She Counter Surfs!!!!!

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Originally Posted by tikeyas_mom

well i agree that getting rid of all food source, it's commence sence.. and I have thought about that, but I dont want to have to be wondering if I left food on the counter or not when I leave her alone at home.. I want to know that she will be good, and NOT jump up to retrieve it... How can I go about training her to not jump up on the table/counter and "help her self"??

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Hmm, that post made me register so I could post. You really might want to get a few dog training books. You are going to find a common theme in most of them I suspect.

MANAGING the situation is the first step, and best step, to any behavior controls you want to reinforce.

In other words, the first step is to remove the food from the counter. It might be annoying to have to keep up with that, but until you've got the behavior under control - the first step is to remove the reward.

Somewhere down the line, you might get your countertops back - but short term you should seriously consider making the effort.

:)

She is a husky. Countersurfing is actually listed as a breed trait in many descriptions. Lots of mine would clean the cupboards off given half a chance! If I can't watch them, anything edible goes into the microwave, also known as the food safe!

i live with the king of counter cruisers. on occasion alex the wonder dog will forget i'm in the room with him and he'll check out the counter with me RIGHT THERE!!!!. the real solution is to train the human to put away everything/anything edible(including mardi gra beads :rolleyes: :D ).

All I want to say is good luck!!!!! I have two counter serfing Huskies! My solution to the problem was nothing edible or even un-edible gets put way out of their reach(like the top of the fridge). My male husky has even figured out how to open our pantry door. it now has a child lock on it for the time being :rolleyes: . I have two kids under the age of two and I'll have to say that they are easier to keep out of things than the huskies. One *trick* I did find to work was putting something that taste bad to them but not harmful on the couter for them to get. It helped for about a month and I have to repeat the process agian. Hope you solve your Husky problem :D

(Reprinted from a 2004 PT Thread ...)

http://petoftheday.com/i/our_smilies/eek.gif

I always "share" with the FurKids...
sometimes UN-knowingly http://petoftheday.com/i/our_smilies/rolleyes.gif

Former (RB http://petoftheday.com/i/our_smilies/frown.gif ) Shepherd/Husky Shadow became a bit of an
opportunist after her adoption off the streets -
she'd apparently learned to never pass up a meal when opportunity
presented itself...

I'd whipped up TWO giant Dagwood-style sammiches -
LOADED with meat, cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and mustard.
Shadow lay on the floor in the kitchen, *watching* intently...

Sammich Construction complete, I had a Major Brane F@rt and
decided I just HAD to do ?something? in the basement -
grabbed a quick *byte* of Sammich #1 and returned it to the
plate - sitting on the kitchen counter. Off to the basement ...

Returning, I grabbed the plate and moved to the dining room -
*wondering* why Shadow wasn't in sight and *begging* for her *taste*.

Hmmmmmmm... http://petoftheday.com/i/our_smilies/confused.gif
I MADE TWO - did I eat one ALREADY???
Finished off Sammich #2, saving a smidgen for Shadow -
who ignored my call of "Wanna Byte?" ... *strange*

As I was rinsing off the plate, (*wondering* WHY I was still HUNgree
after eating TWO giant sammiches)...
I http://petoftheday.com/i/our_smilies/eek.gif stepped in sumpin *squisshy* under the counter... http://petoftheday.com/i/our_smilies/eek.gif

A Close examination revealed ~~~
..One Tomato Slice,
..One Lettuce Leaf,
..Three Pickles,
..and a small smattering of Bread Crumz -
all piled up under the kitchen cabinet overhang...
http://petoftheday.com/i/our_smilies/mad.gif

"Oh SHADOW, Dear - please come HERE!!" (NO response!)

She was located - UNDER the BigBed - frantically *thumping* her tail
and *licking her chops*. http://petoftheday.com/i/our_smilies/rolleyes.gif

We marched back into the kitchen and sat down to *discuss* my
findings of what she apparently didn't care for on the sammich menue...

I swear I head a distinct Dawggie *BuRRp* mid-way through
our *discussion*!

http://petoftheday.com/i/our_smilies/biggrin.gif