So, hubby has decreed dog should have house time - provided his paws are wiped clean and he's not shedding (yeah, right, huh?  )

Last night was first time he's been inside when he wasn't either sick, being de-ticked or the time he escaped and we opened the door to "capture" him.  And maybe I'm not the brightest bulb in the pack but I decided to bring him in after our evening walk while I cleaned up the kitchen  .  Let's see: dirty ice-cream bowls on the island, scrunched up aluminum foil in the recycling bin from the ham I baked, empty peanut butter jar soaking in the sink...you get the picture.

Major counter-surfing.  My usual, turn my back and walk away is not gonna work for this.  Nor is removing him - by the time I've put my shoes on, grabbed attached his leash and scooted him outside, the immediacy of the response is lost.  At the first leap to the ice cream bowls, I just hauled him off and gave a loud no.  Immediately he was on the stove, checking out the bowl I buttered the beets in - I instinctively gave him a light tap on the nose and said a loud NO again - but I don't want to be hitting him no matter how light the tap is...I resorted to rolling up a BJ's flier and slapping loudly against my hand - any other suggestions would be more than welcome.

Thank you!

It's going to have to be a gradual process. Maybe only allow Ami access to a certain area to start out, and then gradually expand that for good behavior, just like you would with a puppy. Once he gets kitchen access, try tethering so that he is always supervised?

Or baby gates? keep him out of the kitchen while you are to busy to keep an eye on him.

I found two different youtube videos on ways to train dogs to not counter surf. I watched them and they seam to have good tips you could give those a try.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYsdozy4fVc&list=UUZzFRKsgVMhGTxffpzgTJlQ


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZCIeEUm_n8&index=30&list=PLF26FD559887E7EA4

our rescue has always suggested spray bottles with water in them to spray when they get up on the counter.
most of this also comes down to you humans doing a better job cleaning up so the dog cant get to anything. we have trash cans with lids on them now so they dont eat out of them and for the most part S&J are not that bad. i have learned you can not leave raw meat out unattended or it will get eaten, even with mostly good behavior somethings are just more important, like steak and chicken! we use a baby gate during the day to keep them downstairs and all the trash is put away behind a door and anything they may eat is up high, its all about house proofing. this will take time so you just need to stay on top of the training inside and he will get it.

Unfortunately, the kitchen and laundry room are where he is allowed at the moment - the rest of the public rooms have oriental carpets and all sorts of collectibles (husband likes old things - which is good, I'm a cradle robber  ) and the kitchen is where we congregate as well as the only room with wood floor. We also have to keep the allergens away from the bedroom end of the house.

Those videos looked really helpful and boy, do I have a long way to go   Ami's "leave it" is...rudimentary, at best. He is, however, enormously treat driven (we have routine before his walks called "trick or treat": I put him on his leash, we go to the front door, I ring the bell, husband comes to the door, Ami sits with alacrity, husband gives Ami 2 pieces of kibble - one "hidden" in each hand.

I will be getting a baby gate - but to keep him IN the kitchen, not out. For his first time, I just blocked the entry from the kitchen to the family room with a big panel of cardboard - just leaned up against it. Really cracked me up - dog could see over it, husband was on the other side at the computer, Ami would look over   but totally respected the barrier. I'm guessing he won't remain stupid forever and figure out that he can just grab that piece of cardboard and shred it  One of the intriguing things about Ami is how quickly he learns boundries and completely does not challenge them. Very un-husky!

jbealer wrote:

our rescue has always suggested spray bottles with water in them to spray when they get up on the counter.
most of this also comes down to you humans doing a better job cleaning up so the dog cant get to anything. we have trash cans with lids on them now so they dont eat out of them and for the most part S&J are not that bad. i have learned you can not leave raw meat out unattended or it will get eaten, even with mostly good behavior somethings are just more important, like steak and chicken! we use a baby gate during the day to keep them downstairs and all the trash is put away behind a door and anything they may eat is up high, its all about house proofing.  this will take time so you just need to stay on top of the training inside and he will get it.

Yeah - it dawned on me, a little late, that maybe bringing him in WHILE I cleaned up instead of AFTER, was not my best idea. I need a new basket for my recycling, anyway so I'll get a covered one and I can stick the compost bucket under the sink.

My first husky was really weird - I didn't have to worry about raw meat or cheese but if there were tomatoes on the counter, they were gone! I like the spray bottle idea - any chance that will be an invitation to play with the spray rather than a deterrant?

I think part of last night was just his excitement at something new with all sorts of smells. The other times he's been in the house for any length of time is when he's been sick enough that I am worried. Or restrained while we remove ticks.  

amymeme wrote:

Yeah - it dawned on me, a little late, that maybe bringing him in WHILE I cleaned up instead of AFTER, was not my best idea.  
My first husky was really weird - I didn't have to worry about raw meat or cheese but if there were tomatoes on the counter, they were gone!
 I like the spray bottle idea - any chance that will be an invitation to play with the spray rather than a deterrant?

I think part of last night was just his excitement at something new with all sorts of smells.  

yeah we do need to use our heads sometimes when it comes to these guys!   
i have never had to use a spray bottle but i know its 50/50, if the dog likes water it may not work, using a clicker or something that makes noise might work better to catch their attention.
and yes once the being inside excitement wears off, training will get easier also with this being hubbies idea i hope he is helping with the training!

jbealer wrote:

yeah we do need to use our heads sometimes when it comes to these guys!   
i have never had to use a spray bottle but i know its 50/50, if the dog likes water it may not work, using a clicker or something that makes noise might work better to catch their attention.
and yes once the being inside excitement wears off, training will get easier  also with this being hubbies idea i hope he is helping with the training!

Uhhh...hubby is a sweet, kind, compassionate, gentle man...his idea of correcting Ami is a very gentle voice that tries to reason with him, cooing "no no puppy, you can't do that, no"...But, he is absolutely consistent and firm in his expectations and has never undermined me, not with children, not with dog, so in that way he helps. He also is a good reminder for me because I am not so relentlessly consistent.  

Oh the joys of counter surfing. I definitely need to watch those videos.

Mishka is licking the sink or pots and pans any chance he gets. He leaves food I put on the counter alone for the most part but he has managed to snatch things and if I actually walk away and he's around (which he's ALWAYS around when food is involved) he may get ballsy and take it.

I have tried the loud noises, stern no's, keeping him out of the kitchen was the first step but we hated the baby gate and his food and water is in the kitchen so that got nixed not long after. Telling him to get down works but it hasn't stopped him from trying to snatch or lick things.