Dog Steals Food? Try THIS Method to Fix COUNTER SURFING

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

If you've enjoyed this video please like, comment & share 🙂 It really helps! 🙋‍♀️COMPLETE DOG TRAINING SOLUTIONS: •❓🤨 STRUGGLING WITH LEASH TRAINING? 👇 ✅ 6 Weeks to Dream Walks: Step-By-Step Leash Training Program: e37240-61.myshopify.com/products/6-weeks-to-dream-walks-step-by-step-leash-training-program •❓🐿️ STRUGGLING WITH YOUR DOG CHASING ANIMALS (indoors or outdoors)?👇 ✅ Dog Prey Drive: How to STOP Animal Chasing: e37240-61.myshopify.com/products/dog-prey-drive-how-to-stop-animal-chasing-with-force-free-methods ►👀 WATCH NEXT: ✔️ What is Management & How to Use It: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iXKvnH-lj919sJo ✔️ How Dogs Learn: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d2e8iomfpqp5mNk ✔️ How to Train "Leave It": kzbin.info/www/bejne/q57XYZ18brJ7m6s ✔️ How to Train Your Dog to "sit": kzbin.info/www/bejne/nnXCYoSAmcqbl80 ✔️ What is a Marker Word? kzbin.info/www/bejne/f2WaZ6Ztjqapndk ✔️ How to Choose High Value Treat: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iYmliJmPasuUqLM ► 🗣️ STAY CONNECTED: • Instagram (my most active platform): instagram.com/happyhounds_dogtraining/ • Facebook: facebook.com/HappyHoundsDogTraining.ca • Blog: happyhoundsdogtraining.ca/blog/ • Email list: view.flodesk.com/pages/61898eeb3a0e5bcf6f5411ec ►❤️ FAVOURITE DOG GEAR: ➡️ *ALL* my favourite dog items & discount codes: happyhoundsdogtraining.ca/shop 🧸 Amazing faux & real fur toys: www.tug-e-nuff.co.uk/?ref=happyhoundsdogtraining 🐕‍🦺 My favourite harness & dog gear: rockymountaindog.ca/?ref=ka8S8Xue 🦴 My favourite treat bag: amzn.to/3UUGF60 🦮 Beautiful custom biothane leashes (I use the hands-free version): www.hightailhikes.com?aff=212 Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you! Thank you for supporting my channel so I can continue to provide you with free content.

[@robinrutherfordcost4748]

Would love to see a video of how to get a puppy or blank slate dog to be neutral in all situations, especially other dogs. Would be especially helpful for my classes/students. Love the reactivity videos with Louie and the up down game, just would like more, since so many people just have no clue what to do or how to do it - especially when it's in the moment. TY

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

I have a video for exactly that scheduled to come out May 30th!

[@Strat782]

Great Vid, I've got a black male shepherd also. Louie, but I don't give him treats for training. So far it's been working quite well. He opens the doors for me,wears sunglasses with a hat on, gets drinks out of the fridge for me. He's very quick at learning and very eager. I'm training him like my other Shepherd I had stolen. His name was Saint he was the first generation in born in the states. The father was a German police dog and the mama was a 5 time blue ribbon champ from Czechoslovakia. He was a great dog also, with him I had plenty of rabbit meat in the freezer. I miss him dearly.

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

Glad you enjoyed the video, and so sorry about your loss ♥ It's so hard to lose a dog. I wish they lived longer! 😢

[@debbieh1413]

I like this video on counter surfing. I try not to leave things in reach, but my dogs have reached into the sink to lick off dishes. I rinse well now & put on counter (no dishwasher, guess they thought their job). I wanted to update you on Echo's reactivity training. We had his 3rd nail trim appt today at a grooming shop in a pet store. He saw a Husky on way in, a foxhound mix near grooming salon, a Frenchie at check out, plus a hyper Lab mix in parking lot. He didn't lunge or bark, he wldn't take treats each time, but no behavior that use to embarrass me. We go on vacation on Tuesday with my dogs & I feel thanks to yr video we have tools that are helping. Thanks again.

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

That’s amazing!! Echo you’re a rockstar 👏 I’m so glad my videos have helped and I really appreciate you taking the time to let me know 😊

[@brandywickens3350]

Also I appreciate Kiki’s love for butter LOL

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

Same hahaha. The gal has good taste in food thievery 😂

[@kathosim501]

My dog loves it too… but also loves lettuce

[@SuziQ.]

Mine won’t take any medicine unless it’s hidden/wrapped in butter. We went from forcing pills and struggling with her to take them, to her waiting for her butter pills and eagerly taking them.

[@jackiecrowe-talma2169]

Great videos, simple directions. I dont feel l Iike I need to take notes or go back repeatedly to watch episodes

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

Thanks! ☺️ I try to present things as stepwise as I can for clarity 😁

[@laurenwozniacki3359]

awesome, we struggle with scavenging on walks. Love to see videos about that! Lots of work to still do but wouldn't it be great!

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

Such a worthwhile thing to train because dogs can get into some pretty dangerous or gross items 😂 I actually do have a tutorial for scavenging on walks too! You can watch it here: Train "Leave It" So That Dog Stops Eating Gross Things on Walks kzbin.info/www/bejne/g2K4p5eCaZJmeJo

[@russemerson1358]

Thank you for these videos. They are just wonderful! You manage to break down each “trick” into small parts my dog and I both can understand. You also manage to know exactly what we need to work on next.

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

You're welcome! I'm so glad they help 😃

[@phyllisweaver98]

I really like you training methods

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

Thank you so much!

[@nashvillainz]

My second dog is not a counter surfer but he is definitely a thief! I walked out of the bathroom to find him holding a whole raw ribeye in his mouth. Gonna follow this plan for him. ❤❤🎉

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

😂😂 Ribeye is QUITE the prize haha! Did you get it back or did he eat it?

[@davidhees6389]

The dog is a good listener

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

Thanks!

[@ginahelen2]

My Bella is like Kiki but times that by a 100 😆She jumps on tables, will walk along counters, when she was a pup she managed to get the peanut butter jar out the cupboard. Her prey drive and food drive are immense. We are currently on the leave it Part 2. She's a GSD cross Staffy.

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

Oh WOW!! Actually going on the counters to grab things out of cupboards is next level 😂

[@swiftyoverfifty]

Perfect! I’ll start this today! My dog knows not to jump but can’t help himself. I’ll see if you have anything on that!

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

Glad you found it helpful! ☺️ If you mean your dog jumps on people, I have 3 videos for that on my channel! I’d suggest starting with this one: How to Stop Dog Jumping On You in 3 EASY Steps kzbin.info/www/bejne/nWezh5enntN2i80

[@adatshhc]

Thanks

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

You’re welcome ☺️

[@deedsh6280]

Just found your channel as I was seeking help with two rescue dogs (one 8, one 13) who arrived as confirmed counter surfers. Have just had them one week, so seeking info and found it here. I've done work with many adult adoptions from rescue, but surprisingly, never counter surfers. So I needed insight...fast. For short run, have gated kitchen off to prevent undesirable action, but quickly will try these techniques. I'll be binge-watching. :)

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

I love that you took older rescues! That's such a great thing to do ❤ Hope my videos help! Let me know if you have questions about any of them 🙂

[@nataliemaclise3022]

This video is awesome. I can't wait to try this training method with my already professional counter surfer. I am so worried about my pup burning his paws. Thanks. Will let you know how it goes.

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

Thank you!! So glad you liked it 🙂 Happy training, hope it helps!

[@SuziQ.]

I only use the back burner, and supervise during cooking. A stove cover helps, too.

[@godogpro1523]

Well done! Great video.

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

Thank you very much!

[@SuziQ.]

😂 Bella knows “leave it,” but she’s a butter biter. I don’t leave food alone on the counter. We have so many issues to work on. She was crate trained until we moved (from 10.5 weeks old to 1 year, 7 months). She’s 3 years old now, and will eat in her crate, but won’t stay in it, and can escape in seconds. I think that’s our biggest issue.

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

Butter seems to be a common favourite 😂 It’s hard when there’s a list of issues you want to address, but definitely worth just focusing on a couple at a time so you don’t get overwhelmed or burned out!

[@russemerson1358]

Any advice for training with two dogs? I either put one in the bedroom or her cage or take one outside to train. Together they distract each other or want to play

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

You’re doing it the way I would suggest 😊 I often work with each dog individually, get them semi proficient, and then start training together. A lot of people think training them together will save time, but I find it slows down progress overall and leads to wayyyy more frustration.

[@brandywickens3350]

Kiki and Forest are kindred counter surfers LOL Forest has upgraded to just grabbing food out of Travis’s hands and the food isn’t at Forest height! It’s ate Travis’s mouth height LOL he literally jumps up to get it. Doesn’t dare with me…

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

Oh nooooo 😂 Tell Travis to work on step 1 of this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/q57XYZ18brJ7m6s

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

I want to film with Forest one of these days!

[@wendybeers3561]

Could you please do a video on how te stop your dog from demanding treats? I train by rewarding desired behavior however I struggle to outface the treats. F.e loose lease walking she does it perfectly but if she thinks she did well and I do not come up with the reward she either sits down until I get the treat or she even starts biting the leash or jumping on me. (She is 3 yrs old now..)

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

That’s a great suggestion! Phasing out a demand behaviour 👍 For your dog: does she do this after getting a treat and wanting another, or is it when you haven’t given one in awhile? And what do you do when she’s demanding one? Thanks!

[@ShellyP1120]

How long would you suggest the training sessions be? 20 minutes? An hour? We have a 1 year old golden and he is an avid counter surfer. He knows "leave it" with his food and treats but when it comes to human food, he doesn't wait long before lunging at the food.

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

20 minutes sounds about right! I pushed Kiki pretty hard because we were only filming for a couple days, but in general for any new skill I like to keep training sessions between 10-30 minutes. This keeps the rewards motivating (since the dog hasn't had too many) and is less frustrating for both parties 🙂

[@ShellyP1120]

@happyhoundsdogtraining thank you! I started this method today and it went very well. We went for about 30 min. I added another step for my pup, by throwing a piece of Lettuce on the floor and asking for a leave it, hoping this will also reinforce that food, even when it falls on the floor, isn't his. He only went for it once but left it alone the rest of the time. I'll keep doing these steps for a while before moving on, but thank you for the video! I've been on the hunt for a video with detailed steps and tips and this was great!

[@samirrafeedie3133]

We have a livestock guardian dog (Central Asian Shepherd). I want to train her to leave rabbits but chase off Coyotes and other preditors that could harm our other animals. She's a working dog not allowed into the house.

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

Good luck with your training ☺️

[@L_yeah]

Unsurprisingly, pizza isn't safe around my dog, but I was shocked when I left a couple dozen vegan zucchini banana muffins cooling on the counter and came back to find nearly half of them gone. She ate as much as she could and hid the rest around the house (in her kennel, between the couch cushions) for later snacking.

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

I love baked goods hahaha, so sounds like a dog after my own heart 😂 Hiding the extra muffins for later snacking is next level though lol

[@lornam4596]

Watching this video because my 8 month old springer licked a falafel I left on a plate for lunch...

[@valorwalker2364]

Awesome video! My dog is an experienced countersurfer as well. We have made progress with spot-training and teaching him to lie down in the kitchen when food is present. My question: Do you think there's any merit to using table food to reward alternative behaviors? (Even like a tiny piece of the food that the dog is begging for, as long as it is not poisonous/harmful to the dog.) This is something that I tried with my dog-- I thought it might be difficult to find a training treat more valuable than the ultimate prize of table food, especially given his long history of self-rewarding. So far, I can leave the room for several seconds without him stealing food...although if it's something toxic to him, I just hide it. ;) Better safe than sorry.

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

Thank you, I'm glad you liked the video! And to answer your question, yes, definitely. In that opening clip where I left Neirah alone with a burger & fries she definitely got a fry when I returned haha. I like starting the training with treats to 1) make sure you're not progressing too quickly and 2) because there WILL be food you won't be sharing, so that needs to be ok too. But once the skill is semi-solid I often encourage using the "human food" as the reward. What better way to reinforce not needing to steal than by sharing freely 🙂

[@kathyweist9236]

Hi I could use a video to help reduce/stop barrier/ leash frustration. I.e. neighbor dog on one side of fence, mine reacting on our side of fence. 🤗

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

That's a great suggestion! It's such a common issue too. I can definitely make a video for it 😀

[@cathysmith4285]

What do you do if he steals the food or doesn't follow a command?

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

I mention it at ~ 8:30, but if they ignore your "leave it" cue quickly cover the item to prevent them from stealing it. However, part of the reason I suggest starting with low value food on the counter & progressively increasing difficulty is because you want this to be as close to error-less learning as possible 🙂 Helps build it as a new default behaviour!

[@dinastavrou7727]

Hi! Did you change the value of the treat offered in difficult steps like butter?

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

Great question! I didn’t for a couple reasons. Mainly, Kiki is allergic to MANY things, so there aren’t many foods she’s actually allowed 😂 I used lamb treats the entire time since that’s one of her safe foods. I also really like to make sure that the dog still makes the “hard choice” for a lesser reward as a test to make sure I’ve done enough practice reps & the skill is solid. When they’re good at it, I definitely do start sharing the food itself when appropriate 😊 For example, when my dog hung out with my burger & fries without taking it, she got a fry when I got back for being such a good girl.

[@theoutdoorminimalist]

Do you have any tips for dogs that scavenge? We live in an area where many hunters dump carcasses, and a few times when I've been biking with my dogs, one of them will come back with an organ or something equally disgusting. He drops it when I ask, but is there a way to get him to stop doing this?

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

Oof, I can see why you want to change that! I bet they've brought back some super gross things. Are they in your line of sight when they scavenge, or no? I've been thinking about filming an advanced "leave it" tutorial (demoed with my dog) because people have asked about getting the cue to work with exciting things the dog finds on walks. The training would be helpful for what you're saying IF your dogs are close enough that you can still see them as you bike.

[@theoutdoorminimalist]

@@happyhoundsdogtraining It is only one dog of the three that does this (luckily). So when we are biking, Leo is hooked to the bike and the other two run behind. So although they generally have good proximity, I can't always see them because they're behind me. If I see him going to get something he responds to the "leave it" cue but if I don't see him then he just grabs it until I notice and tell him to drop it. I would 100% watch the advanced tutorial!!

[@kathosim501]

Oh gosh I’m torn on whether u deal with jumping up or countersurfing first.

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

Haha personally I'd use management to prevent counter surfing while prioritizing the jump training! But focus on whichever one bothers you the most! 🙂

[@haygrif]

👏 👏 👏

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

Thank you!! 🙌