The Ultimate Pet Parent’s Guide: How to Stop Dogs From Jumping on the Counter

If you haven’t heard the term counter surfing, it may mean you’ve never had it take place in your house, and that’s a good thing! If you are familiar with it, however, you know it is one of the more troublesome habits your dog can pick up, and it needs to be addressed right away. 

Potential risks of counter surfing

Dogs love food. More than a mischievous habit, though, gobbling up any type of human food can be seriously harmful to your pet. Put the wrong food (or non food items like medication) in the path of a counter surfing dog and you could have a serious emergency on your hands. 

There’s an obvious danger when it comes to dogs who are curious about countertops. Due to the proximity to the stove, your dog could also jump up at the wrong time, such as when you have a pot of boiling water in your hands, and could cause serious damage.

Not to mention, your dog’s paws cover a lot of ground during the day. On any given day, they might run through dirt, across pavement, and use their paws to bury their favorite bone in the yard. 

For the health and sanity of all involved, counter surfing behavior needs to stop. But how can you eliminate behavior that primarily happens when you aren’t around? 

How to stop a dog from jumping on the counter​

• Prevention: Clean counters mean no temptations! Wipe up spills and crumbs right away. When there's nothing yummy up there, your dog will lose interest.
• Access: Keep your dog out of the kitchen! Our Shields® Plus Indoor Transmitter and Shields® Gate Indoor Transmitter work with your dog's Invisible Fence® collar to keep them out. Or, try our Micro Shields® to keep them off counters!
• Training: Teach your dog that good behavior gets rewards with the help of our Manners obedience training! Catch them before they jump up and say "No!" If they listen, give them lots of praise!

Over time, your dog will learn that as much as he wants to check out what’s up there, he knows he’ll be rewarded for the alternate behavior.

As always, if you could use additional help in managing difficult behaviors, our professional trainers are here for you. Through working with thousands of families, we’ve developed tried and true methods that we can share in a Manners session. 

To schedule your first Manners sessions or to book a free consultation to discuss our indoor and outdoor solutions, visit our website for more information! Together we’ll get your dog away from the counter, which is better and safer for everyone.