Dogs are opportunist scavengers and love to find food!

Meet and use their scavenger needs – use this everywhere where they are allowed to, at home, on walks. Toss kibble on the floor or grass or hide it for them to find. Let your dog sniff and explore on walks.

What’s the best way to keep your pup’s feet off the counters? Prevent them in the first place.

Pups are really adventurous and like to investigate the world around them. They will try things out and if they lead to good outcomes, they will repeat them.

One behavior which is often accidentally reinforced is counter surfing. Pups grow quickly and areas which were out of reach one day, rapidly become accessible as your pup grows. This can lead to them jumping up and stealing something tasty or fun off the table or kitchen worktop. Every time your pup finds something good, the more they will jump up on surfaces in the future.

To prevent this becoming a habit for your pup, put management in place. Clear all counters and tables as well as block access to zones which might be tempting for your pup.

You can then teach your pup to settle on their bed instead and reward this highly so your pup reliably chooses to do this instead of counter surfing.

Remember don’t leave things to chance – be prepared, implement management and set your pup up for success.