A Dog Mom Question

My mother in law's dogs did this. She had to stash everything in the oven or microwave when she left the house, or kennel the dog when she wasn't around. You might also try scat mats.

I have had dogs for years. I had one who was a chow hound. So. I left something out and I sprinkled it liberally with cayenne pepper. She never grabbed food off the counter again.

Every time you catch him up there gently step on his hind foot. That is what my very old, old fashioned dad would do.

You could also dust the counter with cayene pepper.

Updated

Leave it lie. The life of a step mom is hell, from personal experience.

We had a similar problem with our shepherd mix - ANYTHING left out was fair game to him. He ate entire loafs of bread, strawberries, etc... However, he only seemed to do it when we left, or he thought we left (like if we were out back for awhile).
We actually took him to a trainer - the trainer said it was due to separation anxiety, and probably the fact that we rescued him from the streets, so he was used to scavenging for food. The trainer told us to buy him a "Kong", fill it with peanut butter whenever we left the house to keep him occupied and "snacking" on what was provided for him. (The same goes for the various treat balls you can buy at pet stores, where you put some food in it, and the dog has to roll it around to get the food to come out) The intended purpose was to keep him occupied while we were away, or at least for the first initial separation right when we left, was is the hardest (just like leaving your child).
Our dog DID get over this. He is now 14yrs old and still a wonderful dog. It definitely took more training on our part tho, rather than his. (For example, us not leaving things out to tempt him, and even putting the trash up when we left, so he wouldn't go through it)
Long story short - try the Kong filled with peanut butter, or any other treat that he really has to work at to get. Also, don't give him these "treats" any time other than when you leave - he will actually look forward to you leaving so he can play with his food! LOL!
Good luck!!!

I have a 100lb German Shepherd. His nose touches the counter. He will take stuff off of the counter just to let us know he can. Very rarely does he eat it, he is just making a point, I guess.

Just the other day, my husband left some Omaha hotdogs out to defrost. I left to get a haircut, he left for the batting cages with our son. He came back to find the hotdogs still sealed in their wrapping laying in the middle of the kitchen floor. The wrappers did not even have teeth marks. I have found loaves of bread in his bed that are uneaten and muffin packages where the muffins aren;t even crushed. He is very gentle in transportation.

I find if I spread dog treats around the floor and tell him to "leave it", he will leave everything alone. Sometimes he will eat the treats and other times he will leave them. Most often if I leave the treats out though he ignores the counter. That might work for you.

My dog will be punished with a long down stay if he counter grabs. He know he is bad when he does this. His face says it all. :)

Well, make sure that the food isn't out. That's what we have to do with our dogs. And if he's finding something else to chew, try giving him something that he can chew - like one of those kong bars. If he can't stop, you probably should crate him because he might eat something that makes him really sick. And the vet bills for taking care of that are really no fun. Oh! One other thing, if you think he's really eating because he's hungry, you can add half a can of canned green beans and/or carrots to his dry dog food because they stay in the belly for a while. Same thing with rice. Good luck.

Barbara Woodhouse, a famous English dog trainer, said you should fill a plastic bowl with cold water, ice cubes and marbles and attach it to a piece of food on the counter. Then when they pull it down on themselves the shock of the cold water with the loud clatter of the marbles on the tile floor will deter them in the future. It's worth a try although the main thing is that you just have to make sure they are not given the opportunity as much as possible. Good Luck!

My white lab is the same way - she will eat ANYTHING. BUT she knows better not to jump on countertops, people, take food from others, etc. Knowing that Labs a big chewers and food dogs (you need to watch their weight carefully), I have taught her from the start that I am in control of food. For example, every meal she needs to sit ~ 5 feet away food bowl and stay while I scoop her food into the bowl. Then she needs to stay until I tap my leg to signal her that it is time to eat. When she was a puppy and tried to get the food before I told her it was okay, I picked up the food bowl, put it on the counter top and walked away for five minutes then I would repeat for her to sit and stay before eating. I have even made her sit there, walked away and then returned 5 minutes later (and she was still waiting). For treats we would put a piece of food a couple of feet in front of her and she would have to wait until we said to go get it (single was to tap our thigh).

When training remember dogs read hand jesters and tone of voice (not words). HIGH tone of voice = Good. LOW, stern tone of voice = Bad. Remember to pick one hand motion to go with your voice command.

Needless to say she is a Lab and she will find things (typically gum or non-food items). I will say her name in a low stern voice and she knows right away that she was wrong. I also praise her for EVERYTHING she does right using a high tone of voice (she is 9 and I still praise her for going potty outside).

Labs a VERY smart and with time and patience you should be able to train your Lab not to jump on counter tops (they are VERY smart). You can practice by placing a piece of dog food on the edge of the counter top and if your lab tries to jump up say “Down!” (in a VERY LOW stern voice) AND point to the ground. your tone of voice is KEY when letting your dog know he is in trouble – Do not use a high yelling voice.

Let your Lab know who is boss (that you are Alpha) and love/praise your dog for all the good behaviors.

I will draw the ire of many when I tell you this (and maybe you too)...but I used mouse traps to break my dogs of some of the bad habits. I have a miniature Pinscher that I couldn't keep off the table...he would get up there even if there was no food and shred the mail! Now...I only used them "live" when I was home. Trained them over the weekend...after a couple of days I never had to set them again. Used unset ones to keep them off the couch.

Yes, there is a chance that they could get something caught...mine never did. And YES I tried many other techniques for months and months. At some point, you do have to say enough is enough if they want to be part of the household and not live in the backyard.

ROFL... Ohhhhhh yeah. That's our 2yo chocolate lab to a T. Fortunately he's stopped getting all 4 feet up on the counters (he sort of thinks of himself as a cat), when we moved into our new place. (One upside about not having enough counter space).

Whenever he snitches something with peppers in it, he curbs his behavior for a day or so (habaneros, raw jalepenos, etc), but not much longer. He's deathly afraid of the dishwasher (climbed in once, and when yelled at his collar got stuck and the dishwasher's ENTIRE BOTTOM RACK, dishes and all "chased" him halfway through the house). So all we really have to do is leave the dishwasher open and he stays out of the kitchen entirely. (I think he thinks it's getting ready to eat him). DH hates leaving the dishwasher open, I find it to be the best "dog repellant" out there. Ours likes ice, so the icewater trick is a "treat" for him. Sigh.

Honestly, the FOOD I can handle. It's the SHEER NUMBER OF SOCKS he eats every month that kills me. Seriously. He hooks his bottom fangs on the dryer door and backs up. And then he eats them. The leave him in both possible ways. And they make his breath smell terrible. We're talking 15-20 socks a month if I'm silly enough to keep buying them. The only ones he leaves alone are knee length wool socks. He has his preferences though.

- Clean white kid's socks
- Clean colored kid's socks
- Clean white adult socks
- Dirty socks of any persuasion

Labs.

Long suffering sigh.

I'll tell ya... I've trained thoroughbreds so high strung they need padded stalls until they're as gentle as kittens, and %80 - %100 wolves so that they will literally stop midleap, or can hand you individual tools out of a tool box, or will "babysit" kids better than any adult. Labs on the other hand (specifically male, neutered or no)... They're like huskies in labrador suits. THEY UNDERSTAND what they're supposed to do/ not do, but they take their own counsel above yours.

I know it is hard to do, but with this kind of behavior often the only choice is to Kennel when ever you leave the home. As for when you are home and he does it, discipline and kennel for a time, and hopefully he will start to learn.

mousetraps

Set them on the counter where his paws would hit.

They are just strong enough to startle him, but no so strong to hurt him (a rat trap would hurt!!)

We also crate our dog when we leave. She just can't be completely trusted. We've done it since we got her at 6 weeks and she now obeys when my 2 year old tells her to get in the crate. As a side note, it's a nice little chore for my 2 year old to put the dog in her crate when we're getting ready to go somewhere. Our crate is in the house though so that might make a difference.

these stories are too funny. sorry guys but they are. but they arent at the same time. I have a lab so these stories confuse me. Mine has never done that but I leave constant food out for all of my pets. the only thing my lab is guiltyof is eating my underwear. all of them. I had to start buying .88 cent granny panties he ate so many of them and I couldnt break him I tried everything suggested. he outgrew it though. I dont' know if leaving food out constantly would deter him or not. good luck.

Well i board dogs from my home and had a few dogs like that and i suggested to change the food, it sounds like the food u are giving him does not have enough protein in it, when it is not filling enough the dogs get hungry faster, and that can become a problem.
Try switching the food, see how that works and try to crate him when u are gone because that gives him a safe place to be, and that can be a place that is secure,also that he knows that is his place in the home. hope that will help u. lori

Many dogs are very food motivated, and they can be really diffidult to break of their scavenging behaviours. Try putting clear packing tape, sticky side up, on the counters so that your dog will get it on his paws when he jumps up. The sensation is unpleasant, so it can be a good deterent. Also, set him up to fail when you are at home and can quickly punish him for the bad behaviour. Then set him up to fail when he thinks you aren't home (is there any way you can spy on him from outside?) and then swoop in to punish him when he breaks the rules. Good luck. It isn't fun.

Watch Cesar Milan on TV. He's the Dog Whisperer. You need to claim your territory. Cesar will be able to help you. You can google him to. I've had dogs most of my life and I would also add to make sure you follow through with your commands. So watch Cesar and he'll help you to have calm and assertative energy so your dog will respect you.
N. B

My aunt also did the mouse traps thing. Her shepherd was eating out of the trash. The benefit of that is that you arent the one punishing him, it's more like "did that bad trash can hurt you, guess you better leave it alone". and it worked for him.

We have a daschund, so we dont have the same problem as you, but we cant leave her out during the times we're gone, because she cant hold her bladder and we dont have a doggie door. She likes being in her kennel during the day, sometimes even goes in there when we're not leaving, because she gets a treat when we put her in when we leave. Her problem is that she pees on the floor, then feels really bad about it and makes herself vomit, so yo have 2 times the mess. I used to feel bad about kenneling her, but she likes it. I have a friend with a jack russel and a golden retriever, they also kennel.

I've never tried it, but a friend of mine said that they put a piece of buttered bread absolutely coated with red pepper (like an inch thick) out on the counter. Her dog ate it, of course. But never ate off the counter again!

I am using my Mom's account. She thought this would be of interest to me and helpful to you.

I would continue to try to not leave anything out on counters, the high chair, etc. because if the behavior pays off, it will keep happening. Behavior (any behavior- good or bad) is a means to an end. The best way to stop a behavior is a two step process: 1.) make sure the behavior doesn't get rewarded anymore, and 2.) teach a new behavior to the same reward.
In this case, keeping food and fun stuff off of counters is only covering one of these steps... Next you need to teach him a new behavior to get food through. For example, you make teach him to sit/lay on a mat near where your daughter is eating in her highchair, and toss him treats for sitting still/quietly on his mat. Another example would be teaching him to sit/lay on a mat while you cook. The idea is to teach him to do something that he cannot possibly "counter surf" at the same time. Having him on leash during the training period may be helpful to keep him in place and make sure he doesn't wander off.
It would be best to keep him away from areas he will find tempting when you are unable to watch him (baby gates, or crate). This will make it more difficult to fall into old habits when you are not home.
Good Luck!
Amy Behavior Technician

We had some good luck with counter alarms. They work really well for our dog. She is the same way and it's very frustrating. Also, since we have limited time to worry about it we use it as a great way to keep the kitchen clean all the time. If the food is put away, we have no problem. At meal times she goes on her bed and is trained to stay there until we allow her to get up...after all food it off the table and put away. It's a drag when you just want to relax, but we deal with it. We've had our fair share of stolen food moments though. When you are ready to eat that yummy sandwich and then realize you left it on the counter within reach. Argh.

I was hoping someone would have the miracle solution to this problem. Our dog is the same way. The best was when she carried the frozen thanksgiving turkey into our living room when we were all out of the house. I also try not to leave anything out (but that is not always possible). We have an invisible fence and they also make a device that can be used in the home. I tried that, but she will still go for it and then she gets zapped. She gets so scared, she will not move and will continue to get shocked.....so that was a waste. We did find a beeper that will go off my sound or movement. If she gets too close to it, it makes a high pitch noise that she hates. If I have to leave something out, I will sit that out. Otherwise, she goes in her kennel.

I haven't read the other responders but my microwave has become the breadbox.
My cat gets on the counter and bats the bread or whatever foodstuffs are left out onto the floor where the dogs eat them.
I have even purposely left bologna out covered with cayenne and the stupid dog still eats it. Use your stove and microwave.
I lock two dogs up in the bathroom every time I leave the house, I have three.

I agree with the person that said work on your "leave it" comand. And if you don't have one then you need to make one. If you don't know how, then I'd get the advice of a dog trainer.

That being said this is what I'd do... (and I have trained many many dogs up to the level of cometition). First of all, don't leave anything out for him to get. Secondly, if you can't trust him while you are gone then he should be in a kennel while you are gone so he can't do this. If he does it while you are out of the room, then take him with you to the other room. Leave a leash on him all the time so you have a handle you can correct him with. If he gets up there, then yank him off and say "leave it" in a strong voice. Never let him get away with it. Another thing you can do that works great is that you can put some small rocks or pennies in a plastic bottle and the minute he begins to get up, then shake it in his face and say the "leave it" comand, or say "off". Whatever command you decide to use, stick with it and always use the same one as well, everyone in the family has to do the exact same thing. If he is always with you and the bottle is always on the counter then it is a win win situation. If it freaks him out enough, then just seeing the bottle will help. Every time he listens and does good then he needs praise in a cheery voice, good boy, or whatever also you can give him a small treat when he is good. He should look for you for treats rather than find them on the counter.

Lastly, if he's looking for things to destroy, maybe he is bored. Get him more toys, take him out for walks etc. And definately if you have not taken him to obedience class, now is not too late to start. Good luck!

OMG, my weimeraner does this too. We recently tried mouse traps and "set her up" I left out a ham bone on the counter after easter and set mouse traps around it and left the room, she set a few off and now she is very scared to try it. I have heard you have to do it a few times, but it definately works. Good luck, it drives me crazy also.

We have recently been having the same problem with our 7 year old Portuguese Water Dog. We are now putting him in the laundry room when we leave the house. (He has a bed and water....plus we give him a kong stuffed with treats to keep him entertained for a bit). Crating him is also an option.

Good luck!

Work on your "leave its." Start easy have something in your hand and as soon as he backs away reward from somewhere else. Once he understands that backing away is what is rewarded you can add the command "leave it." Then you can set it on the ground(so you can cover it with a food if need be), then dropping starting low and working up higher. Once he really understands what the words mean leave something out and watch from another room (you may want it partly covered or in a bottle with holes, so he cannot actually get the food) and use leave it when he goes near it and see if he back away. If he jumps on the counters at all when you are home use leave it or off, whatever works for you. Not easy, but great if it is possible to set it up so he can't see you and you still watch with a video camera and if he is goes for use a vocal interrupted (loud noise) or just say leave it and see what he does. Victoria Stillwell uses great positive training techniques that do not harm the dog in anyway (ie scruffing) and let the dog learn the correct behavior. You can also reward when the dog is in the kitchen, but not near the counters. You can leave the dog with a kong filled with peanut butter and cookies when you leave (you can freeze it so it last longer). Also make sure he is getting plenty of exercise and mental stimulation since that can help cut down on behaviors you don't want to see.

As best you can try not to leave anything out too. At our house it is one of the cats we really have to watch. She has her room for when I am cooking and as soon as she is out it's up on the counter to check the sink and stove top, so needless to say we do a lot of counter scrubbing and keep everything put away.

Hi! As a mom to three dogs, I can honestly say there is only one way to deal with this. You do either have to confine him or crate him. If he has a bed somewhere like a bedroom, you can tether him to the end of the bed, or something. You don't have to crate him. However, careful of tangles. We have to tether ours. Its necessary for their safety and the safety of the house. (Two don't always get along.) Also if we didn't tether them when we are gone (one gets crated but that's just because he prefers it that way). they would be into everything they could be. You can also work on the command "Leave it", and make him wait until you say he can have something that he can reach (on the high chair for example). But better yet, if there is something he CAN have, then YOU should give it to him..no one else. Foraging is a sign he's bored as well. Make sure he has something to do..a big soup bone to chew on, a Kong toy with peanut butter in it..something to keep him busy while you are away. Don't feel bad if you have to crate him either. Dogs don't mind you being in control of their surroundings. Its our job to be the control, and enforce control. Its your house..not just his home. You need to make sure he knows what's his and what's yours. The counters are not his area. Enforce that when you are there by keeping him at a distance and teaching him "not your area" or some other simple command. I tell mine "Mind your manners". They know what manners I expect because I taught them that I only reward good behavior. Do the same with your lab. They are very smart dogs and not enough do can turn into an eaten up house in a hurry, or a barking problem or worse. He's only doing what he sees as the most entertaining thing at the time so you have to create a barrier for him..keep him out of the kitchen..move his water to within reach but he should only have access to food when you feed him not all day. (If that's part of the problem give him a light breakfast..like less than half his normal portion of kibble..and give the rest of the portion at his normal dinner time). He may simply be snacking because he is hungry. All in all a fairly easy fix, but you have to be strong..and you can't look at those big lab eyes and say "Okay, just this once.". You have to look into those big lab eyes and say "Leave it!" and expect him to!

Can you ever catch him in the act? I know that would be the best time to discipline him (with a firm "NO" and grabbing the scruff of his neck) when he snags food. Maybe try placing food on the counter and walking away (bait him, in order to discipline). Other than that, you can check out Cesar Millan's website for ideas on that kind of thing, because I don't know if that's an alpha behavior or not (seems like it might be). I only know we have an aggression issue with our lab mix (aggressive towards other dogs) that improved almost 100% from watching those video's (rented from the library) and implementing basic techniques.

Good luck!