The Can Monster

Coonhounds counter surf with enthusiasm. Every coonhound I have ever owned counter surfed in one manner or another. Some dogs surf occasionally and some counter surf everyday even though they never are successful. Jess Sokoloff of Athfar Dog Rescue and Training has found a novel way to stop counter surfing with her bloodhounds.

The Can Monster
(a cure for counter surfing)
by Jess Sokoloff

This is one of my favorite topics because I have a little trick that works REALLY well to fix it. It works so well that I have several Bloodhounds who are now wary of even sniffing the edges of the counter tops!

I use the "can monster" to stop this counter top raiding. Take a bunch of empty soda cans and attach at the pop-tops about 12" apart w/ regular string. You should have about 20 or more cans strung together. In each can, add pebbles or pennies and cover the openings with some tape.

To the last can, attach a 4"-6" (no longer than that) section of string tied to MEAT (Not cheese). Tie the meat firmly to that loose piece of short string and set your new contraption up on the kitchen counter. Let the meat sit right on the edge or slightly hang over the edge. You want the dog to try and take it, so use something you KNOW the dog will want!

Dog comes up, tries to steal meat and ends up causing the avalanche to come down on top of him. Do this when you're at home so you can be in on the fun. Let the dog experience the entire ordeal, including dragging the screaming cans behind him through the house in terror. The cans get tangled around their legs and body and get louder with every step the dog takes. You want this one experience to last forever, so let the dog have about 30 seconds of God's wrath before you "save" the dog. Make sure you do NOT say, "It's OK Muffin!!" as you extricate dog from it's predicament! You want to LAUGH at the dog since this is part of the fix.

Now, here's the best part of the remedy---

IMMEDIATELY, you need to set that "can monster" back up on the counter once you get the dog untangled. Do it right away and leave the room. Dog won't try it again, but they'll think about it.... let them decide if they want that piece of meat badly enough-- if you let the dog suffer long enough from the first experience, the dog won't try it again.

Every so often, I set my "can monster" back up just for sh*ts and giggles. Those tall dogs walk by the counter and really think hard--- the looks on their faces when a new dog tries to make the steal is priceless--- I swear they are all laughing with me! Now that we have tile floors on the entire main level, the noise is even louder and more funny.

Give that a shot--- if you do it right, it'll only take one time.
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Jess The Dog Lady

http://www.angelfire.com/co/ATHFAR

To email Jess Sokoloff. She has a a very interesting web
site at Athfar Dog Rescue and Training. The site loads very
slowly but has some fun fiction she has written.

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