It is fairly widespread to catch your canine snatching meals off the kitchen counter. You might flip your again for only a second to seek out your meals has been taken by your canine or your canine has jumped up on the counter.
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What Is Counter Browsing?
Counter browsing is a generally used phrase for when your canine jumps up on a desk or counter to assist itself to no matter goodies they may discover up there, basically browsing your kitchen counter for snacks.
It may be irritating when your meals is not protected from sneaky pooches, even whenever you depart it up excessive. Fortuitously, there are some issues you are able to do to place an finish to this annoying behavior.
Preserve Counters Clear
Step one to placing an finish to counter browsing includes coaching for you reasonably than on your canine. It is essential that your canine by no means will get rewarded for leaping up on the counter. Due to this fact, until you’re proper there to oversee what’s going on, the kitchen counter and desk needs to be stored utterly clear. In case your canine jumps up and manages to snag even the smallest nibble of one thing, the canine is getting rewarded for the dangerous habits by getting the meals. This implies your canine is extra more likely to repeat the dangerous habits, because it obtained what it needed.
Some canines discover issues apart from meals rewarding. Your pooch could also be virtually as excited to steal a pot holder or sponge off your counter as a substitute of meals. Preserve this in thoughts when you’re clearing off your counters: They need to be as empty as potential.
Prepare Your Canine to Preserve 4 Paws on the Ground
You may train your canine that having all 4 paws on the ground is rewarding. As soon as you’re within the behavior of maintaining your counters clear, your canine may have much less and fewer purpose to leap up. Now it is time to train your canine that it’s extra rewarding to remain on the ground than it’s to leap up on the counter.
Begin to reward your canine’s good habits. While you’re working within the kitchen, any time your canine has all 4 paws on the ground, throw the canine a deal with. Quickly they’ll notice that they solely obtain a deal with when they’re on the ground and that they by no means get rewarded by leaping up on the counter.
You can too train your canine a spot command that may ship it to a mat or a mattress within the kitchen. Spend a number of coaching periods engaged on the “place” command. As soon as your canine is constantly going to their mat or mattress and staying there, you possibly can ship them to this place when you’re making ready meals within the kitchen. Even after your canine has discovered to remain on the mat or mattress for a reasonably lengthy time frame, preserve throwing treats now and again. It is essential that your canine is recurrently reminded that it is extra rewarding to maintain all 4 ft on the ground or keep put than it’s to leap up on the counter.
Prepare Your Canine to Depart It
Regardless of your finest intentions, somebody within the household is certain to depart meals unattended on the counter or desk. In the event you catch your canine within the act of making an attempt to grab one thing off the desk, it helps in case your canine is aware of the “depart it” command. This command tells your canine to depart the meals on the desk alone. If the canine responds to the “depart it” command, wait till it has all 4 ft on the ground, ask the pup to sit down, after which give it a deal with. Once more, this simply reinforces that it’s extra rewarding on your canine to maintain all 4 paws on the ground than it’s to leap as much as counter surf.
Issues and Proofing Conduct
In case your canine is just not responding properly to the above methods, chances are you’ll want to search assist from a canine coach or behaviorist. An expert may help you determine the place the communication is breaking down between you and your canine.
Within the meantime, keep away from some widespread errors. Preserve these counters clear to keep away from temptation. Get all friends and members of the family on the identical web page so everybody reacts the identical manner throughout coaching. As well as, it’s best to in all probability preserve your canine confined when you’re gone so there are not any mishaps. Be affected person and keep constant.