# Jumping on counters & Growling



## MaggieD (Jan 28, 2011)

Hi everyone,
Our 1yr10mo year old male V, Ditka, is obsessed with counter surfing. We keep it as clean as possible but he even sticks his face in the sink to lick water out of any dirty dish he can find.. Any advice on keeping him off? We tried the spray bottle but he is so quick the second we turn around he jumps back up... 

Tonight he jumped up and ate a loaf of bread  and then began growling when I tried to take it away. He is much worse with the growling when my husband tries to take it for obvious reasons as he thinks he is "above" my husband.. The growling is becoming worse, even tempting him with peanut butter wont work when he is really excited about what he has in his mouth... We are very frustrated as we just adopted another dog and the V almost seems to be more outlandish in every way on a regular basis since the new addition, even though they get along great :'( any advice will help on coping with his rebellion! 

Thanks,
Maggie


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## Ozkar (Jul 4, 2011)

I got my Astro boy as a re home at 6.5 months of age, complete with brilliant counter surfing technique. So good was he, that it took me a little while to work out what was happening. But after the 2nd steak went missing while thawing on the bench, I put 2 and 2 together and worked out that Astro is the next Jeremy Irons. Destined to be the world champ bench surfer for year after year......  

You can curb the behaviour, but it's going to take lots of repetition and consistency to get there. If your dog understands NO, then I would continually do that and reward him if he gets down. Over time he will work out it's not OK. 

I reckon it took a good 8 or 9 months working on Astro before he stopped. He now just sits by the bench and gives me the sad eyes........... But no more surfing thankfully. 

If you can work out when he's going to do it, then warn him as he gets near it, it works much better than trying to stop him eating it once it is in his mouth   

But, by the way you put his reaction to you trying to remove the garnered item, I think you may have a problem and some outside help might work for you. Sounds like the dog thinks that not only is your hubby below him, but so are you. My dogs would never growl at me while I tried to remove something from their mouths. Matter of fact, they will drop it instantly if I ask them to leave it. no matter how tasty a iece of meat, chicken or fresh poo it is..........  

So there are two things you need to work on and I think the first is caused by the second. In other words, the counter surfing occurs as pup thinks it's his, not yours.....


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## jcbuch (Oct 15, 2009)

Ozkar said:


> But, by the way you put his reaction to you trying to remove the garnered item, I think you may have a problem and some outside help might work for you. Sounds like the dog thinks that not only is your hubby below him, but so are you. My dogs would never growl at me while I tried to remove something from their mouths. Matter of fact, they will drop it instantly if I ask them to leave it. no matter how tasty a iece of meat, chicken or fresh poo it is..........
> 
> So there are two things you need to work on and I think the first is caused by the second. In other words, the counter surfing occurs as pup thinks it's his, not yours.....


I agree with ozkar,, you have a behavioral problem due to a dominence issue. Your dog thinks it alpha and it needs to be told its place in the pack is below its masters before someone gets hurt. The best way i could suggest is to get the dog working basic obedience commands by both u and your husband. When you feed him have your husband do it since he is lowest in the dogs eyes. Make the dog sit and wait to be told by him that he can go to his food dish to feed. This well show the dog who is in command. A growling dog especially over food will quickly escalate to a biting dog. Good luck


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## MaggieD (Jan 28, 2011)

Thank you for your advice! We have gotten an obedience trainer as well so hopefully thatll help as well as the constant training. Its not easy thats for sure :-\ but hes a great dog so its worth the battle


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## SteelCityDozer (Aug 25, 2011)

Just one more thing. It's also easier to praise the dog for a "good off" when he does walk by the counter not jumping at food.


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## Angie NG (Jun 6, 2012)

We have the same problem with Bella, it is only at meal times and she doesn't growl at us. She acts like she has never been fed. We give her a stern off and if she doesn't do as she is told i put her down myself, not sure if we are doing the right thing but are hoping this is something she grows out of


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## threefsh (Apr 25, 2011)

Cooper is terrible about counter surfing (has been ever since we brought him home). Just recently we've started using a spray bottle filled with water and it's working like a charm.


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## jcbuch (Oct 15, 2009)

threefsh said:


> Cooper is terrible about counter surfing (has been ever since we brought him home). Just recently we've started using a spray bottle filled with water and it's working like a charm.


Ahh yes! the water spray bottle trick forgot bout that one. Most dogs respond very well to this. Eventually they just see it coming and behave, lol

Joe


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## deeco3307 (Jun 13, 2010)

All good advice above, I would just add that the most successful thing we did was teach him the command "out of the kitchen." He can't counter surf if he knows he shouldn't be in there.


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## VbarK Vizslas (Jan 31, 2012)

Odin is a champion counter surfer. He loves my dish rags in the sink-they are great to play tug of war with his mother GRRR. I use a water bottle with vinegar in it. I just pick it up and everyone leaves my area. Kind of funny. But if I am not in the room then all bets are off. But if I catch him with any thing I demand that he gives it up I have had to remove lunch meat from his mouth. He was not to impressed with the procedure. I hope that with consistency he will improve. His mother will still take a loaf of bread if left out-seems to be her weakness. =)


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## hotmischief (Mar 11, 2012)

Boris has been the perfect puppy to train, except for his counter surfing. Having sorted this problem with several Gt Dane puppies I thought it would be easy. Unfortunately this hasn't been the case. Boris is very food driven and is always on the look out for something. A couple of weeks ago he ate and cleaned out a pan of beef strogganoff.

Like Odin he also steals dish rags as well. He knows the words No and Off, but my problem is catching him to beable to discipline him. I have found the best thing for telling him off is spraying a can of compressed air (like Pet Corrector only we buy the ones for computers in Cosco) - he hates this and now adays I only have to pick up the can and he runs. I really would like to nip this habit in the bud, but all the normal ways I have used with the Danes (hot mustard left out on bread) have not worked with this whiley Vizsla.

Keep the ideas flowing, please.


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## Mileysmom (Mar 11, 2012)

Miley loves counter searching and she still does it everyday at 16 months old ???
My method is to tell her sit and give her one of her biscuits. She still staring at us with her saliva coming out of her mouth but no more counter search.
Her favorite things are kitchen towels she steals them frequently and enjoys when we chasing her ;D
On those days when everything fails I just tell her "Miley you go outside" and I open a door for her to the backyard..where she hates being alone even for a few minutes...so finally she understands and reluctantly goes in her bed.
She is just something else.


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