Help Please!....How to prevent dog jumping up to steal things from kitchen surfaces?

(Warning Long)

Hi All,
I really need some advice on Bronsons behaviour, the layout of our house means that he has the garden, his room which is a extension off the kitchen, the kitchen and our 'room' but he spends alot of his time in his room and outside as he constantly jumps up the kitchen sides to try to steal things. There is nothing there as we have taken everything away but if people come in who dont know then the stuff left gets chewed, broken or ripped to pieces. I just dont know how to try to calm it down, i know he will jump up but its got to the point where all the gas hob tops and draining boards have to be put away. the other day a friend left a glass in the sink which i didnt know was there which he took and dropped on the floor. It scares me to death but if i him keep out the kitchen like i say hes in his room (with access to garden) but its hard then to interact with him as he has started to be a nightmare in our room too, we have a divide across the doorway so he can still see and interact with us. He used to be fine so i dont really know what has sparked it all off but everything has to be his. He has loads of toys that are rotated to keep interest and gets bones to keep him occupied but my OH works from home so he doesnt lack attention. Im also worried about the increasing aggression when taking things that arent his off him as well as the strain on his joints from the constant jumping up and down.

whats the best way to calm it down? I really dont know the best way at the moment ignoring him is really hard as he doesnt give up, my OH has been putting him in his room when he jumps up which is giving him attention, we also tried putting something horrible on the side but that hasnt worked...I know hes a dog and pup and inquisitive but his stealing and attitude is getting worse..

Any advice greatly appreciated,
Emma

or do i just ride it out!?

Gosh this is a hard one. My boy takes things from the sides too but only if I leave him in the house alone for a while. I have to barracade the side when I go out.

Have you tried setting him up - waiting until he jumps up then luring him away and praising him and rewarding with a treat?

Alternatively have you tried using a hidden water pistol to squirt him behind his ear when he jumps up. He mustn't know it's you though and only associate it with jumping up.

Have you tried distracting him with a game then rewarding when he gets down?

How old is he?

Is he being possessive with things? You could try swapping for a treat to get things from him, but what I did with Loki from a pup was to continually approach him when he had something - whether a toy, a bone, his dinner, anything - and just say hello and stroke him then leave him to it, so that he never associated me with taking his prized possessions from him. Now I can go up to him and take anything - UNLESS he is trying to make a game out of it, in which case he clamps down on the article and refuses to let go. When he is in this mood sometimes he will release for a treat (really important if it is a letter) or a distraction, like a suggestion of a walk. Another, more physical thing I've read about, is to squeeze the top lips against the teeth and they soon let go - but that is if they're not aggressive.


Another thing to do is train him to release - you can do this with toys and treats for exchange, so that when it comes to something real, he is used to handing it over.

There are a couple of things that you can do to discourage him from jumping up on kitchen counters. The best thing is to catch him in the act and give a loud, cross-sounding "AHH", or "OFF". The other way is to set him up so that his jumping is punished, not by you, but by the kitchen itself. Place baking trays on the edge on the bench so that they are protruding slightly over the edge. When Bronson jumps up he should tip the trays which will fall with an almighty clatter. You can put something rattly in empty drink cans and place these on the trays for even more impressive sound effects.

You must teach him that he owns nothing. Everything belongs to you so if you want something that he has you are entitled to it. Train him to give up toys, etc. by playing swaps. Swap one toy for another or for a treat. Always give back the original toy - he needs to understand that giving up a treasure to you does not automatically mean that he has lost it forever.

How old is Bronson? It could just be the horrible hormone-driven teenage period that has caused a change in his behaviour.

Please let us know how things go
SB

[QUOTE=Shadowboxer]
How old is Bronson? It could just be the horrible hormone-driven teenage period that has caused a change in his behaviour.

/QUOTE]


Arghghgh don't talk to me about teenage doggie hormones. I wanted to swing for Loki this morning - I didn't, but I fantacised about it.

Excellent advice, love the baking tray one! Will have to keep that one for the future!

ETA - Meant SB! Although the way Pickles has been behaving today I could've swung for him if he didn't weigh more than a muppet!

Update :
thanks for the advice, sorry i havent been able to rely sooner haven't been on the net really, we are using the noise factor as this is what gets him if you know what i mean (thinks water is a game), the baking tray idea worked a wonder but only for for a while he is really stubborn as i know he should be dont get me wrong but he will not play swapsie if you know what i mean, he drops what he's got but keeps it under his foot, i dont want to make him or breed to sound bad but ill be honest he will use his mouth to tell you off when you do something he doesnt like - well with me anyway. ive done the ouching and ignoring him, Bronson is just over 9 months and very excitable, im thinking he can tell mime im not pack leader although hes good as gold when i walk him on my own and hes great with other dogs...but im going to perserve. Thanks for the all the advice all

Hi Emma,

just my two-penneth If I were you I'd be working on the way he perceives you - i.e. telling you off - before anything else. The breed can be stubborn, but it's more likely he's learned he can control things with you which is what he's doing. He won't play swapsies with you as it's more fun for him not to - he's controlling the situation. Is he better behaved for your OH? Others may disagree, but I'd be working on your pack structure before he gets any older. He might not be aggressive, or a problem dog, but he shouldn't be viewing you as under him in the pack structure. All of them tend to go through naughty steeling things phases - Satch still nicks a tissue if he can - but the difference is if I march up to him he either drops it or I open his mouth and retrieve it. Bronson's pushing his boundaries to see what he can get away with (just as kids do) and so far he's winning.

Becs

Hi Derbyrottie sounds as if Bronson is doing very well in most departments but is getting a little pushy and above himself if he won't let you take things from him ....for nipping you need to keep on doing the ouch and ignoring him don't stop....also you need to assert your authority and demonstrate just who is in charge here, the NILIF programme is good for this as explained here.
http://k9deb.com/nilif.htm
Bronson needs to learn all good things come from you and must be earned .
When he takes things is it possible for you to watch him without him knowing it if you have a room divider? If you could leave something out intentionally and catch him in the act of taking it then while he is taking it throw a tin of stones on the floor or anything that makes a loud noise.... but he should not associate you with the noise so pretend it is nothing to do with you...the noise was caused by his actions