When I leave during the day and I leave the dogs at home Tucker and Toby decide its time to start counter surfing. Yesterday I came up with an idea. I filled kongs with various items and put them on all of the counters. It worked. When I came home everything was right where I had left it on the counters and the kongs were all over the house. The thing I'm worried about is will they see this as a reward for jumping on the counters? They haven't tried jumping up on them at all today. I'm just afraid they'll start. What do you guys think? This gives them stuff to take besides the stuff they're not supposed to have but.... Well, you know what I'm trying to say.
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Saving just one dog won't save the world, but it surely will change the world for that one dog. -Richard C. Call
LOL I think they will see it as a reward, you are luring them into jumping on the counters..so if they grab something they aren't supposed to it would be wrong to punish them. A gsd I had used to counter surf a lot..he'd even jump up and grab sponges out of the sink! Did I find a solution? Not really..just move the sponges out of reach! Good luck
Why don't you try a similar idea tomorrow with the kongs but instead of putting them on the counters put them around the house on the floor in different rooms they have access too. That way it'll be like a scavenger hunt for them.
The problem is that I can't put things out of reach. I have really big counters but when Toby stands on his back legs he's taller than I am. The things they are grabbing are like the coffee pot and butter bell and that kind of stuff that stays on the counters. They only counter surf when I'm not home. Maybe I will try putting them around on the floors. The problem with that is that Tucker and Toby are such big babies that they wouldn't get them. The other dogs would steal them and than they'd go back to counter surfing.
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Saving just one dog won't save the world, but it surely will change the world for that one dog. -Richard C. Call
Try one of these to see if it stops their counter surfing. Open up some newspapers & lay them a couple of sheets thick out on the counter. Very carefully slip a set a couple or so mouse traps under the newspapers. If they put their paws up on the paper the traps will go off, snap the paper, make a noise & hopefully scare the dickens out of them. The newspaper on top will protect their toes from getting caught in the traps as well.
Another thing you could try. Do you know those plastic carpet runners that you can buy to put over your rug at an entrance way - it has those knobby things on the bottom that catch on the nap of the carpet to hold it in place. They also sell heavier plastic chair pads to put under an office chair so that it rolls easier. You could get one of those, cut it in strips to cover the front half of your counter. When you are going out put the strips on the counter with the knobby things facing up. They probably won't like the feel of it on their pads but it won't hurt them.
Actually those runners are sooo irritating that they would be effective in front of the counter, that is if they don't pull them away and chew them up...
I believe Zoe would chew them to pieces if I put them on the floor. The only thing I keep thinking is that I can't cut them. I'll just have to get a lot and leave them whole and wide. I think Toby would jump up on the counter and miss them completely if I cut them.
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Saving just one dog won't save the world, but it surely will change the world for that one dog. -Richard C. Call
