# Keeping off the counter?



## SunsetSam (Jul 31, 2008)

Does anyone have any suggestions for keeping my GR off of the kitchen counter? He's 75 lbs. and so tall he can see the counters and get things off of them without jumping up on them. He just turns his head sideways and slurps anything he sees on a plate or in a bowl. We try to keep the counters clear but I have kids, one of which has autism, so sometimes they put their plates on the counter with food still on it when I don't know about it until I hear Sam sucking down their leftovers. By then it's too late.


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## GreatDaneMom (Sep 21, 2007)

if keeping the counter clear isnt an option (if it was, that would be it, if there is nothing there to reward them for jumping up on it, theyll stop) then there are a few ways to go about this. there are things called scat mats you can try. you can also "boobietrap" the counter. take a bunch of empty pop cans or something to the like that are real noisey. set them up so that when he jumps on the counter, they spill on or around him and make a lot of noise to scare him. he will relate that to the counter and hopefully not do it anymore (or atleast after a few times he will stop)


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## SunsetSam (Jul 31, 2008)

Oh, the pop cans are a great idea. We have ceramic tile floors that would make a loud noise. The only suggestion I had gotten so far was to put some kind of sticky tape around the edges of the counters, but I think that is impractical in a kitchen where 2 kids and a baby are in and out all the time.

Thanks!


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## cshellenberger (Dec 2, 2006)

You could also booby trap the counter with a mouse trap (the small ones). noise should be a pretty good deterent


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## TN_LAB (Jul 30, 2008)

Give the can monster a try.


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## aero4ever (Jan 18, 2007)

I used the can trick on top of toliet paper, came home and guess that after the initial shock it gave them, I found holes all in the can. 

I have one dog that would get stuff from the counter tops. Set up a video camera and caught her hitting the counter the minute the garage door closed. Are you able to train her to 'leave it' by putting food on the counter and correcting her when she goes for it?


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## SunsetSam (Jul 31, 2008)

We have been working on correcting him/rewarding him for not taking the food, but so far he doesn't leave it alone if I am not right there. Maybe it will just take some time. I appreciate all the suggestions.


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## aero4ever (Jan 18, 2007)

What about putting food up there that won't taste good to him? Are you able to ban him from the kitchen completely either by training or a baby gate? I believe they also make electric fences for inside the house if he's really determined.


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## SunsetSam (Jul 31, 2008)

aero4ever said:


> What about putting food up there that won't taste good to him? Are you able to ban him from the kitchen completely either by training or a baby gate? I believe they also make electric fences for inside the house if he's really determined.


My husband and I do our best not to leave any food where he can get it, but as I mentioned above we have kids who don't know not to do that. My daughter is severely affected by her autism and I don't think we could ever get her to understand why she can't sit her plate down on the counter with food still on it. Usually I am around to get it up higher, but frequently I'm changing a baby diaper or something so I can't get to it right away.

We tried using baby gates and he can jump right over them. Unfortunately our kitchen is open onto the family room and eating area so there aren't walls or anything around it to block it off by adding a door or anything like that. We have to attach the baby gates to the ends of the counters on one side and the wall on the other side. One downfall of an open floor plan I guess. ::sigh::


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## TripMom (Aug 8, 2008)

I share your pain. Our 11 month old Australian Shepherd is a counter surfer. I did buy one of the Scat Mats and it broke during the first use. Hopefully others have different experiences. I have tried rewarding when our dog gets off the counter and sits. We have had our dog only two months, but it is a constant battle. He has gotten knives out of the sink and carried them around the house, so there is a significant safety issue. I think I will try the tape suggestion.

Good luck,

Lisa


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## GreatDaneMom (Sep 21, 2007)

TripMom said:


> I share your pain. Our 11 month old Australian Shepherd is a counter surfer. I did buy one of the Scat Mats and it broke during the first use. Hopefully others have different experiences. I have tried rewarding when our dog gets off the counter and sits. We have had our dog only two months, but it is a constant battle. He has gotten knives out of the sink and carried them around the house, so there is a significant safety issue. I think I will try the tape suggestion.
> 
> Good luck,
> 
> Lisa


i hope you took the scat mat back and got a refund. thats rediculous!


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## pamperedpups (Dec 7, 2006)

Correcting the dog isn't going to work unless you are around to do it and many dogs become wise to this, taking advantage of times when you are away. Rewarding immediately after the dog gets off the counter may seem to him as though you are reinforcing him for getting up there in the first place. And many dogs simply won't care too much about the booby traps. You really should work on a solid "leave it" that makes it more reinforcing for your dog to wait for a treat than help himself to one, but that is going to take time and lots of training. What about crating the dog when you have to change the baby and when the kids are eating?


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## starry15 (Jan 20, 2007)

Sounds like to be you are not correcting the problem of him jumping on the counter and your main concern is him eating the leftovers. You need to teach your dog "off" and "leave it." 

Off will represent not jumping on the counter and leave it will represent the temptation of grabbing the food on the counter. 

First pratice "leave it" by laying a dog treat on the floor while your dog is watching. Tell your dog to "leave it." If your dog don't listen and trys to get the treat, grab the treat and say "no, leave it." pratice that over and over until your dog gets that leave it means, ignore it. 

Now having the treat within eye leval is different then it being on top of the counter. Your dog is wanting to jump up to check it out. So put a treat up there and say leave it. When your dog jumps up to check it out, say off or down (whatever word you want to use) and pull your dog off the counter. 

You don't know how many times the word "leave it" will come in handy. It is a word that I think all dogs should learn next to stay and sit.

I am against the other suggestions of scaring your dog from jumping on the counter and getting the food. You shouldn't have to scare a dog to not to something. Plus if your dog gets caught in a mouse trap, it could hurt him. Very cruel in my opinion. Please, take the time to train your dog to do the stuff you want your dog to do out of kindness not fear.


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## aero4ever (Jan 18, 2007)

SunsetSam said:


> My husband and I do our best not to leave any food where he can get it, but as I mentioned above we have kids who don't know not to do that. My daughter is severely affected by her autism and I don't think we could ever get her to understand why she can't sit her plate down on the counter with food still on it.


I was thinking more of training him by setting food on the counter on purpose that would taste nasty to him so he might learn that just because it's up there doesn't mean it would taste good. Maybe adding Tabasco sauce? 

I ran across this, not sure how good it works, but there are probably other things like it that would help: http://www.safehomeproducts.com/shp2/es/pet-boundaries.asp?hash=es%2Dk2%2Dtt 

I feel for you and hope you can find a solution that will work. I know that with my dogs is just cause they know better, doesn't mean they won't do it when I'm not around.


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## SunsetSam (Jul 31, 2008)

I absolutely agree that he needs to be taught "off" and "leave it". We are working on those. And we absolutely ARE teaching him to get off the counter if he does it around us. I don't think that he's going to stop it if I am not in the room, though.

I don't know if I completely agree about using no fear in teaching at all. I won't hurt him by using a mousetrap or anything like that. However, there are lots of things in my life that I don't do because of fear. I wouldn't use it all the time or as my main teaching method, but I may consider using it to keep him off the counters. For now we'll continue using positive methods and see where that gets us. I think the countertop alarm looks very interesting though.


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## Annamarie (Oct 14, 2007)

if he's a confirmed counter surfer, I would teach him to stay out of the kitchen completely.


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## SunsetSam (Jul 31, 2008)

I wish we could keep him out of the kitchen, but it opens up to the whole house with no walls on one side at all, so there is no way to keep him or anyone else completely out of the kitchen, unfortunately.


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## GreatDaneMom (Sep 21, 2007)

starry15 said:


> I am against the other suggestions of scaring your dog from jumping on the counter and getting the food. You shouldn't have to scare a dog to not to something. *Plus if your dog gets caught in a mouse trap, it could hurt him. Very cruel in my opinion.* Please, take the time to train your dog to do the stuff you want your dog to do out of kindness not fear.


this is about the only part i fully agree with in here. so on the other hand, there is nothing wrong with putting up pop cans to make a noise and scare him. youre not understanding WHY it works. he is not associating the scare with anything BUT his action of jumping up onto the counter. in his mind he is thinking "whoa, that was scary, i wont do that again!" hence why this works. if she is not there to tell him "leave it" everytime he does it, then its not going to work. everytime he can get something when shes not there to tell him leave it will only make it harder to teach a solid "leave it". by jumping up on the counter he is in tern rewarding himself. there is nothing cruel about this techneique, and it is NOT unkind.


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