How to Put an End to Counter-Surfing

A new trick

Many dog guardians complain that their dogs steal food from kitchen counters or even the dinner table. A term was even coined to describe this behavior: counter-surfing. If you’re tired of losing your dinner to a sneaky pooch every time you turn your back, here’s what you can do about it.

“Stop” strategies

Counter-surfing is unwanted behavior. In operant conditioning, there are three basic approaches to stopping unwanted behavior:

Punishment through a consequence that...