Jumping on counters

Question
Our 9 month-old spayed female yellow lab keeps jumping up to take things off the counter or table. Food, paper, pill bottles, phone, etc. She seems to think it's a game. We've tried scolding, one of those mats with the sharp points all over it. Nothing has stopped her.

Answer
A mousetrap is very effective in making a dog leave something alone. Most dogs will stay away from anywhere they were surprised by a snap. The best part is that it is not you that is correcting the dog. It works whether you are around or not. The mousetrap is very patient and is always on task as long as you reset it.

Better than mousetraps when you aren't around is the crate. Other dogs may not be as bad as the young Labs I am plagued with. Still your house and dog will be much safer with the dog in a crate when you are away. The dog may be happier in its den than loose in the house. It relaxes, it feels safe in its den. It rests, the body slows down reducing the need for water and relieving its self. Dogs that have been crated all along do very well. Many of them will rest in their crates even when the door is open. I think the plastic ones give the dog more of a safe, enclosed den feeling. They are harder for dogs to open too. Metal ones can be put in a corner or covered with something the dog can't pull in and chew. Select a crate just big enough for the full grown dog to stretch out in.

Leave it some toys. Perhaps a Kong filled with peanut butter. Don't leave anything in the crate the dog might chew up. It will do fine without even any bedding. You will come home to a safe dog and a house you can enjoy.

A dog that has not been crated since it was little, make take some work. Start out just putting its toys and treats in the crate. Praise it for going in. If you have been able to trust it with any bedding, put that in the crate. Feed it in the crate. This is also an easy way to maintain order at feeding time for more than one dog.

Damaged possessions are the fault of whoever was watching the puppy. When you are watching it, immediately correct it as soon as it goes for anything except its own toys. In a quiet, but firm voice give it an ''Ah, ah, ah!''. Gently remove what ever and replace it with one of her toys, or if older, hold eye contact until the puppy drops it.

Counter Surfing

Does your Foster Puppy counter surf; constantly checking the tables and counters for a tasty morsel that he is sure was left there just for him? If so, teach him The Can Can! For The Can Can you will need about 6 cans (empty pop cans with a few rocks or pennies inside them and a little piece of duct tape over the hole works well). Stack the cans in a pyramid on top of a piece of cardboard or paper to which you have attached a piece of string. Tie the string to the object that your Foster Puppy most desires from the counter top. It may be a dish towel or if it is food he is seeking, use a paper towel that you have used to pat down a piece of meat or maybe some meat juice. Then wait. When the object is snatched from the counter top the pyramid of cans will come crashing down, startling the thief. Your puppy will be caught in the act red pawed! You have just created a self correction! It may take several repetitions to get the point across, but soon your puppy will decide that it just isn't worth taking the chance.