen cabinet...Sophie jumps up, smells the hot sauce and backs off. She will come running in the living room sneezing and I will give her a dumb look and say..."awww did that mean old cat food get you again?"
I am sure the bitter apple will work for your spoo...but I sprayed some on the rocking chair we have and Casey actually THEN chose to chew on it?!?!? :banghead:
I recovered it with hot sauce and no new chew marks. I guess some poodles just have weird tastes???
For serious counter surfers...jump up for anything on the counter right in front of you and then give you the "What?" look when you correct. I put something really yummy on the baking sheet...but cover it in hot sauce...along with the keys, ect. Then I take up the water bowl and wait...when I hear the offender take the bait I run in with the squirt bottle and blast the one covered in hot sauce with a shot and NO. I let them have hot mouth for a couple of minutes then give them the water back...that is the ONLY thing I have found to work to deter the afghan hound.
I have to keep a dish of hot sauce right in front of the cat food bowl which is up in the kitchen cabinet...Sophie jumps up, smells the hot sauce and backs off. She will come running in the living room sneezing and I will give her a dumb look and say..."awww did that mean old cat food get you again?"
I am sure the bitter apple will work for your spoo...but I sprayed some on the rocking chair we have and Casey actually THEN chose to chew on it?!?!? :banghead:
I recovered it with hot sauce and no new chew marks. I guess some poodles just have weird tastes???
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I found this item on line but I don't remember where - they used a mousetrap but it had a big red flap attached to it so that it couldn't hurt the dog when it went off - quite ingenious actually and it worked for Ginger - but when Teddy came - that's another story - he ended up chewing them up after they went off and he is the worse thief in the house - my son had to attach the garbage pail to the cabinet(to keep him from knokcing it over) and had to put special screws on the lid (so he couldn't get it off) and he put a gadget on the swing part that keeps the lid from being pushed in (so he couldnt do that) and its a pain to have to open that every time I use the garbage!:banghead:
Our dobe is a lover of counter surfing too. We have sofar just kept counters empty but entertaining is difficult. Thankfully we don't entertain often. I love the cookie sheet idea but she could look and see no food was on that. The hot sauce would work but think first will try the bitter apple. I just have to get my hubby to go to petco for me. Its an hour away from me but hubby works in the same town. Thanks for the ideas 
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