Counter Surfing

[CathyRankin]

I have a 6-week-old yellow lab.  How do I get him to stop counter surfing.  Obviously, he's getting big and tall enough to grab things off the counters.  How do I train him not to do this?  HELP.

[CathyRankin]

I meant 6-month-old, not 6-week-old.  Sorry!

 

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Hi Cathy,

Welcome to the forums!

Labs have a reputation for being always hungry! I think an interesting study came out on this not too long ago, let me dig for it. Just a moment.....

OK, I am back, the study was published on Cell Metabolism  and the finding was that there appears to be a gene alteration in Labrador retrievers along with their flat coated retriever relatives, and this may be the cause for these dogs' insatiable appetites and predisposition to beg and search for food and any associated canine obesity.

 Interestingly, the study found that 23 percent of Labs in the study carried at least one copy of a variation of a gene called POMC (pro-opiomelanocortin). This means that statistically, about 1 in 4 Labradors has this variation.

What effect does this variant of the POMC gene have on these dogs? Affected Labradors basically seem to be lacking an "off switch" when it comes to feeling hungry. It's as if they never get to feel fully satiated.

While not all the affected Labs were reported to be obese, most of them showed signs of being more likely to search and beg for food, according to surveys sent out to the owners. And the more copies of the gene variants these dog had, the fatter and more food-motivated they were.

It was estimated that for each copy of the gene carried, the dog was 2 kilograms heavier. Because some humans also have been reported to show a variation of the POMC  gene just as the dogs in the study, further research like this may come handy for human health too!

In any case, regardless of genes, and how hungry/not hungry a dog may be, to stop a dog from surfing the counters, you'll need a mix of management and training. Here are a few tips:

-Avoid getting upset or frustrated. It is easy to get upset, chase the dog around and one may be tempted to pry a dog's mouth open to release the stolen food. Refrain from doing that as much as possible. This only teaches your dog to fear you and associate you with the loss of a high-value resource. It also encourages sneaky behaviors such as eating things he shouldn't have out of your sight. With time, your dog may no longer trust you around food (or any other high-value items) so he may start running away, gulping things down very fast (possibly without even chewing which may predispose to blockages) hiding, or at some point even engaging in defensive, resource-guarding behaviors culminating in aggression. 

I explain why it's so important in puppies to not create conflict over foods and other valuable resources here:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/the-importance-of-preventing-resource-guarding-in-puppies/

-Skip booby traps. The old advice of putting a string of cans on the edge of the counter in hopes of the dog making them fall and startling, is the best recipe for creating noise-phobias in dogs.  

Management-wise:

-Keep the counter clear of food. This means no more food left near the edge (that's just like dangling candy in front of a child), just push it out of the way, or even better, keep no food at all there so that your dog's almighty nose won't feel tempted.

-Erect a baby gate. It is not easy to keep counters always free of food. Many people start off with a strong intent, and then, as time goes by, they start slacking off and that is when opportunities arise. By erecting a baby gate, Rover doesn't get to visit the kitchen with all its wafting smells and temptations: out of sight, out of mind!

-Train your dog the leave it and drop it cue. Here are the guides: 

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/take-leave-it/

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/drop-it/

Here are some video demos just to have an idea of the mechanics execution:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwbbAeEZPaU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUnItd7OEmw

This training can prove to be even life-saving if your dog is about to grab or has already grabbed a potentially toxic food or something he may chew on and risk an intestinal blockage.  Make sure to practice this even when you are at a distance from tempting items and always reinforce by giving your dog something much higher in value (from your dog's perspective, not yours!) than the item left/dropped.

Basically, just as you are training to leave it with things on the floor, you'll need to practice as well with items on the counter. 

-Train an alternate behavior. We often tell dogs what not to do and invest very little time in telling them what to do. Since, most likely, your dog counter surfs when you are busy preparing your meals, why not teach your dog to lie on a mat and turn that into his favorite surface to receive goodies? This way, your dog will eagerly go there when you're cooking and you have established a desirable routine. Praise and reward your dog with treats (or safe people foods) given at various intervals so that your dog holds his stay there (or if you want more time, give your dog  a frozen Kong filled with his kibble and a little bit of water.

Here is a guide on mat training:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/video-archive/train-dog-go-to-mat/

With no more food left around the counter when you are not around, a fluent response to the "leave it" and "drop it cues done in carefully structured settings," and food being fed contingent upon your dog lying on the mat, with time, you should see a reduction in your dog's counter surfing behaviors. 

Happy training!