Surface surfing

WHY?

Dogs jump up on tables, counters, highchairs, and shelves because they are opportunistic scavengers and they are curious. Surface surfing can be a particularly challenging behavior to stop once it has already begun, most especially if your dog has ever scored a goodie from the surface they explored!

PREDICTABLE!

Surface surfing along with scavenging trash bins are predictable behaviors that you can expect to see from your dog so if you have a new puppy or a recently adopted dog you will want to keep a keen eye and act immediately if you see your dog showing interest in any high surfaces.

PREVENTION!

Set your new puppy, adolescent, recently adopted, or even veteran surfer up for success by making attractive surfaces inaccessible! Depending on your home this might mean surrounding your counter and table with tall gates, keeping your garbage can up high or in a childproof cupboard, gating off access to the kitchen when you are not able to supervise, using tethers or crates, or removing the item all together (see you later coffee table).  To resolve surface surfing your dog must never be put in a position to practice the behavior. For young dogs who have not yet developed the habit, they must never be put in a position to have access to any surfaces while they are still developing mentally and physically. After a certain point in their development those surfaces will become irrelevant to them because they never became a source of reinforcement.

TRAINING SOLUTIONS.

Training solutions will not be effective without prevention!

Enrich the floor – Make the floor more interesting and reinforcing than the surfaces your dog has become interested in, for best results try to mimic what they are getting out of the surfing behavior, which is the opportunity to sniff, hunt, scavenge and problem solve. Treat scavenger hunts, hidden stuffed puzzle toys and chews, and surprise smears of peanut butter on the floor are good options.

Teach a default leave it – This entails capturing and rewarding your dog for making the choice on their own to turn away from a surface they were interested in without having jumped up on it first.

Teach leave it - When you are supervising your dog you would use “leave it” to cue your dog to walk away from the surface they are showing interest in.

Teach off – When you are supervising your dog and you missed your opportunity to cue “leave it”, you would use “off” to cue your dog to remove themselves from the surface they are on.

Station training – This entails teaching your dog exactly where they should be in any given room. A station is typically a raised dog bed or a dog mat. Your dog is taught to go to and stay on the station until released.