What's that old saying? An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure... or something like that.
When a dog counter surfs-it gets an immediate reward...FOOD! The pay-off is much greater than any civil punishment I can give my Newf. Having said that...my first Newf Nellie countersurfed until she was about two. I was diligent with the scare tactics, whether or not that's what made her stop or working with her to have an obedient dog or just maturity...whatever... she stopped it.
Murphy on the other hand, is an entirely different story...nothing scares him, so we had to adjust the way *we* do things. We never leave cupboard doors open, there is never any food left on the counters and they are kenneled while we prepare food and eat our meals. It can be an extremely dangerous situation when you are preparing food(boiling water, hot oil, pans, burners, etc.) and your dogs are underfoot. My trash is inside a cupboard and it slides out on runners, you can get that set-up at any hardware store.
We used booby traps with Nellie like pop cans with pennies in them set up so they would fall the minute she put her paws on the cupboard. I have heard of people using 'Scat Mat' and I am seriously considering using it with Murphy. It gives a harmless shock when they put their paws on it and the shock level is adjustable. Although I think I could shock Murphy 'til his hair stands on end (oh wait..it already does
) I don't think it will stop him.
He's obedient in all other areas, so we'll keep working at it.
I have also heard of people growling at their dogs the minute they show any interest in human food on the table, counters...etc. The theory here is you're working at a level they can understand. Working with your dog consistently in the obedience area will help tremendously.
Now to make you feel better, it is entirely normal for your dog to want to steal the food from cupboards, tables, trash cans. If they didn't try, I would be worried about them. Dogs are by nature, predisposed to be both predators and scavengers. It does not mean you have a bad dog.
What is the most effective way to get to him to stop being such a food hound and quit jumping up on the counters and table top. He has gotten smart in that if we walk out of the room and neglect to remove ALL food items from the counter/table, he will jump up and get the food. He waits for us to walk out of the room, pretending to just lay there minding his own business. That sneak...It is getting out of hand and he will also nudge the lid of the trash can open to get into the trash.
