Re: Counter surfing
OH NO!! It must be a gene in these dogs Nick is a thief too!!! So far he hasn't taken food off the counter, but then he's still only 7 months old and around 75 pounds. I guess he could easily get up on the counter and reach things from the very back if he wanted to. But having no 'teens' in the house does help. Nick has stolen 2 teatowels on 2 different occasions (about a month apart) and torn them into little pieces (1x2 inches each) and eaten them. If he hadn't left a 4x4 inch piece of evidence in the hallway each time, we would have had no idea that he had eaten them. It only took him a minute to steal the teatowel off the counter and devour it.I called his vet (a Berner owner too) for instructions and then used a syringe to give him diluted peroxide. Both times he got this very funny look on his face about a minute later and threw up a lot of tea towel pieces with his recently eaten dinner. I then pulled out the teatowel pieces from the pile and pieced them together like a puzzle to make sure we had them all. I was happy to see that he had at least had torn both teatowels into tiny pieces before swallowing them. We have to watch him closely, because he likes to steal shoes and other items. He doesn't seem to be chewing them now, but he does carry them around.He gives them back when you ask, sometimes more willingly than others. He's not going to be trusted when we are at work for awhile longer yet. Other than this quirk, he's just about perfect ;-D (I'm not prejudiced in any way here, mind you.) Joye Neff and Nicky (But MOM, I'm only bringing you treasures) (and Ben - who always brings us a toy when we get back home) Mt. Lebanon, Pittsburgh, PA)
Re: Counter Surfing
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RE: Counter Surfing
-Original Message- From: Janice Parky >Where is Daisy Crifasi and her surfing knowlege when you need her?? Janice, Why, she's right here staying with me, just as good as gold! I don't believe any of those horrible rumors spread by her owner about supposed counter surfing incidents, I've never seen any evidence of it! Of course, I haven't left any lasagna on the counter to cool. Would that involve something called cooking? Pat Long, a babysat Daisy & Buddy, (& LUTHER) Berwyn PA
Re: Counter surfing
Counter surfing once discovered is very hard to stop. Good smells with tasty rewards for surfing can make Fido a real sneak theif. I have found there is no safe place to leave food except the cupboard, fridge, microwave or other closed container. My dogs are really good about not surfing my counters however, I have been shocked and horrified to see one or another of my darlings counter surf at other peoples homes when we have visited! Haley bless her soul who never ever tried counter surfing at home helped herself to my hostesses chicken enchiladas before she put them in the oven for our dinner one night. Norma Jean who isn't beyond counter surfing but does not do so at home ate an entire roast when she was at a friends house for a breeding. She was kept in the kitchen and the roast was not on the counter but left in the sink to thaw The biggest problem I've had is my young girl who likes to eat cat food. I keep the cat food on the kitchen table away from the edge so the cat can hop up there to eat when he wants. None of the other dogs touch this food. Miranda has learned to clean what's left in the bowl. I have corrected her when I catch her and she is very sneaky now. I found her one day standing all 85 pounds of her and all 4 feet on the table helping herself! I now only leave cat food out when the cat is there and slowly things are improving or am I just being lulled into a false sense of security? Susan Ablon Gweebarra BMD Balch Springs, Tx http://www.pageweb.com/gwebara
Re: Counter surfing
Hi Janice, It sounds like you have a true blue Berner on your hands! Is he training Halley yet? My Newfy pup cured herself of counter surfing at about 4 months old, though I would definitely NOT promote this as a cure-all... It scared the living day lights out of me. We have a small, muddley kitchen and all surfaces are within dog reach. We don't leave food out, as Boots (my Best Berner Boy) once helped himself and Annie to a whole beef joint! But cups of tea and coffee are often left on the counter while they cool. Maggie was often seen with her nose at counter top height, but as there was nothing to eat, she never jumped up, until one day. A tin of cat food had been left out with the lid unsealed (all humans denied doing this of course, me included) and next to it was a cup of my fruit tea, freshly made, with boiling water. Can you see where this is going? Of course you can... Maggie jumped up to get at the cat food and knocked the mug of near boiling liquid over. My heart rate must have tripled. But we were really lucky, and the liquid never touched any bare skin thanks to a thick, wooly puppy coat. Maggie must have got the shock of her young life though, as she has never jumped up at the tops again. Mind you, not long after, she did lever the top off their food tub and help herself to a few pounds of food, and then found where I stash the expensive type cat food that comes in little foil sachets and tins... I came home from shopping to find chewed up foil all over the floor, licked completely clean! These days, their food container is placed in front of the cat food store, with one of their feeding bowl stands wedged on top... And I've come to a compromise with Maggie, she doesn't steal food and I let her dive into the food barrel when I feed them (I can hear the shocked gasps from here!). She gets a reduced amount in her bowl, and has even learnt when the barrel is too low on food for her to reach in in comfort. I know, I know, it's a bad habit, but she doesn't abuse my 'generosity' and the others don't emulate her (yet, though I fancy Roxie would be in there like a shot, if only Maggie didn't take up all the free space by the container!) I'm not too sure when this started; in fact, come to think of it, I suspect it wasn't my fault at all, it must have been during the 2002 Specialty when my husband was looking after them all... Good luck with Wrigley! Liz Bradbury in Scotland, with Roxie the bouncing Berner; Newfs Toby and Maggie; & the 6 Feline Fiends. http://www.btinternet.com/~liz.Bradbury1 On Tue, 5 Aug 2003 22:58:21 -0400, Janice Parky wrote: >Does anyone have any creative ways to discourage counter surfing? >At 4 >months, Wrigley has discovered the abundance of treats above his >head.
Re: Counter surfing
Does anyone have any creative ways to discourage counter surfing? Fortunately I have not had to use all of these but Babs may have to test them out.. 1. Place loaded mouse traps UNDER sheets of newspaper - when they hit the paper, the traps go off. It will not hurt the dog as they are under the paper but the noise serves as a good deterrent. 2. Tie the coveted food to a metal bowl or colander and place the food as you would. When the dog grabs the food, the colander comes too and often bonks them on the head or makes such a horrible noise crashing to floor that is works. Use a bowl or colander light enough not to hurt him but big enough to have an effect. I have heard of this working very well. 3. If you catch him with his paws on the counter, make a fist and bop the paws between your fist and the counter. Not too hard but hard enough to make it unpleasant and he should remove his feet from the counter. I tried this with Babs and she just kept moving her feet back and forth on the counter - what a challenge she is :). 4. A scat mat - they can be bought through most pet supplies places. They deliver a small electric charge to the paws when touched. I do not advocate this method but it is one that can be considered. Good Luck, Molly and the growing gang Charlottesville, VA
Re: Counter surfing
Cat food goes on top of the fridge, and that solves that problem. Now cat litter, that's another story... Here's how we finally solved that problem. I had my husband cut a hole in the bottom of the laundry room door, big enough for the cats but much too small for the dogs to fit through. Now we can keep the litter box in there as well as the food and water for the cats. The dogs have no choice but to sniff longingly at the opening, while the cats stroll back and forth through their special "mousehole." Anne with Maddie and Titan (and their two feline friends) Cranford, NJ
Re: Counter Surfing!
Well, I have lot's of tales I could tell here but I did have a half of a turkey mysteriously disappear from my larder one Christmas when someone left the door open. Clean plate, no turkey, no signs of remainders, no grease on the floor, just gone! Sunny and Sam (going back many years) not so hungry next day! Guess that was too great a temptation and they were very young! More recently I had problems with my Rescue Barney when he arrived last year! He was a terrible thief, I had been warned! And guess, by then I had got used to Sunny and Sim being pretty good so it came as a surprise. I couldn't leave anything around, even prepare veggies and leave the kitchen for a moment and they would be gone! As for the catfood, up high on a shelf, and a pheasant hanging in the garage! Still got them! Hmmm! Had to go back to basic training with Barney, four years old but we did basic puppy training all over again. I purposedly left tempting food on the counter and would turn my back, catch him the moment his paws went up there and "NO!!" Then, gradually praise and reward when he didn't go to thieve. Took time and effort to retrain this boy but one year later he is as good as gold! Cross Paws and touch wood! Even the best trained! The Christmas Turkey now goes in a meat safe to cool down before it goes in the fridge, doesn't matter if the larder door gets left open! Try and avoid temptation! All Love, Jean, Sunny, Sim, Barney and the Longlease Gang http://bernese.biz
RE: Counter surfing
Forwarded in plain text for Vilma: Janice, Try shake cans? Fill several old pop cans w/ about 10 pennies and tape the opening shut, then put 3-4 of these carefully balanced on the edges of the counter, tied together w/ strings w/ about 8-10 inches between them, depending on the length of the counter. When he goes to surf, they will come clattering down. Another option is something they sell in the catalogues called a "Snappy Trainer" which is basically a mousetrap w/ a 6 inch plastic ping pong paddle thingie attached, so the dog cannot get caught in the trap but it makes a loud snap" when it is triggered. Keep these "traps" out all the time for several weeks. The best option is keeping the counter clean for a long time, so he isn't rewarded intermittently for surfing, since this is the best way to make behavior strongly established. Of course, much easier said than done.I know, believe me: both my UDX Berner Java and my foster rescue Brew, 1/3 CD (Pat Long's dog 2B) might be great in the obedience ring but are both Counter Surfers Extraordinaire (CSX titled~!) and I have been too lazy to do much about it. Vilma Briggs (Kistner) Mt. Gilead, OH U-UD Mocha Java Slurp, UDX, HIC, TT Ch. Brighteye Expresso Bean, UD, NDD, TT U-CDX Our Little Buddy, UD, NA, TT Thirdtym's A Charm, CD Hob Nob Clouds In My Coffee (puppy "Perc") and foster Bernerboy: Brew, 1/3 CD
RE: Counter surfing
Try an old fashioned water pistol (not the newer high powered ones). We used a spray bottle at first and found, as you did, that it was useless (plus I wasn't fast enough to time it correctly). We tried the water pistol along with a deep vocalized sound that I use for "stop doing what you are doing." I could aim it better, so my timing improved and it was considerably more effective -- go figure. In the end though, I have found that all of us had to change our ways -- including keeping mindful of where we put food!! Nancy Melone -Original Message- From: Janice Parky [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, August 05, 2003 7:58 PM To: Berner List Subject: Counter surfing Does anyone have any creative ways to discourage counter surfing? At 4 months, Wrigley has discovered the abundance of treats above his head. Training my family not to leave food out is impossible, although I am determined to try. I suddenly value the single life.A firm (as in loud, screaming) "NO" when caught in the act does not faze him. This morning, after our walk, I wiped his muddy paw prints off the counter. He may think he is clever, but he left a trail of evidence behind. He was attempting to reach some defrosting chicken left there by my husband who has already witnessed his chicken thievery, but apparently thought he'd ignore it this time At lunch time, I listened to my 17 year old say, "Mom, Wrigley is eating a plastic bag." As he stood there and watched. I grabbed it out of his mouth. The sandwich roll was gone. I rescued the wrapper. Just before dinner, I managed to salvage the wedge of Brie he had scarfed up. I unwrapped it so no one would see the teeth marks in the wrapper. It was enjoyed by all, except Wrigley and Halley. I use postive training methods, but goD forgive me, when he went for my glass of Chardonnay tonight, I resorted to spraying him in the face with a spray bottle full of water. He loved it! Any advice would be appreciated. His breeder warned me, and if she is laughing at me... Sigh, Janice Parky, Halley and Wrigley Cape Cod, MA
Re: Counter surfing
Cat food goes on top of the fridge, and that solves that problem. Now cat litter, that's another story... Susan (and Djinn and Riley) > The biggest problem I've had is my young girl who likes to eat cat food. > I keep the cat food on the kitchen table away from the edge so the cat > can hop up there to eat when he wants.I found her > one day standing all 85 pounds of her and all 4 feet on the table helping > herself! > Susan Ablon > Gweebarra BMD > Balch Springs, Tx > http://www.pageweb.com/gwebara
RE: Counter surfing
we have also used an audible noise. a whistle worked wonders here. andrea -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Nancy Melone Sent: Wednesday, August 06, 2003 2:04 PM To: Janice Parky; Berner List Subject: RE: Counter surfing Try an old fashioned water pistol (not the newer high powered ones). We used a spray bottle at first and found, as you did, that it was useless (plus I wasn't fast enough to time it correctly). We tried the water pistol along with a deep vocalized sound that I use for "stop doing what you are doing." I could aim it better, so my timing improved and it was considerably more effective -- go figure. In the end though, I have found that all of us had to change our ways -- including keeping mindful of where we put food!! Nancy Melone -Original Message- From: Janice Parky [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, August 05, 2003 7:58 PM To: Berner List Subject: Counter surfing Does anyone have any creative ways to discourage counter surfing? At 4 months, Wrigley has discovered the abundance of treats above his head. Training my family not to leave food out is impossible, although I am determined to try. I suddenly value the single life.A firm (as in loud, screaming) "NO" when caught in the act does not faze him. This morning, after our walk, I wiped his muddy paw prints off the counter. He may think he is clever, but he left a trail of evidence behind. He was attempting to reach some defrosting chicken left there by my husband who has already witnessed his chicken thievery, but apparently thought he'd ignore it this time At lunch time, I listened to my 17 year old say, "Mom, Wrigley is eating a plastic bag." As he stood there and watched. I grabbed it out of his mouth. The sandwich roll was gone. I rescued the wrapper. Just before dinner, I managed to salvage the wedge of Brie he had scarfed up. I unwrapped it so no one would see the teeth marks in the wrapper. It was enjoyed by all, except Wrigley and Halley. I use postive training methods, but goD forgive me, when he went for my glass of Chardonnay tonight, I resorted to spraying him in the face with a spray bottle full of water. He loved it! Any advice would be appreciated. His breeder warned me, and if she is laughing at me... Sigh, Janice Parky, Halley and Wrigley Cape Cod, MA
Re: Counter surfing
Janice, The way we have discouraged this is through a method we were encouraged to use by our obedeince trainer. If you can catch him in the act, pound on the counter and make much noise and yell as though the counter is bad, not the dog. The thought is to make the dog afraid of the counter. It worked with our guys, but this was before they had discovered the marvelous world of food that exists up there. They were just looking - hadn't managed to snag anything yet. Now they're both too lazy to jump up anyway, but when they were younger, they avoided the counters. Not sure it will work with yours since he's already been rewarded (abundantly) for his behavior, but worth a try... Just remember to focus your attack on the counter, not on him. Andie Reid Tugboat (*yawn*) and Steamboat (there's FOOD up there???)
