Category: 2-minute tip

The Dog Name Game

Fundamental Dog Training Games 
1st of 7 in the series

The first, most foundational game your dog should learn is the Dog Name Game. It’s just like it sounds – your dog needs to know his/her name.

A friend of ours totally solved the issue. Realizing she and her husband invariably called their dogs “buddy” instead of their names, she named her new puppy Buddy. It works. He knows his name and responds without fail.

New cast of characters

A dog training student of ours recently adopted an adult dog from a shelter. The dog knew absolutely nothing when they got him, including the name the shelter gave him. Most rescues and shelters we know assign new names to dogs they take in. If the dog’s original name is known, they will try to use a variant that the dog may recognize. Most times, it means little, if anything, to the dog. 

That has to change. Whatever your dog’s age or where you got them from, the first thing they need to know is their name. When you say your dog’s name, their head should whip around toward you and their expression should be “What fun are we going to have now?”

Choose a good one

You can call your dog whatever you want. It’s probably the only circumstance where your opinion is the only one that matters. If you plan to compete in dog sports, it’s a good idea to choose something short, easy to say, and distinct. There’s a good reason that “Bella” and “Max” were the most popular dog names last year. They both fit the bill.

Over time, your dog will acquire all kinds of nicknames, from riffs on their actual name to sobriquets like “Knucklehead.” As long as you and your dog both know and like it, it’s fine. 

Change can be good

What if your dog arrived with a name you don’t like? Change it! If everything in the dog’s life is new, why not their name? It’s just as easy to play the dog name game with a new name as an old. You’ll be adding value to the name you choose.

If it’s a puppy, they’ll probably respond to anything anybody says, as long as they use an exciting voice. There is a special intonation people use for babies of all species. Try it out, looking at a picture of a cute puppy. Listen to yourself and keep that voice in mind when you play the Name Game.

How to play

The Name Game takes a little preparation. Buy a bunch of lidded small containers if you don’t already have them. Make a treat “trail mix,” with all kinds of dry treats your dog likes. You can mix kibble, cereal, freeze-dried meat, jerky, etc. We’ve talked about great dog training treats before, but the idea of the mix is that your dog never knows what’s coming next. There’s always the excitement of anticipation.

Fill the containers and distribute them around the house – one in every room. That includes the bathroom if your dog is in the habit of following you there, too. You’re not alone – most dogs do.

Now you’re ready to play the Name Game. 

Just that easy

All you do is say your dog’s name and, when they look at you, give them a treat. That’s it. They don’t have to do anything else. If you’re playing the Name Game, don’t ask them to sit before they get the treat. This isn’t about “Sit!” All they have to do is look at you.

Your dog will learn rapidly that responding to their name is always rewarded. Try not to say it when you don’t have a treat ready. Or if you’re annoyed. Use the happy-puppy tone. 

Remember when your mother used your whole name? And the tone she used for it? Don’t do that to your dog. If your dog has done something naughty, try not to use their name. It’s the one word you absolutely don’t want to poison by associating it with something unpleasant.

Always happy to hear it

Preserve your dog’s name for happiness. It has to be a trust word. Whenever you say it, good things happen. 

It doesn’t take long for dogs to learn their names playing this game. For all those saying “My dog doesn’t pay attention!” this is the game that turns that around. You can absolutely get and keep your dog’s focus, if you make it worthwhile.

Teach it. Test it. Use it.

There are three steps to each and every dog behavior: 

Teach it.

Test it.

Use it.

Most people ignore step two and forge ahead to three, long before they should. Dogs are wonderful, smart beings. But they’re not magical and they don’t have telepathy. If there is a universal translator, they don’t come equipped with it. They don’t even have thumbs to Google. You have to actually teach them what you want them to know.

Start with Sit!

Picture of a Boston Terrier sitting to illustrate teach it, test it, use it

Almost every student entering our classes would swear, cross their heart and hope to die, that their dog absolutely knows “Sit!” And in almost every case, they’re wrong. The dog knows how to sit – every dog does. But they don’t know the command unless it’s given in context. That’s usually with the person standing in front of them (probably in their home kitchen), holding a treat above their head, and repeating “Sit!” Until the dog eventually gets bored and does it. 

But when you try it in a different room. Or without the upraised cookie hand, or with a different person, or standing beside the dog, or outside, it’s a different story. When someone swears their dog knows Sit, we just take the leash, tell them to back up two steps, don’t move their arms, and tell their dogs to sit. The dogs rarely do. 

Teach your doggos well

When you’re teaching your dog something new, you also have to teach them lots of different variables for it. Dogs learn in context, so you have to change that up. Once your dog knows “Sit!” In the kitchen, you move it to the dining room. And the living room. Outside is good. In the car. On a walk. When someone comes in the house. Just randomly saying “Sit!” Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, will cement the notion for your dog. 

Dogs can understand hundreds of words. But each one of those words can only have one meaning. Have you ever told your dog to “sit down”? Which did you mean? How about “Get Down!” if they’re jumping up on something or someone they shouldn’t? If the dog’s been taught “Down!” means lie down, it’s confusing.

Test of mettle

It’s up to you to decide on clear criteria for your dog. You decide for your dog what a word means. Then you teach your dog, through the timing and placement of rewards. If you say “Sit!” and you think your dog “knows” it, your next job is tough. Stand there and wait for them to do it. If they do, reward and release. It’s a successful test. Take it someplace else and try again. 

But if they don’t, stay quiet and stare at their hind end. Don’t move your hands. Just wait. Don’t repeat. Be patient. 

If some time goes by and your dog still isn’t getting it, they’re showing you they don’t know it. They’re not being stubborn, they truly don’t get it. Something was different, and the meaning got lost. You have more teaching to do.

Use it

When your dog reliably does what you ask, no matter where you are or who you’re with, you can move out of teaching phase and start using the behavior. 

Just today a student asked when she and her dog could start Rally Obedience classes. Our answer for her, is when she’s bet a paycheck that her dog knows “Sit!”, “Down!”, “Stay!” and “Heel!” She’s done a great job teaching her dog. They’ll be starting with the next session of classes. 

Managing dog expectations

What are your dog expectations? What do you want from them? And how fast do you think you can get it?

A woman who’s taken our classes contacted us a couple weeks ago. She and her husband adopted a two (?) year old dog from a nearby shelter and want to start training the new guy.

So we got them started on the basics: teaching him his name. Playing “Touch!” Puppy Push-ups for vocabulary. Some Pattern Walking. And, after five days, she called for more help with his issues. Clark apparently jumps on people, doesn’t come when called, and fixates on squirrels and rabbits on walks. And “nothing” they try can get his attention.

Expecting too much too soon

They can’t get his attention because, at this point, “nothing” is what this dog knows. For his entire life, prior to two weeks ago, Clark was never taught to think. Never taught to make good decisions. Never had any expectations laid upon him.

Had they gone to a force trainer, it’s quite possible that Clark would be “behaving” better. He would know that if he doesn’t comply with commands, he will be punished. He wouldn’t be more polite and attentive because he’s learned that being “good” is right. He’d obey because he wants to avoid pain.

There’s no question that positive reinforcement training and training games take longer. It takes time to communicate to dogs that their best interest and yours coincide. Dogs learn through the timing and placement of rewards. Together, you have to build the foundation of trust and partnership.

Expect more

The benefits of training games are also more long-lasting. Once the dog catches on that playing learning games is fun, they’ll want to do it more and more. When your dog is on board with the program, they’ll come find you when it’s time to play. 

When that happens, your expectations for your dog can soar. At this point, when we make up or introduce a new training game to our dogs, most of the time they pick it up in just a few training sessions. When they don’t, there’s something wrong with the game.

Our biggest “fail” so far was trying to train Torque, Hope’s French Bulldog, to distinguish between colors. We gave it a fair shot, over a dozen or more sessions, but he just wasn’t getting it. We still don’t know whether it’s because dogs can’t see the colors we were using, or if it was a flaw in the game. 

Got it!

On the other hand, one of the most recent “wins” was getting our dogs to do Puppy Push-ups when we were behind or over them. They easily adjusted to the simple change. The parameters of the game were familiar. So their knowledge and experience led to success.

Letting your dog think and learn at their pace requires you to use patience. Sometimes it takes every ounce you have. We introduced a thinking game to our Rally students this week and two of the dogs weren’t able to get it. One because she’s a rescue with a long history of trauma. The other because her owner has told her what to do every moment of her life. Both of these dogs are new to thinking, trying, and making good decisions. We expect it will take a little time. But both will get it, sooner or later. And the owners’ dog expectations can grow – a little at a time.

Step over your dog

Step over your dog? Why? Dogs are a trip hazard. We know, because our cousin shattered her knee cap tripping over her German Shepherd Dog. It was an accident, and those happen to everybody. What made this particular situation worse was that, as she was stepping over the dog on the way, the dog got up. She was actually lucky. It was her dog’s habit to sleep in the hall at the top of the stairway. Our cousin was lucky to break her knee and not her noggin.

Are you wondering what this has to do with dog training? If the dog had been trained to accept being stepped over, brushed by, or even pushed against, she wouldn’t have gotten up and our cousin may not have fallen. 

If you’ve played in either Obedience or Rally, your dog is probably accustomed to you walking around them. But if you’ve never taught your dog to let you walk all the way around them, the time has come.

Why do I need that?

Our beginner class students always give us the “Why?” puzzled face when we start teaching “Walk Around Your Dog.” No one thinks they’ll need it. And everyone is pretty surprised when their dog doesn’t let them do it. It’s no big deal to you, so you’ve probably never paid much attention to what your dog does when you walk around them. Almost one hundred percent of the time, dogs will either swivel on their butts to watch you, or stand to keep their face pointed in your direction. Dogs like to know where you are and what you’re doing. All the time.

The scenario we have students imagine is this: You’re making a pasta dinner. Your cooktop is on the opposite side of the kitchen from your sink. The pasta’s done and ready to be drained. And your dog is sitting in the absolute geographic center of the kitchen. If they don’t move, you’ll be okay, there’s plenty of room to walk around them. Unless, of course, they get up and move into the path you were planning to take. If you’re lucky, no boiling water sloshes on anyone. We tend not to be lucky. So we train our dogs to stay put. You may not ever need to step over your dog, but if you do, it’s a handy thing to have trained.

Brush against them

Just as we tend not to be terrifically lucky, we’re also not the most graceful people on the planet. Every so often we move awkwardly, or carry something unwieldy, so we might brush up against our dogs as we pass by them. They need to accept this as normal and not freak out, jump up, and get in the way when it happens.

Next time you practice your “Stay!” with your dog, brush your foot against them when you’re moving. Don’t kick your dog, but let your foot make a bit of contact with your dog’s side, or paw, or butt as you move around. If your dog stays put, reward and do it again. But if they don’t, set it up again and reduce the stress and surprise of the contact. If you brushed the dog’s hind foot, try the front instead so they can clearly see there was nothing to worry about. If you contacted the dog’s hind end, make it a shoulder instead. 

Just try it a couple of times, reward the dog and be done for that session.They’ll get used to the incidental touches. Just do it now before you ever actually need it. Gradually increase the pressure of the contact as well as practicing actually stepping over them. Last week we talked about “Middling,” and another thing to practice is to let the side of one foot and then both touch your dog when he’s in the middle.

Everywhere, every position

If your dog aces “Walk Around Your Dog” when lying down, move on to the “Sit!” and the “Stand!” As always, do it in different places so your dog truly learns what it means. And every once in a while actually step over your dog.

It may seem like a little thing. And it is. Until you’re heading to the bathroom at 2 a.m. and your dog is lying in your path. In this case an ounce of prevention would have prevented a very painful pound of cure.

Dog Training Game: Middling

We mean that quite literally. This game is to teach your dog to stand between your legs, facing the same way you are. It’s a great position to teach them, especially if there are times when your dog is nervous. The dog training game: Middling shouldn’t be confused with hiding, which should not be encouraged. “Middling” is a safe space, but it’s not a hideaway for timid dogs. 

It’s a recent variant we’ve been using for our Puppy Pushups practice. Once your dog knows the positions “Sit!”, “Stand!” and “Down!”, there are only so many combinations you can use. If they know the words, the game can get a bit boring if you let it. We’ve come up with lots of ways of playing; just words, just hand signals, varying distance, etc. And the dogs took each one in stride and mastered it in no time. 

But when we tried straddling our dogs, it was as if they’d never heard the words before. You never know how dogs will react to a new scenario until you try it.

Get them centered

If you’ve never tried standing with one leg on either side of your dog, you may be surprised by how freaked out they are. You can almost hear them thinking “What’s this about? You’re being weird!” 

So rather than weirding them out, play a preliminary game of “Toss Through.” This is a fast, easy game for most dogs. All you do is stand in front of your dog with your legs wide enough apart that your dog can run through. Show your dog a treat, toss it through your legs, and tell your dog to get it. Then, when your dog’s behind you, bend over, looking through your legs, catch your dog’s eye and toss a treat the other way, so your dog runs between your legs back to front. 

It doesn’t take most dogs more than a couple tosses to fall in love with this game. Just be sure the treat you’re using is visible, so your dog can easily find it. If your dog isn’t particularly treat-motivated, you can certainly toss a toy instead. 

Next step

Once your dog loves running back and forth through your legs, it’s time to introduce a “Stop!” in the middle. The easiest way to do this is, with your dog behind you, show them the treat and bring them forward. Raise the treat as they come through your legs and say “Sit!” If all goes well, the dog should be right under you. If so, reward. 

If not, chances are your dog thought it was too odd and swung their butt around so they’re facing you. That’s the favorite position for most dogs – keeping an eye on you at all times. You can remedy this by giving them a designated spot for the “Sit!”. 

If you haven’t taught your dog “Place!”, now’s the time. Get a small towel, or mat large enough only for the dog to sit on. One of our favorite training tools is a cheap yoga mat that we cut into whatever shapes and sizes we need. That’s ideal for this training.

When your dog knows “Place!”, position the mat between your feet and try again. The similar context will give your dog the information they need to understand. When you’ve achieved the “Sit!,” go for the “Down!” and “Stand!” as well. The mat really helped Simon to understand the new dog training game: middling.

Everything in its place

Just a subtle change, like changing your positions, can throw your dog for a loop. Remember they’re contextual learners. When the context changes, everything’s different. By teaching your dog different variables of familiar behaviors, you increase their understanding and ability to generalize. “Sit!” always means the same thing, no matter where you are or what you’re doing. Teaching dogs how to be flexible and “go with the flow” will add confidence to every aspect of life.

The best dog training treats

It’s the question that gets asked on social media more than any other – “What training treats are you using?” The answer is simple: the best dog training treats are the ones your dog likes.

Of course dogs’ tastes range widely. There are treats the dog will eat, treats they’ll move to get, and treats the dogs will run through fire to get. The value of any food reward depends on the dog. It’s up to you to discover your dog’s treat hierarchy.

Start with the basics

How eagerly does your dog eat their regular food? If it’s a dry commercial food and your dog devours it, you’re in great shape. It’s the foundation for a “trail mix” of treats that will make your dog happy.

If your dog isn’t an eager eater, it’s more of an issue. In all honesty, we have no experience with dogs that don’t devour their food. For us, a dog refusing to eat is on his/her way to the veterinarian without much lag time. Based on what we know about dogs, if your dog is a reluctant eater, there are a few possibilities:

  • The dog just doesn’t like the food. The fix for this is to try different varieties until you come up with one the dog likes. Give each kind a fair test. Switching constantly may have your dog refusing food until they’re given something “better.” That’s a different kind of trouble.
  • There’s something wrong with the dog. Over the years we’ve had dogs with ulcers and acid reflux, so had to adjust their food and feeding schedule. 
  • The dog isn’t hungry because it’s overfed. If you adhere to the amounts on most commercial dog food packages, your dog is stuffed to the gills.  

Your dog’s regular food is the base of the treat hierarchy. Working your way up from there, the next tier of the hierarchy, includes treats the dog likes and will get up off their butt to reach. This would include many of the commercial dog treats available. It can also include things like cereal (most dogs like the O-shaped oat cereal. Our dogs prefer the honey-nut flavor.), air-popped popcorn, carrots, apple, celery (Torque’s favorite), and green beans (either fresh or frozen).

Moving up the list to treats dogs adore. These are usually things like Chicken Heart Treats, freeze-dried liver, bits of cheese, hot dog, french fries, peanut butter. These treats are the ones your dog would run through fire to get. They’re also the ones that should be given sparingly, especially if your dog has a sensitive stomach. For soft things, like peanut butter or cream cheese, let your dog lick them off the end of a spoon. It takes a little manipulation, but if that’s what your dog likes, you’ll figure it out.

Make a “trail mix”

When you’re training your dog, every room in the house should have a covered container of dog treats. Mix up a big bowl of dry treats from all three tiers of your dog’s hierarchy. Put portions of that mixture in the containers, so you always have treats available. If you have a container sitting on the shelf, you can grab it when the television commercial break starts and complete a whole training game before the show comes back. When it’s easy, you’re more likely to do it.

If the trail mix has a variety of treats in it, your dog will always be hopefully that the A-list treat is up next. They’ll be happy to play with you regardless, but the variety makes it more fun and interesting for your dog.

Rule of treats

For a training class, or when you’re playing a new-to-you training game, the treats should be top-tier, pinnacle level. It keeps your dog interested and attentive, even if their classmates are barking their fool heads off. Or if they don’t understand the new game yet and are getting a little frustrated.

In these scenarios, the treat slogan is “soft, small, and smelly.” Soft, so the dog doesn’t leave crumbs all over and stop to clean up the floor. Small, so they’re less than a full bite and your dog won’t get full. Smelly so the dog knows exactly what you have and is eager to get it.

Best dog training treats

It may take a little time and effort to define your dog’s treat hierarchy. You’ll know which treats your dog like best by how quickly they respond during your training games. There’s no universal “best” dog training treats. It’s up to your dog, and you, to discover what works for your team.

Shake up your dog training routine

Both dogs and people are creatures of habit. To keep training games fun for both of you, it’s a good idea to shake up your dog training routine. 

Even if you’re working on a specific behavior, you can find ways to make it different and more interesting. Simple variations can change the dynamic.

Always the same 

In AKC Novice Obedience competition there are exactly eight exercises. It’s the same eight behaviors, in the exact same order, in every single AKC Obedience Competition. It doesn’t change, the order doesn’t vary. It is what it is. And in our classes, we never, ever practice or teach it that way.

Dogs aren’t stupid. If you practice the same thing the same way every time, they don’t just learn the routine. They know what’s coming and jump ahead to the end. They’re awesome that way – wanting to save you the time and trouble of doing all the fussy in-between bits.

In competition, that’s a problem. It’s all the fussy bits that matter.

For example

Let’s say you’re doing the Figure 8 heeling. If you’ve only practiced as it’s done in competition, your dog knows exactly how it works. So your dog isn’t actually heeling, they’re doing a Figure 8 pattern. When the judge says “Halt!,” if your dog’s not watching you, they may be merrily heeling along and not notice you stopped. Until it’s too late and the judge is deducting points.

It’s easily fixed. Instead of just two cones to heel around in practice, use three. Or four. Or five. Go any which way, without a plan, and keep your dog’s attention. It’s more interesting for both of you. And it improves your heeling. 

Just for fun

Even if you never intend to enter an obedience competition, the around-the-cones heeling, or loose-lead walking, is good practice. We call it “noodling” and you just walk randomly in circles, zig-zags, and loop-de-loops. You can even throw in a few backward and side steps. 

If you’re out and about, put some interest in your walks. Use trees to do Figure 8s around. Or, if you’re an urban dweller, street lights or garbage cans work, too. The point is to instill some variety, add some interest, and keep both of you from falling into a rut.

As Ralph Waldo Emerson said: “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do.”

Be unpredictable in your dog training routine. It’ll be more fun for you and your dog.

Dog’s trust is easily broken

Your dog relies on you to be a dependable partner. If you always deliver what you promise, so will your dog. But be careful what you promise. A dog’s trust is fragile. If you don’t follow through, or if you try to deceive your dog, it’s over.

According to our TikTok audience, Torque (Hope’s French Bulldog) must be AI (artificial intelligence) rather than a real dog. Because Frenchies don’t ever listen, let alone obey.

As Colonel Sherman T. Potter (M*A*S*H) would have said, “horse hockey!”

Torque listens, obeys, and looks like a genius because Hope never lies to him. Ever. That’s the entire secret of getting your dog to be a canine Einstein. Be absolutely reliable. 

What do you mean?

We just saw a story about a canine study testing whether dogs could tell if a person was lying, or a bad person. In the first part, the dog was told to go to a container full of treats. All of the dogs did it. For the second part, the dogs were re-sent to the container which was empty. Again, they all went. In the third part, none of the dogs went to the container. The dogs’ trust had been broken.

We’ve all heard the old saying “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.” This is a true-to-life example that dogs are not fools. You can certainly fool them once. But that’s it. They’ll never fall for the same lie twice.

Take a good look in the mirror

Let’s face it. Dogs are easy to fool. And their looks of puzzlement are really adorable when you pretend to throw the ball and there’s no ball. But every time you trick your dog, you’re eroding their trust in your relationship. They may fall for the fake toss a couple of times. You’re the one who will pay for it in the end when your dog stops being happy to play with you.

Some dogs have a sense of humor and can tolerate being teased. Others don’t understand and it can even upset them. Torque is a good-natured dog who will go along with any silly thing Hope dreams up for him.He’ll give it his best try. And he’ll try repeatedly. He knows that when he gets it right he’ll be generously rewarded.

When Hope has no treats with her, she shows her empty hands to her dog so he knows. If she has really primo treats, she lets him sniff to be sure he knows what’s available. And when he gets it right, he gets that primo treat. 

Build a solid foundation

If you like teasing your dog, or playing pranks on them, that’s going to define your relationship. Your dog is still going to love you. They’ll forgive you. They may even join in the humor of the joke. But your dog is never going to hang on every word you say, or do what you ask them to do when you ask them to do it. Because once too often you’ve called your dog for “Cookies!” and then shoved them in the bathtub. 

If you truly want your dog to listen, you have to be worth listening to. If you call your dog’s name and they ignore you, it’s probably because there’s no reason to listen. Next time you complain that your dog doesn’t pay any attention to you, try seeing it from their point of view. What’s the difference, for your dog, between paying attention and not? It’s up to you to define it.

Just for the fun of it – Train Your Dog!

There seems to be a mindset that dog training is something you “have” to do. The truth is, most dogs are only “trained” to function within the family. It’s almost like people see it as a chore, rather than a chance to play with their dogs. We wish they could see the fun the rest of us have when we play training games with our dogs.

That’s all it really is. Dogs love to learn, love having a job, and love spending time with you. Most dogs today aren’t really “working” dogs. Their primary job is to be great companions, and they’re great at it. 

Ask for more

That’s fine. If you’re a couch potato and want your dog to lounge next to you and stare at screens all day, go for it. 

But if you want more, it’s at your fingertips. If you’re just a little bit intrigued by the possibilities of what you and your dog can do together, start with one little training game. Play “Touch!” for two minutes. 

If you do, you’ll be amazed by how quickly your dog catches on. And how happy your dog is to play with you. When was the last time you saw that open-mouth, silly grin on your dog’s face?

Not just us – dogs love to play training games

Last week one of our students told us something that makes us glad. She said that by late afternoon, if she hasn’t played training games with her dog, he comes to find her and won’t stop bothering her until they have a training session. If you’ve found a good training class, your dog should practically drag you into the room. Dogs should love to play training games.

We wish there was another word than “training” for what we do with our dog. It has so many dull, painful, boring connotations. Until we think of one, or make one up, it will have to do.

Give it a new definition

One thing we can do now is urge you to just try. Give it a week. One or two training games a day – less than 10 minutes. If it doesn’t work, if you don’t have fun, if your dog doesn’t learn stuff, let us know. 

We know you’re tired at the end of the day. So get up five minutes earlier and play training games with your dog’s breakfast. Use one commercial break from whatever screen you’re watching to play with your dog.

Here’s the warning label: Playing training games with your dog is addictive. If you don’t love your dog and don’t want to have a singular bond with them, do not play. 

Don’t say we never warned you.

How to stop your dog counter surfing

When cute little puppies grow tall enough, or clever enough, they discover the joys of counter surfing. Since dogs reliably choose to do what’s most rewarding for them, if they find anything on that counter, they’ll do it again. And again. As long as there are treasures to find, the dog will keep finding them. We imagine there are quite a few family holiday stories that feature a naughty dog stealing some of the featured feast off the table or counter. It may be funny and fondly remembered over the years. But it’s not fun at the time. Not to mention panic-inducing, if it was the centerpiece turkey that’s gone down the dog. Stop your dog counter surfing forever.

Nip it in the bud

Ideally there will be absolutely nothing on the counter the dog finds attractive. If they try counter surfing and get nothing, they have no reason to try again. 

Don’t assume that because your dog can’t reach the counter they can’t steal stuff from it. The memory of Hope’s French Bulldog Teddy up on the kitchen counter is burned into our memories. He stood 12 inches tall. The standard counter height is 36 inches. Did he jump? No. He got onto the kitchen chair. Climbed from there onto the table, and then across to the counter. He only did it once (that we know of), but it’s legendary in the family.

Realistically, few of us can completely clear counters, table tops, and other flat, reachable surfaces. Even in the throes of training a new dog, you still have to live your life. Until your dog gets the message, if you can’t completely contain the stuff, contain the dog. 

If the counter-surfing canine only has access to the attractive surfaces when you’re there, you can use every interaction as a training opportunity.

Send the message

To counter counter-surfing, set up the scenario. Have a dog bed nearby. Stand at your regular cooking position and start cutting up a carrot. Or celery. Something your dog likes and is allowed to have. If your dog intrudes by sticking their nose under your arm, putting their front paws on the counter, or trying to get at the carrot, stop what you’re doing and cover up the “work” with your arms and upper body. If you have to lie on it, do so. Don’t say anything to the dog. Just stare at the dog bed. 

If you tell your dog “Off!” or “No!” or even “Uh-oh” you’re still telling them what to do. The objective is to have the dog make good decisions even if you’re not there to tell them. If you always tell your dog what to do, you’ll always have to. Over the course of your dog’s lifetime, that would be exhausting.

If you put in the effort to teach them good decision-making now, over the course of years you’ll both be much happier. 

Stand firm

At first, with the carrot and counter covered, your dog won’t understand what’s going on. They may paw at you, try to burrow under your arm, or even start whining. This is the part where you must be patient. Waiting is the absolute hardest part of dog training. Don’t say anything. Don’t move. Just stare at the dog bed.

As soon as your dog has all four feet on the floor, or looks at the bed, toss a piece of carrot into the bed. As long as the dog is behaving, keep tossing pieces of carrot in the bed. Just by your actions, you’re teaching the dog that their place in that bed is highly rewarding. 

If they get the carrot piece and then come bounding back to jump some more, cover up and repeat. Single-minded dogs may take a few sessions to get the idea. But they will get it. 

Stop your dog counter surfing forever

Eventually, if you’re patient and consistent, you’ll have a terrific companion for your kitchen endeavors. You can even look forward to spending some companionable time together. If you want to give your dog a chew toy on the bed while you’re preparing food, by all means go ahead.

Throughout your dog’s life, even when they know the house rules, make a point of rewarding them for good decision-making. If you see your dog glance at the counter and then walk away, reward it. That’s a sure sign that the training has worked and your dog really does know better.