How to stop your dog from eating off the counter/worktops/table

Much nicer way to train dogs not to counter surf
and dosent need you to be around because once practised enough the dog will actually find it rewarding to see food on the counter and not touching it - it becomes its job

What a great tip - copied it into a new thread

(Think we could trial a 'Training tips section' too... will have a think about it.)

That's great We've managed to break counter surfing in the kitchen but if we are eating off trays in the living room and put the empty plate to one side, Cain'll come sniffing around and trying his luck (he lies on his bed while we eat). it's a pain having to always take the plates out straight away if you're trying to watch something on tv. I'm going to try this training method so he learns to leave trays and empty plates alone. Thanks for posting

Mine would look, but wouldnt touch. They havnt been taught not to, but know what they get in their bowl is theirs' and what is on our plate is ours.

I just wanted to say that if a dog has been starved it is almost impossible to train this IME and it`s easier to just not leave food out.

I think I will continue to remember that my dogs think that anything below 6ft is fair game!

phew! one of mine reckons that too.. not just him then

Very true - most of my rescue's were starved ..... sigh..... prevention is sometimes better than cure..... I have a big kitchen and lots of places to put food away..... If the dogs dont swipe the stuff the rescue cats will!

Dunno it's never really been an issue - the habit was set yonks ago that food is not left lying around.... so never really bothered to teach it ..... me lazy....

And of course I live in a hot country so food is generally put away or it would spoil, so probably a combination of the two...........

I just don't leave food lying around as it's not fair to them with their sense of smell being so much better than ours it must make it very hard to resist temptation sometimes!

Mind you Parker wouldn't dare counter-surf the times when I have left food on the counter as Cherry warns him away!

Some dogs just don't seem to bother about food though. I went to visit my best friend once and noticed that Angus, my Cairn terrier, had disappeared. We found him in the kitchen where she had a 15kg bag of dry dog food. He was jumping up to the top of the bag, taking a mouthful of kibble, putting it on the floor, eating it then jumping up again! She was shocked as her dog had never attempted to do this! The one time Angus ran away I found him in the local pet shop hiding behind some large bags of dog biscuits

I have a food thief (bread usually) and counter surfer = Jamie!! I just find it easier to remember to put things away...