“How do I make my dog stop stealing food from the counter?”
Could the answer be as simple as, “Don’t let him do it!”
As absurdly simple as this seems, behavior management is, in fact, the appropriate answer for many of the problem behaviors our dogs do. Management is the key to resolving the vast majority of problems people face with their dogs, and even more important, it is key to preventing those behaviors from ever occurring in the first place!
In many cases, management is necessary while the dog learns a new, more appropriate behavior. In others, management simply replaces unrealistic training expectations. Try a three-step formula for reprogramming or preventing unwanted behaviors:
1. Rephrase.That is, identify what you want the dog to do instead of what you want him not to do. (For instance, train the dog that food happens when 4 feet are on the floor). In all the behaviors described above, the owner is asking how to get the dog to stop doing something rather than how to get to dog to do something.
2. Manage.Figure out how to prevent the dog from being rewarded for the unwanted behavior. This is actually the easiest part! Behaviors that are rewarded are reinforced – in other words, the dog is more likely to do them again. Chasing a cat is very rewarding to a dog – he gets a big adrenaline rush, and the cat runs away – what fun! Every chance your dog gets to chase a cat increases the likelihood that he will chase (and maybe eventually catch) the next cat he sees. If you don’t want him to be rewarded by chasing cats, don’t let him do it.
3. Train.Figure out how to consistently reward the dog for the desired behavior identified in Step 1. This is often the hardest part.
So how do I make him stop stealing food from the counter or table? Let’s take a crack at solving counter surfing and see how it can be addressed with the three-step formula, with particular focus on the management aspect:
Rephrase: “How do I get him to only eat things that are in his bowl or on the floor?” (By the way, dogs are opportunistic eaters by their very nature. They are morally incapable of “stealing” food. A dog in the wild who eats food when and where he finds it is smart – and much more likely to survive than one who passes food by just because it happens to be above eye level.)
Manage: Prevent him from being rewarded for counter surfing. Clearly, the food that he finds on counters tastes good and is very rewarding.
Management tools: A: Doors – If food must be left out, shut the dog in another room so he can’t have access to it. B: Cupboards and the refrigerator – Put food away. Never leave it out as an invitation to counter surf. C: Crates, pens, baby gates, leashes, and tethers – Use other reasonable means of restraint to prevent his inappropriate access to food.
Training: Teach him an “Off!” or “Leave It!“ cueusing positive reinforcement training. Let’s consistently reward him for ignoring food on the counter and for keeping all four feet on the floor around food-laden counters and tables.