# Mr Counter Surfer



## VbarK Vizslas (Jan 31, 2012)

Odin is a horrible counter surfer. Turn your back and he is up taking stuff off the counter. I have cleared most of them but the phone has to stay! Don't know how many more trips to the pillow the phone will survive. When I catch him I give him a squirt with the water bottle and say no down. Any suggestions on breaking this horrible habit??? I really don't want to have to take him to the bathroom with me ;D


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## Ozkar (Jul 4, 2011)

First of all, I am unsure how to get mine to NOT come to the bathroom with me. When Ozkar is over and I have all three, it's pretty funny, all three of them trying to squeeze into my ensuite with me  They all want to have a look when i am finished too........yuk! :-[

As to the counter surfing, I have one which does and I am having trouble breaking it too, but two who have responded to the no's. So I will just keep persisting with the no and down whenever my bench surfer emerges. Keep at it, consistency and repetition is what I always say.


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## Linescreamer (Sep 28, 2010)

There are many posts on this. I suggest a search and u will find many solutions.


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## Ozkar (Jul 4, 2011)

I forgot to mention.........I left a treat ball and a toy on the Island bench in the kitchen yesterday while I was at work and when I came home, they had not touched either one!! So, maybe it's finally sinking in. Of course, I gave them the ball and the toy as a reward for being so goddam good!!!


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## hotmischief (Mar 11, 2012)

Having Great danes this is a very common problem as you can imagine - didn't think I would have this problem with my Vizsla.

How we break this problem with Danes is 1) never leave food out on the counter as then you are asking for trouble. However, if he is taking other things try putting something hot like mustard on some bread and leaving that out on the counter for him to surf. I have to say one of my danes just loved the mustard, which caused a few laughs from our hiding place. So something hot - you could even put some on your phone.

It is when he swallows your cell phone from the counter and you can hear it ringing from inside the dog - you know you have a real problem!!

Good Luck


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## SerCopper (Nov 1, 2011)

I have tried everything to break this habit...

Finally I purchased an e-collar and within 2 days no more counter surfing.


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## Moose (Oct 2, 2010)

leave a sandwich, with hot sauce on it, within reach ? that'd be a good lesson learned ;-) [obviously not a large amount!]


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## luv2laugh (Oct 6, 2011)

Timeouts stopped "sofa/low furniture surfing" when he was a baby. I tried reinforcing him through clicker training to get him to play with toys on the ground instead of the sofa, but he got confused.

Timeouts worked within half a day (Oso doesn't want to miss anything). It's a pretty big deterrent for him. He was doing it quite a bit, so it worked quickly. 

For timeout we put him in the crate, but I understand why you may not want to do that. At my mom's house we just put him in the guest room (pretty empty) for a minute or two (of no whining) and at my grandmas, I just leash him to a closed door for a minute or two. 

I have a "no" noise, but for that I pretended like he was asking to go in the crate. Every time he stretched his neck across the sofa, I said, "oooh, crate?" in a happy tone and then put him in the crate saying, "crate."


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## Linescreamer (Sep 28, 2010)

Moose said:


> leave a sandwich, with hot sauce on it, within reach ? that'd be a good lesson learned ;-) [obviously not a large amount!]


 ;D


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## R E McCraith (Nov 24, 2011)

Pike like me loves Frank's hot sauce - PIKE does not counter surf - but something with hot sauce on it - might break a good habit - LOL


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