Question:
Gee, Elaine – you wanna come clean my house? 
Sorry, although I believe in problem prevention, I’m not going to become a slave to my dogs – they have to learn acceptable behavior. And, as I tell a lot of my clients, just keeping a dog away isn’t going to teach him how to handle a situation. Can’t housebreak a dog unless you let him live in the house….. etc. I leave all sorts of goodies on my kitchen counters, and leave my dogs free in the house, even when I’m not home. I expect them to leave the stuff alone – and they do. But it takes training and leadership – as living with a dog always does. train – don’t complain Janet Boss Best Friends Dog Obedience "Nice Manners for the Family Pet"
Response:
> Based on the advice of folks here and elsewhere, we decided to set up > a situation for Oscar where we could correct him with a leash and > collar when he jumped on the counter. snip > Michael (& Lisa & Oscar)
Here is another suggestion: Without the leash on the dog, put a tasty treat on the counter and leave the room. Hide out of his site but in site of the counter. When he jumps, shake a can full of pennies real hard and say "no jump’ or something. May work. We are using it to try and keep our 16 month old GSD from jumping on people, although it is slow to show success! good luck diane
Response:
(Lobo) writes: >As soon as the leash is off, and we’re out of the room, he’ll go up >there for just about anything.
A very simple solution: A short lead (not touching ground) is to stay on the dog ALL THE TIME, not some of the time, most of the time or usually—ALL THE TIME. Remove lead when you are gone. Aside from that he does need supervision until he is older and better trained. Bob Maida Dog Training/Problem Counseling Manassas,Va
Response:
Quote: But, he seems to know that he’s not supposed to, and so won’t do it when we’re right there with him. Duh. You have to be smarter than the dog. Not a flame — a comment. Give Oscar some credit. He knows perfectly well what you’re doing. Would *you* do a Bad Thing if the boss were standing there, hovering, and just waiting to catch you??? Jane Webb Moon and Mudpie
Response:
> Gee, Elaine – you wanna come clean my house? snip> > I leave all sorts of goodies on my kitchen counters, and leave my dogs > free in the house, even when I’m not home. I expect them to leave the > stuff alone – and they do.
*Absolutely*, if I want to leave my shoes in the middle of my lounge floor, my dog has to learn to leave my things alone…she has her toys to play/chew/tear apart. If you remove all temptation, the dog never learns good manners – and what happens when you go stay with a friend – who hasn;t been as well trained as you are – to keep everything out of the dog’s reach…*very nasty* My 10c worth… Lynn
Response:
Ever thought about putting that nice treat on a mouse trap on the counter – the kind with the *snap* over wire. It’s a pretty effective deterrent – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> As soon as the leash is off, and we’re out of the room, he’ll go up > there for just about anything. But, he seems to know that he’s not > supposed to, and so won’t do it when we’re right there with him.
Response:
Based on the advice of folks here and elsewhere, we decided to set up a situation for Oscar where we could correct him with a leash and collar when he jumped on the counter. So, I put the collar on, and set a treat up on the counter, something I knew he’d want. He sat there politely, looking at the treat and at me, waiting for me to give it to him. No jumping up. Hmmm. As soon as the leash is off, and we’re out of the room, he’ll go up there for just about anything. But, he seems to know that he’s not supposed to, and so won’t do it when we’re right there with him. I think that we will keep trying with more savory treats, but if that doesn’t work, we’ll have to think of something else. Michael (& Lisa & Oscar)
Response:
: So, I put the collar on, and set a treat up on the counter, something : I knew he’d want. : He sat there politely, looking at the treat and at me, waiting for me : to give it to him. No jumping up. Hmmm. : As soon as the leash is off, and we’re out of the room, he’ll go up : there for just about anything. But, he seems to know that he’s not : supposed to, and so won’t do it when we’re right there with him. This is about the most classic example of dog reasoning. The Best dog will misbehave if there is no one present to enforce rules. Although it MAY seem as if the dog knows jumping on counters is wrong, he doesn’t. He refrains from raiding the counter because you are able to stop him, and he knows that if you are present, you will stop him. : I think that we will keep trying with more savory treats, but if that : doesn’t work, we’ll have to think of something else. : Michael (& Lisa & Oscar) He jumps up there because he is rewarded often enough for looking. If you keep your counters cleaned off, he will stop jumping up to look. If you can’t keep the counters totally clear, keep the dog out of the kitchen. — Elaine Gallegos
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