How to stop bad behavier in my lab

Question
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Followup To
Question -
Hi, My 13 month old female lab is behaving badly lately and I was hoping you could help me.....

She keeps sticking her head in the garabage can, it has a lid but she lifts it and sticks her head in.... how do I get her to stop?
Answer -
Labs are notorious for being strong willed and foragers.  The surest solution  is to keep her away from the can, or put a weight
on the lid.  You could try a little bleach or Listerine in it.  It may smell better to you, but horrible to her.  

You could try a mouse trap either inside or even right in front of it.  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.  Well, not if the dog chews it up.  

Having a good pack structure reduces such problems.  The dogs see all the
people and dogs in the household as a pack with each having their own rank in
the pack and a top dog.  Life is much easier if the 2 legged pack members
outrank the 4 legged ones.  You can learn to play the role of top dog by
reading some books or going to a good obedience class. A good obedience class
or book is about you being top dog, not about rewarding standard commands with
a treat. Start at http://www.dogsbestfriend.com/.

In the meantime, catching her in the act and correcting her, may stop her.  
Start with a 'stern ''Bad dog!'' in a soft, deep voice.  If  she doesn't respond after several corrections, go to stronger ones.
If you are able, when it misbehaves, throw it on its back, and growl "Bad
dog!" right in its face.  Hold it down until it lifts one back leg to show
submission.  You may need forearm across the windpipe  to control the dog. If
you can't do that, try the squirt bottle.  Fill it with water and a little
vinegar or lemon juice.  Give it a squirt in the face as soon as it
misbehaves.  Dogs hate that.


Thank you for your help, I forgot to ask about this in the last email so I'll ask now....

She puts her feet up on the counter all the time and trys to get as close to your plate while your eating as possible...... can this behavier be stopped?

Answer
Not easily.  Again the mousetraps help.  One of my Labs became very proficient at taking things while avoiding the mousetrap.  I tied one to a cracker with a string and left it on the corner of the table.  What a nasty surprise.  

You have to take a zero tolerance attitude the nose on the table or counter.  Every time you catch her in the act, quickly give a ''Bad dog!'' and apply what ever correction works for you.