How to Solve dog counter surfing with a clicker

It's a timeless doggie no-no, and one that has been paradied in numerous dog scenes in movies: A plate of delicious fried, steaming food is left by the owner on the table. The owner then leaves for a brief moment. His dog, smelling the delicious goodness, seizes the moment and quickly jumps up, snatches a piece of chicken, and devours it under the table.

Called counter surfing, it's a doggie indulgence that's cute but not always appreciated, especially at large formal gatherings.

Train your dog out of this terror tactic using this helpful video. Relying on a clicker rather then simply telling the dog "no" when he reaches for the food, the instructor makes sure the dog doesn't just think he can't steal food when the owner is around.

Remember to keep in mind that during training, items that your dog likes should NOT be left in reach on counters so that you don't UNDO all the training you have just been doing.

Tips:

1- Make sure the dog NEVER gets the food- it sounds obvious but some dogs are very FAST!

2- If he is struggling to look away from the food, either give him a hint by making an attention noise or take some steps away so he is not as close to the food

3- As he succeeds raise criteria

4- You can start off first with a carrot on the table but the reinforcement is something even better like Chicken