Community Chat

[Kachina624]

I have a very large male black tri collie. He has always been an incurable counter surfer. He's so tall the only place he can't reach is the top of the refrigerator. Today he helped himself to a large bottle of glucosamine tablets (for dogs). He shouldn't have been able to reach it but he did. Fortunately he threw the whole mess up all over the dining room rug, the only rug in the house. The only ill effect he seems to have suffered is he has been very thirsty. Has anyone been able to cure a counter surfer?

[conlt]

My trainer says take a coke can and put a few coins in it so it rattles. Tape the top. Don't let the dog see you do this. Hide the can and watch the dog. When she counter surfs throw the can not at the dog but in another direction to startle her.

[JeanLouiseFinch]

Counter surfing was one of two bad habits our dog had when he came to us, the other was eating fabric, which he outgrew. He was so sneaky about getting up on the counter, there were a couple of times he got things he shouldn't have (stick of butter, a couple links of cooked Italian sausage, eggs & toast). We tried everything - a loud, sharp "NO", shaking the coins in a pop can, mousetraps, staging stacks of cans so he'd knock them over and get startled by them falling and making noise. NOTHING worked. It wasn't until we bought an electronic colar that he stopped. I am not lying when I tell you it only took one time of me catching as he was going up. I gave him one short "zap" while saying the word "off" and he scrambled as fast as he could to get down. He's a very tall dog (26" at his shoulders) so he can walk by the counter and his nose is even with it. He also knows to "leave it" when he's told. Now if we see him sniffing at the counter we say "off" or "leave it" and he does as he's told.

[Kachina624]

There is no way this sneaky dog is going to get into anything while I'm in the vicinity. He sticks his head in the dog door to check my whereabouts. If he sees me, he back up and goes back outside. He even steals cans from the pantry, pierces them with his teeth and drinks the liquid. You wouldn't believe the things he's eaten...loaves of bread, bag of apples, sticks of butter, coffee cakes, jars of peanut butter, cake mixes, bags of pasta, etc., etc. you'd think he'd be fat as a pig but he's not, just right.

[Lilysmom]

I posted but it disappeared!! Too funny, Kachina. Waiting to see if the coast is clear. My Lab puppy grabbed a pie crust wrapped in Saran warp and ate it while I chased her around the kitchen table. That was five years ago. It can be scary though, depending on what they eat. Thankfully she grew out of the bad habit. LM