Dr. Yin's counter surfing cure.

[Swanny1790]

Do you have a counter surfer? You know, the agile always hungry dog who just can't resist snatching tidbits, or even the holiday ham, off the counter or table top? Dr. Sophia Yin has an article on the Pet Health Network website that offers the positive solution to the problem. http://www.pethealthnetwork.com/lifesty ... er-surfing

[minkee]

Thanks, Swanny, I'm definitely going to have a thorough read through (& follow through!) of this. Scout (my little terrier) is really good at leaving things - we used kikopup's method when she was small to teach her that on the table = not for her, and it has stuck really well. She wants to get it RIGHT (by leaving it) more than she wants the food. With Breeze, my hound, his ultimate goal is always to get the food, and he's always just looking for the opportunity to snatch it. So set up leave its where he knows I'm on the ball is massively different to the opportunistic ones. Lots more work is needed!

I'm not sure if I'll follow this or Kikopup's method though... the vital difference being that in this one, patience rewards you with being allowed the thing from the floor or the table. In Kikopup's they NEVER get the 'left' thing, ALWAYS a different reward.

In theory the latter is better - if the 'left' thing is a dead rat, for example, you don't want them to EVER think they can have it - it's 100% off limits. However if that only leads some dogs (Breeze!) to think they'll just have to steal it instead then, rather than wait, then perhaps the former is better...

[ClareMarsh]

Minkee, I mixed and matched with Ted, if he could have the "thing" he got it, if he couldn't I gave him a treat. Either way telling me you want the "thing" but sitting and grumbling pays off. Of course I have the advantage that Ted can't reach much anyway but he won't even take one of his own treats off the edge of the sofa if he is on the sofa. He'll stare at it intently and make enough noise for me to notice though

Anything on the floor is another matter, as my mum learnt when she put her yoghurt on the floor to answer the phone

[JudyN]

I wondered if you had a problem with couter-surfing, Clare

I'm really not sure I could ever have taught Jasper to generalise from 'Mum's got her eye on me' behaviour' to 'Mum's not looking' behaviour. He is a poacher's dog, after all. It's actually been easier to train myself not to leave food lying around!

[Ari_RR]

Be careful what you wish for

Ari has never stole any food from the table. Not once in his 2.5+ years.
Instead he perfected the "sit and make a sad face" approach... Coupled with the plan B of "sit with a sad face, and make a pitiful noise".

Sometimes I wish that he would just steal something and ran away, so humans can have dinner without being bullied into feeling guilty by a manipulative canine.

[ClareMarsh]

Instead he perfected the "sit and make a sad face" approach... Coupled with the plan B of "sit with a sad face, and make a pitiful noise".

I think Ari and Ted attended the same human training course ... the one Nettle's dogs run on line

[Nettle]

Instead he perfected the "sit and make a sad face" approach... Coupled with the plan B of "sit with a sad face, and make a pitiful noise".

I think Ari and Ted attended the same human training course ... the one Nettle's dogs run on line

Have to get them earning their keep somehow