Stop Counter Surfing
Stop Counter Surfing
Don’t let your dog steal the turkey!
Thanksgiving is just around the corner! 🦃
With food preparation and kiddos running around, help your dog this holiday resist the urge of making more stress.
Stealing food is a self-rewarding behavior for dogs. It results in instantly gratifying behaviors like eating something yummy, chewing, or attention.
How do we stop it!?
1. Keep food out of reach, push it away from the edge of the counter.
2. Feed your dog from its dinner bowl. Never throw scraps from your dinner plate or while preparing dinner (this will start begging.)
3. Plan a few physical and mental stimulations. Walk in the morning before your cooking. Lick mat for taste stimulation (freeze its content for longer enjoyment.)
4. Never yell or hit your dog.
5. Never chase them. It becomes a fun game 🐕 🏃🏻♀️ for the dogs
6. Reward desirable behavior. Ie while preparing food, your dog sits calmly on its bed. Reward with a DOG treat. This is a great obedience training exercise because it smells oh so good!
Nasty habits like stealing food or socks don’t go away in one session. This will take time.
Some owners are fine with management alone, while others are committed to modifying the behavior in the hopes of reinstating the dog’s kitchen privileges.
If this is your case, there may be other behaviors layering into this one. Brianna takes a holistic approach at training with a science based method in positive reinforcement methods. Get your application today.