Guest mapp51 Posted September 6, 2011 Share Posted September 6, 2011 Hi, I am new to the site- but am very glad that I found it. Louie has been with us for 2 years now - and he is a little over 3 years old. He has been doing fine out in the house - a little counter surfing which we learned not to leave anything out. In the past 2 weeks he has started to scratch at one of our cabinet doors - opened it and took all the food out - we removed all the food from the cabinet - washed the drawers with vinegar and water - and he is still tryig to get into it. Today he started on the upper cabinet - there is food in there but it is in containers (and very high to reach). I read some of the posts and I did try to muzzle him today. He will usually do this when I am on the phone or we are out and about. We do have some things going on in the household - my husband is scheduled for major surgery this week - so tensions and visitors have been high - we are trying to appear as stress free as we can. We purchased a LARGE kong and fill it with peanut butter - but he finishes that in a half hour. Taking him for walks doesn't matter - in a few hours he is doing the same thing. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thank you, Mary Alice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walliered Posted September 7, 2011 Share Posted September 7, 2011 If he is putting his feet on the kitchen counters to get to cabinets I would put a small table cloth on the counter and stack empty soda or beer cans on the cloth..hopefully he will pull them over on to him and the floor and that will make a lot of noise and that will stop him from counter surfing...It won't hurt him at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaryJane Posted September 7, 2011 Share Posted September 7, 2011 You might want to make sure the collar he is wearing cannot get caught by the cabinet hardware - if it can, you might want to take off his collars when you go out. On second thought, the muzzle could also get caught on a cabinet handle ... What about baby gating him out of the kitchen? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sobesmom Posted September 7, 2011 Share Posted September 7, 2011 (edited) OH, you have a SMART dog. Not necessarily a good thing. He's figured out that there's food in there, and he's figured out how to get to it - and he's rewarded himself by getting the food. This is a slippery slope. You're going to have to do one of two things - either train him to NOT get into the cupboards, which is going to be hard now - you'll have to be vigilant and say "NO" or squirt him with a water bottle or something until you can train him out of it...... or - you're going to have to lock up the cupboards or move the food. I've found that once a dog has rewarded himself by getting food out of a cupboard - I personally can't train it out of him. I'm just not home enough to be that vigilant. Same story with a trash can. So - my deal is - no food in accessible cupboards, and no trash can left in the house. Baby-locks are our friends. When/If your smart dog moves up to opening the refrigerator, and microwave - PM me. Been there, too. I truly hope you don't have to deal with that. Edited September 7, 2011 by sobesmom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kudzu Posted September 7, 2011 Share Posted September 7, 2011 Besides taking precautions to keep him from being rewarded for this new behavior, you need to think of what you want him to do instead. It is much easier for a dog to learn to do something else that is consistently rewarding than it is for him to learn to stop doing a current behavior that is sometimes rewarding. Such as reward him for standing just outside the kitchen. If that idea seems to vague for him try putting an area rug where you would prefer he be instead of in the kitchen & reward him anytime he is on it. Remember the reward needs to be as good or better than whatever he might get from the cabinet he's scratching. Bear in mind that it takes hundreds of repetitions of the new behavior before it will really stick. Then you make it intermittently rewarding on a variable schedule, a bit like playing a slot machine. That keeps him doing the newer, better behavior. Also remember it takes consistency & a long time before the old, bad behavior will disappear. He might relapse a few times but hold steady. The behavior will go away as long as it is no longer rewarding & he has learned something better to do that does sometimes pay off. If he is putting his feet on the kitchen counters to get to cabinets I would put a small table cloth on the counter and stack empty soda or beer cans on the cloth..hopefully he will pull them over on to him and the floor and that will make a lot of noise and that will stop him from counter surfing...It won't hurt him at all. There is a precaution I want to add. If you have a dog who is cautious, wary, easily frightened by moving or noisy things then the above approach may not be the best idea for that dog. Yes, it will likely work to stop or reduce counter surfing but it could have fall out in other areas. Just something to think about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeofNE Posted September 7, 2011 Share Posted September 7, 2011 Any chance there is a mouse in the house? Quote Susan, Hamish, Mister Bigglesworth and Nikita Stanislav. Missing Ming, George, and Buck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Greyt_dog_lover Posted September 7, 2011 Share Posted September 7, 2011 Any chance there is a mouse in the house? Good thought! I would agree, maybe there is something moving around inside that is catching his attention... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeofNE Posted September 7, 2011 Share Posted September 7, 2011 Any chance there is a mouse in the house? Good thought! I would agree, maybe there is something moving around inside that is catching his attention... Years ago, our English Setter, Sam, started scratching and scratching at our screened porch floor. My father had a fit trying to stop him. Turns out we had termites! Good old Sam heard (smelled?) them way before we did! Quote Susan, Hamish, Mister Bigglesworth and Nikita Stanislav. Missing Ming, George, and Buck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest HHHounds Posted September 8, 2011 Share Posted September 8, 2011 wow - he is a smart hound! Any thoughts on kenneling him when he can't be watched? We have always kenneled ours when we are out... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.