Is Your Canine A “Counter Surfer”?
After we got our precious girl Copper many years ago, we noticed she had a peculiar little habit. Food was disappearing off the coffee table or any other surface snout high. We thought it surely couldn’t be Copper, for she was so good about everything else. An angel sent from heaven as my wife says. But then we took the blinders off.
The first episode happened right around that first Christmas. A friend had brought over a plate of cookies which my wife innocently placed on the coffee table for guests to help themselves. We went into the dining room for dinner and when we walked back into the living room Copper was standing there, her face covered in powered sugar and not a cookie to be seen. Her innocent expression just said, “Got milk?”
Summertime was no different. Sitting in the living room having grilled hot dogs and hamburgers on a tray, we never ate in the kitchen . After a bite, I got up to get a glass of water, foolishly putting my tray down on the couch. When I returned seconds later, there was Copper with a little bit of ketchup on her snout. Her innocent expression just said, “Got sauerkraut?”
This all comes up now because last night my wife was asking me to quit kidding around, and to give the blackened chicken (blackened on purpose, I think) she had made for dinner back to her. She pointed to a very clean plate on the tray by the couch and just said, “Very funny honey. Just give me my dinner back.”
I admit I may have hidden a few meals throughout the years just to have some fun, but I didn’t know what she was talking about this time. What I do know is that Copper had the worst case of gas last night that almost forced me to sleep in the guest room. I’m now sure what happened to that meal. When I woke up this morning I looked at Copper with her innocent expression that said, “Got Beano?”
Yes, she was a “counter surfer”. We found out that Rhodesian’s are known for swiping food off of tables although I suspect it isn’t necessarily breed specific. She is a master counter surfer…nothing is spared and she is fast.
I’m sure there’s some funny stories out there about your own surfers. Don’t be shy, share them with the group!!
I only steal food if the plate is at my head level like on the couch. I dont jump up onto tables and steal things.
Our old dog, Chloe, was less than a year old when we left one evening to see a movie. Before we left, my wife put eight frozen (as in frozen solid) chicken breasts in a colander in the sink to thaw. When we came back from the movie, there was only one chicken breast left. Chloe had eaten seven fully frozen chicken breasts…
We’ve had our share of surfers. Mom doesn’t like eating in the kitchen at the table because you can’t see the TV and she likes to watch TV as she eats, says it aids her digestion. Anyway we all know that mom is a sucker when it comes to puppy eyes so while one of us begs at her feet another one of us sneeks up behind her and snatches morsels from her plate when she’s not looking, then we switch places. I’m really good at it cause I’m small, my sister Freckles is getting good at it too but she needs to work on her sneekiness. She tends to get caught cause she doesn’t wait till mom is totally preoccupied.
I have a Catahoula who is a tripod. When we first got her from the rescue, she didn’t even like to walk on the tile floor, so I never even thought she would be a counter surfer-until the bread started disappearing off the counter! It doesn’t even matter how far back we put it, but she is smart enough we don’t catch her doing it, she only leaves the evidence behind.
I have my first counter surfer. I now set booby traps (noisy things like dog bowls) in front of any food on the counter! Our beloved Husky took the bird, literally, though- a Cornish game hen that we left unprotected for all of about 15 seconds… she never did it again, but this new kid is stubborn :-).
I had a greyhound who was very sneaky. I lived in a two story house, and he would lie at the top of the stairs and watch the comings and goings. My roommate made a chicken sandwich one night and left it on the counter; Alex was lying at the top of the stairs as usual. Staci went to her room for a minute to do something, came back for her sandwich, and it was gone. The plate was still there, and Alex was lying at the top of the stairs, innocently licking his chops. Greyhounds are not only 45 mph couch potatoes, they’re also 45 mph counter surfers!
COUNTER SURFERS! Let me tell you! I puppy sat my daughter and son-in-laws 2 dogs while they went away for their honeymoon. I know Riley and Charley Girl were notorious C/S, so I tried exceptionally hard to keep things put away (my 2 dogs usually don’t touch a thing on the counter) . We have an open cabinet (microwave type) that is about 5 1/2 ft. high that we store bowls, cutting boards, and bread in. I left the house to run errands and upon my return, found empty bread wrappers strewn across the great room! I wondered if one of the skallywags stood on the other’s back, so they could retrieve and enjoy their bounty.
The same stay I happened to leave a glass pyrex loaf pan and a bowl in the sink with water to the top of both. I had just made banana bread and wanted to soak the pan and bowl before washing. Out I ran for another errand. Upon my return I found the bowl and the pyrex laying on the great room floor, unbroken and licked clean! AND not a drop of water was on the floor! Go figure!
I’m sorry.
I have had 3 counter surfing Ibizans.
Priscilla is the shortest at about 5′3″ or better on her hind legs, Mercury was the tallest at around 5′6″.
I felt early on, that keeping them HAPPILY off of the counters would be an exercise in futility. I left milk bones, Scooby Snacks, Bully Sticks etc. on the counter for them {and maybe since they are never fed raw meat} I have never had any problems leaving meats out to thaw…..
BUT I’VE LEARNED THAT I CAN NEVER EVER LEAVE BAKED GOODS OUT !!!!
Especially bread…. ;o)
Oh the places I have found it hidden……
My mom invited a friend over for Thanksgiving dinner. This lady is a gabby sort of person who doesn’t hear very well. She had just filled her plate with all the Thanksgiving goodies and was waiving her hands and telling an endless story - not paying attention to me. First mistake. I jumped on her lap like I do when I want tickles so she mindlessly gave me ear scratches but never looked down, just kept talking. Mistake #2. By the time she reached for her fork to start eating, I’d cleaned per plate clean and was on my way to the sofa for a nap.
Daphne is the queen of counter surfing in our house. When I first got her she managed to eat an entire loaf of banana bread (left cooling on the counter), a 1 pound tub of butter, a package of Twizzler’s candy, and many leftovers from plates in the sink. She is very sneaky and I could never catch her in the act. She would always have such a sweet innocent look on her face as she sat next to the empty wrappers.
Now I am smarter-no more food on the counters-at all!
I have a boxer who is about 9 months old. Chase or nubbies as the kids call him, is a C/S only if we are not home. He nevwer even sniffs at the couter for bread, cakes, meat or poultry if we are home but as soon aw we walk out the door - he is up on the counter (next to the rang top stove) and eating the bread, rolls and spices if I forget to put them up high in the cabinets! I have tin containers for sugar, flour and tea bag that he also helpd himself to if they are not put up high every time we leave the house - even if it is just to start the truck or put the trash out! I never catch him either, even if I close the door behind me and then right away open it real quick - the bread will be gone in less than 5 seconds!
I have tried setting boundries and putting up gates but have just given up Chase always listens when we are home but as soon as we leve, he chews the gate or dosen’t respect the boundries. I just started putting everything on the counters away - I’m always late and when I open the cabinets later on, all that stuff falls on my head ( I’m only 4′11″)! LOL always fun times at the P. house
We have a Siberian Husky who is a master thief, plus she is quickly training her yellow lab brother the finer arts of counter surfing.
Last Thanksgiving our Husky was so well behaved all through the prep, cooking and dinner. I should have known better, her good behaviour should have tipped me off to her real intentions.
While we were all seated and eating at the dining room table, this thief made off with the ENTIRE TURKEY CARCASS that was left on the kitchen counter. She went dashing through the house, past the dining room table, with the carcass in her mouth, looking like a lioness with her “kill”. She raced out the back door before I could catch her, her Lab brother in hot pursuit! She dropped the carcass as she dashed through the door and brother Lab “won” the prized turkey. Neither one could understand the comotion and laughter they caused at the “human” table!!!
PS, we did eventually rescue the turkey carcass from the jaws of destruction, but unfortunately it was not in any shape for the soup pot after those two crazies where finished fighting over it!
Our mini dachshund Tina is a scavenger. We recently got three chickens that have a house and a run with wheels on one end so we can move it to different places in the yard. We move it in the afternoons, and as soon as it is moved, Tina rushes to the spot where it used to sit and begins chowing on the chicken food that the chickens had kicked out of their food pan. I checked with the vet, and he assured me it won’t hurt her, but it does contain molasses and corn, so he warned me that she could chunk up if she eats too much along with her kibble. I am trying to keep her out of the chicken food, but she is very stubborn! I guess since she’s too short to “counter surf”, that if it’s on the ground at her level, it’s fair game, so she “yard surfs”!
Tall pups have nothing on me…I was born to counter surf! Mom says I am part mountain goat…..I just look like a mini doxie! I can get on top of the dining room table in a heartbeat. I have scored a loaf of french bread, dips at Easter Brunch, Ham, and turkey!!! The first thing mom tells guests is please push your dining room chairs all the way in or Ellie will get on the table! My sister Helga sits under the table and doesnt move so they cant push chairs all the way in…I only weigh a bit over 7 pounds…so I dont need much room to squeeze up onto the table!!! My biggest accomplishment to date is mom found me on the mantel at Christmas…but alas…there were no snacks up there BOL!! Just gave mom a heart attack!
I’m not shy. I stole & ate a whole ham Mom was cooking in a crock pot. I dragged it off the counter. The lid shattered (glass) & dented the crock pot. I dragged that greasy ham all over the down stairs before I found the right spot to eat it. (& probably trying to cool it off first too). I also ate a whole cherry cheesecake. I swiped that at Mom’s cook-out while everyone was outside. I’ve taken packages of hamburger/hot dog buns off the counter & ate them too!
My motto is: If you leave it within my reach, I will help myself.
I am “The Malcomator”.
Signed,
Malcolm
No in some part to her height challenge I am sure bol. She is good about” leaving it,” however is is an inveterate paper thief. Used paper goods are the best to her. I am amazed at what some pups do for food.
Being the boney hungry pup she was, I would think she would be a food thief but she’s not.
I don’t really counter surf bit I am the queen of getting up on the table. If any of the human kids in the house walks away from the table and leaves their plate behind I am right up on the chairs and then onto the table. I have even taught myself how to push the chairs out if they are pushed in. I will also steal anything that is left were I can get it in a blink of an eye. Once I stole my human brothers steak right from his plate. I was bad and pushed him off the chair he was on. Mommy wasn’t too happy because I already had mine before they were cooked. (I’m a RAW fed dog)
Reminds me of a saying…. never ask a dog to watch your food….
BOL… I will watch any of my hoomans food, I just can’t promise it will be there when they get back
I’m usually a very good dog. But I’ve been known to countersurf when mommy and daddy leave me alone in the house - I’m a sucker for mom’s high fiber wheat bread and potatoes. Also, daddy made beef jerky once - and boy was it good - I stole the whole bag - he’d left it on the kitchen counter.
While I’m confessing, I’ve stolen pepperoni pizza - left on the coffee table - and once a bag of chocolate - left on the floor in a back room (door to the room was wide open - I was fine (mommy and daddy called the vet just in case - definitely something to let other mommy and daddy’s know about though)…
oh and let me not forget the time, daddy left raw biscuit dough on the counter - I’ll never forget the experience - it was the scariest thing in my life.
I only have 2 counter surfers our of my 4 dogs and the husky isn’t one of them. My malamute/shepherd/wolf mixes have counter surfed since they realized they could stand on 2 legs. wolf has hip dysplasia so that has curbed his surfing but his brother Atasi is up there daily. I purchased 2 Scraminal alwarms and it works.
what works better is i leave nothing on the counter. Nothing. bread is on the microwave and no other food is on my counter.
When it first started happening my ex boyfriend gave me good advice. he said you can keep getting angry or just stop leaving food up there. Neither my GSD nor my siberian jump or sniff the counters. I can walk away with a plate of food on my coffee table and my GSD will not touch it. The 2 bad boys will.
live and learn. try the sraminal alarm it works.
Well, our dog Rosie Is a small carin terrior.
She is the ultimate master minded dog. Almost every time we walked into our kitchen we found small cute ol’ Rosie sitting at our table eating off the dinner plates. Wow it really got annoying sometimes. She would hop up onto the chairs and sit like a human. At one point we thought that she actually was trying to trick us and make us think that she was one of us sitting and eating at the table. Rosie would just eat off the plates and help herself to our dinner. She actually pushed us to getting a higher bar-looking table. Now she only eats off of her doggy bowl. But…lets just say she still gets her share of our meals somehow. Hehehe…
Several weeks ago, my dog ate 18 cans of Fancy Feast cat food from the counter that I had not put away in the cupboard. I found the cans slowly — all opened, flattened, and empty.
Since then, Rigby has developed a CRAVING for cat food. So now he’s on the counters all the time. It is incredible some of the stuff I find in his stash! — looks like some baby gates are in order….
eighteen cans of opened, flattened, empty fancy feast cat food… found slowly, one by two, over the course of two weeks…. and now that my dog rigby has developed a TALENT for counter surfing, it looks like some baby gates are in order, while i am still amused! …..