lol, we keep the counters clear as much as we can, but the mat thing is working really well, and has curbed her counter surfing enormously lol not our problem is Ripley, who got a reward when he went on the counter white we were away, took the bag of bagels out of the bread box(the lid is just a flip down, so a dog could open it easy) and preceded to eat 3 bagels, that was reward enugh for him, because the other day he got on the counter while we were home lol my mom snuck up on him while he was on the counter, and probibly scared him half to death, because he was to busy to notice my mom behind him lol have not had a problem with that since, and hopefully we wont again lol