[Dozer-Digger]

I know there are times they don't get along with each other, but I didn't think it came down to knife fights while I was gone.
I came home today to a chewed up steak knife. I had to do a quick mouth & face inspection, and everything was fine. They just chewed up the handle.
I'll have to make sure the counter is clear of everything before I leave.

 

[Dean]

I prefer to teach my hounds that the counter is dangerous and they shouldn't think about grabbing anything off there---- After all it's my house and they don't pay the bills.




quote name='Dozer-Digger' date='Dec 7 2007, 05:58 AM' post='40236']
I know there are times they don't get along with each other, but I didn't think it came down to knife fights while I was gone.
I came home today to a chewed up steak knife. I had to do a quick mouth & face inspection, and everything was fine. They just chewed up the handle.
I'll have to make sure the counter is clear of everything before I leave.
[/quote]

 

[Elvismom]

The upside in my house to countersurfing is that hubby is MUCH better about not leaving things on the counter.

A year or so ago I was getting ready for bed and found a large knife lying on my pillow. I've often wondered which 4-legger was leaving me a warning & what dastardly thing I did to deserve it!

 

[ChristieJ]

The upside in my house to countersurfing is that hubby is MUCH better about not leaving things on the counter.

A year or so ago I was getting ready for bed and found a large knife lying on my pillow. I've often wondered which 4-legger was leaving me a warning & what dastardly thing I did to deserve it![/b]

they just wanted to make sure that you knew that they found it and that you put it away safely. They didn't want anyone to get hurt so what better place to put it but on mommy's pillow.

 

[shallhb]

I prefer to teach my hounds that the counter is dangerous and they shouldn't think about grabbing anything off there---- After all it's my house and they don't pay the bills.

So, how do you teach them that the counter is dangerous? I agree--it's my house, and I pay the bills, but they are sneaky, fast, and surprisingly tall when it comes to counters.

 

[Dean]

Use a booby-trap -- take a cannister or something tall but small, put a light tray or baking pan on the cannister. Load the tray with noisy, but not lethal items --- plastic mixing bowls light pots, empty soda cans, etc. Tis a piece of food to the tray and wait. When Fido grabs the food off the counter, THE SKY'S FALLING!!!!!!!
You did nothing, so Fido thinks "the counter is dangerous"

 

[Maggie's Mommy]

Luckily my kids don't jump on anything so no counter surfing. I've heard that people set mousetraps on the counter to startle them :blink:

 

[Copper's Owner]

Dean - I like your way of thinking! Countersurfing is our number 1 problem with our pup (okay 17 months). Unfortunately, the other three people in the house have almost completely undermined my efforts to stop the surfing. Just now, my 13 yo son left a mug of hot chocolate on the table and left the room. He comes back to find the dog with his nose in it. My wife left a loaf of bread where the pup could reach it earlier in the week. And they get mad at the dog...I once read in American Hunter a great line about dogs..."amoral opportunists" who can be trained to "appreciate consequences"!

Our oldest dog (Walker - a Basset-**** hound mix) was a rescue, and was a surfer when we brought him home. However, a few shots of cayenne pepper to the nose broke him pretty quickly. He has needed only three or four reminders in the six years we have owned him. I think it has been at least two years since his last reminder.

Anyway, we shouldn't have to completely clear the counters, even of non-food items. So I am going upstairs to set a couple of noisy traps to see how that works!

 

[Copper's Owner]

I edited out a double post....

 

[Yogi's Mom]

Glad to hear the hounds were hurt!
Yogi doesn't counter surf at all. Never had a problem with it but I knew a hound that would swipe anything and everything off the counter and he even knew how to open the refrigerator!

 

[Basset Momma]

We bought these little plastic things at PetsMart... they work like a mousetrap but the plastic smacks and makes a loud noise. They worked wonders with Jake... now I need to go find some more for Cuddy One year I lined them all around my cooling Christmas cookies... Jake had learned if you snag the foil you can get all dozen cookies at a time! It worked great... He hasn't stolen cookies in quite awhile!