Gamo Is A Countersurfer- Suggestions?

[AEB]

Gamo is proving to be a counter surfer. He puts his front paws on the counter and climbs to reach as far as possible with his back feet on the ground. I don't think he's gotten anything yet as we haven't given an opportunity, though I do think that just now he licked something in the sink. He doesn't listen when you order him down unless you are right there. Any suggestions to help nip this behavior in the bud?

[greytpups]

No suggestions, but I can just imagine those long galgo legs stretching way up on the counter

[BootsyCollins]

blockade the kitchen. I have a counter surfer. They never stop. Ever. Ever. Ever.

[a_daerr]

blockade the kitchen. I have a counter surfer. They never stop. Ever. Ever. Ever.

 

This. I've tried everything, including a Scat Mat, cans with pennies, and a squirt bottle. As soon as they get one good reward for surfing, it's very hard to get them to stop (especially the fearless dogs who aren't deterred by noise). Unless you have mad housekeeping skills and can keep that area clean and dog-proofed 24-7 (I don't), save yourself the headache and gate that room off.

Edited March 29, 2013 by a_daerr

[Guest AngelPup]

Oh dear. My kitchen is NEVER clean for any length of time (two teenage daughters who are always cooking something) and I have an open kitchen/livingroom area. Hopefully our future greyhound won't be a counter surfer (or at least trainable), or we're doomed.

[MaryJane]

Remove everything from the counters - once there is nothing there, there is no reason to surf. In addition, you can take the cans with pennies but, once they learn that it doesn't hurt, they will be back.

 

My Larry was an awesome counter-surfer when I first got him. He was bad when I left him in the house but, even when I was there - some of his tricks -- a cake disappeared within a few minutes of being taken out of the oven and a freshly baked loaf of bread was gone within moments.

 

The only thing that worked was to remove EVERYTHING from the counters and to keep them clean of any food except when I was there doing prep. It took a few months (yes ... a few months), but Larry stopped his countersurfing and now I can have anything on the counters and he will leave it alone.

[galgomum]

Yes, the only way is to keep this from happening is making sure the behavior never gets rewarded.

Keep counters clean from anything edible.

 

[Guest Wasserbuffel]

My grey counter surfed at first. I did the penny can trick. She pulled it down exactly twice and hasn't touched anything on the counter since then. As a matter of fact, just yesterday there was a beef roast left on the counter for nearly an hour while the dog was loose, alone, in the house; it went untouched.

 

It can work.

My grey counter surfed at first. I did the penny can trick. She pulled it down exactly twice and hasn't touched anything on the counter since then. As a matter of fact, just yesterday there was a beef roast left on the counter for nearly an hour while the dog was loose, alone, in the house; it went untouched.

 

It can work.

[TheFullHouse]

Dammit Arrow says it doesn't matter what you do, we counter surfers will always be counter surfers! Seriously, I've tried everything in the book and nothing has worked with him. The only thing that works is to keep any food off of the counter, oh and watch it if you have a garbage disposal. My son put some food in ours and forgot to turn it on and I found Arrow's needle nose in the garbage disposal trying to get the food out.

[Guest DeniseL]

No suggestions...we are working with Izzy on this...just trying to keep the counters empty. Izzy somehow got a pack of defrosting chicken out of our deep sink! Which in turn caused a battle with the other hounds and a round of every two hour big D for a week. Good times. Wait till he starts opening your cabinets, like Izzy can do gotta love them!

 

As Petra once wrote to me when Izzy came home, 'all Galgo's are counter surfers, its called survival' LOL hehehehehe

[Guest grey_dreams]

Just wanted to speak up here Neither of my galgo boys ever countersurfed. And most of the galgos my good friends have (including fosters) didn't countersurf. Just wanted to chime in here in case others reading this get the idea that all galgos are countersurfers. But Petra is right, the only way to stop it is to keep your counters, sink, top of refrigerator, and every other kitchen surface meticulously clear of any foodstuffs whatsoever

[robinw]

Iker was a counter surfer. I broke him of it by not leaving anything out that would interest him.

[AEB]

Well, there's no real tempting food. A melon, a couple of sweet potatoes and squash in a basket and tomatoes. Of course there is a coffee pot and kitchen aid mixer reynolds wrap. The smells were probably coming from dishes in the sink as the dishes had not yet been done at that moment. Kevin was a bit of a counter surfer. He used his nose though- he hasn't realized he could get up there. Eventually when he put on weight and never missed a meal he relaxed. He used to be right on top of you whenever you were in the kitchen and now he just lays down and waits. So I hope Gamo will too. He is only in my face about a third of the time now. He will now sit and just watch. Big improvement from Monday night.

[robinw]

If Laura hasn't said that her Galgos won't counter surfers, I would have thought that they all are I think sometimes what we think is tempting to a dog might be differ than hat the actual dog thinks is temping. Iker was more interesting in stealing paper than he was in some kinds of food.

[MaryJane]

Last I heard, melons, sweet potatoes, squash, and tomatoes are all food :-)

 

The food does not have to tempting - it just has to qualify as edible ...

[robinw]

Last I heard, melons, sweet potatoes, squash, and tomatoes are all food :-)

 

The food does not have to tempting - it just has to qualify as edible ...

Doesn't even have to be edible

[a_daerr]

Well, there's no real tempting food. A melon, a couple of sweet potatoes and squash in a basket and tomatoes.

 

Truman will steal anything off the counter, even if it's something he doesn't necessarily want. He's stolen banana peels, empty tupperware, plastic Ramen noodle wrappers. For the hardcore counter surfers, I think it becomes less about the reward and more about the chance that the thing they steal "might" be a reward. It's like a game.

[Guest grey_dreams]

Petra is right, the only way to stop it is to keep your counters, sink, top of refrigerator, and every other kitchen surface meticulously clear of any foodstuffs whatsoever

 

And include non-foodstuffs courtesy of Iker. In other words, you really have to empty the counters of everything. Even "bread stored in a breadbox" or "coffee stored in a bell jar". Everything.

[Guest DeniseL]

Just wanted to speak up here Neither of my galgo boys ever countersurfed. And most of the galgos my good friends have (including fosters) didn't countersurf. Just wanted to chime in here in case others reading this get the idea that all galgos are countersurfers.

 

 

 

If Laura hasn't said that her Galgos won't counter surfers, I would have thought that they all are I think sometimes what we think is tempting to a dog might be differ than hat the actual dog thinks is temping. Iker was more interesting in stealing paper than he was in some kinds of food.

 

Sorry, guys, hope I didn't give that impression! I guess Izzy is just so much more of a "problem solver" and seems so much more resourceful than my greys. But then, both Miami and Thyme are very laid back and not too interested in doing anything other than being waited on hand and foot . Izzy tends to take things into her own hands. Which makes sense considering the different backgrounds. I think I have her countersurfing under control, I try to keep the counters free of food and when I catch her sneaking in there and jumping up, I find a quick "atatatat" distracts her and gets her down. It has gotten so much better, but the layout of my house is such that I can constantly watch her when she goes towards the kitchen. That being said, I did let down my guard the other day and catch her with her head in the Greek yogurt container I had out

 

In reality, Izzy has been the lowest maintenance and quickest adjustment periods of all three of my dogs. She made her self at home on the first day. I couldn't believe how quickly she acclimated. She has just been a dream since day one.

[robinw]

Well, he still tries to steal the cat's food. I mostly just make fun of him because he is so sneaky and he has such a long, skinny butt.

[Guest grey_dreams]

Well, he still tries to steal the cat's food. I mostly just make fun of him because he is so sneaky and he has such a long, skinny butt.

 

Oh, but cat food is too irresistible My guys would never go for the cat food while I am at home, even if I'm in a different part of the house, but they wouldn't hesitate for a second if I wasn't home. I always have to make sure the cat is finished eating and then clear away her plate/bowl before leaving the house