When Rio was younger she had the habit of jumping on the kitchen counter in search of food - any food! This pesky habit is called counter-surfing, and folks it is normal dog behavior. You see dogs are scavengers by design so they can’t help themselves if we humans use our kitchen counters and tables to prepare food, leave food around, etc. Meet the clashes of two veerryyy different species!
Two nights ago I realized that I had left some food on the counter, cheese I think - a very high value food - while John and I watched a TV program.
To my surprise, as I entered the kitchen was that the cheese remained intact while Rio was resting on her bed in the kitchen area.
The visual of the cheese and Rio in the same room took me back to a time when Robin, our friend and occasional pet-sitter, told us that the found Rio on top of the kitchen island, just hangin’.
We are still trying to figure out, between laughs, how she managed to get up there since it is not so low. And Rio is not telling.
In time and with strict management which involves leaving no food on the counters at anytime… I know, there is something wrong with this picture: Rio, who pays the freakin’ mortgage every month??? I should be able to use my counters, no? Rio has stopped counter-surfing!
Counter-surfing is a difficult behavior to modify if the dog has had long history of successes. And get this; the dog will be even more persistent if he has gotten lucky only on occasion. This is a typical example of a thin schedule of reinforcement (AKA: Variable schedule of reinforcement)… think of Las Vegas here and why people continue to bet. Same thing, just different participant playing the odds.
Now, why did Rioja stopped playing the odds? It is very possible that she outgrew that specific behavior once she realized she was getting enough to eat? Maybe. But as I am writing this I doubt that is the only reason. Remember: It comes hard-wired!
away ASAP.
Come to think of it, perhaps Rio is a neat freak and this was her way of getting us to clean up our act.
Two nights ago I realized that I had left some food on the counter, cheese I think - a very high value food - while John and I watched a TV program.
To my surprise, as I entered the kitchen was that the cheese remained intact while Rio was resting on her bed in the kitchen area.
The visual of the cheese and Rio in the same room took me back to a time when Robin, our friend and occasional pet-sitter, told us that the found Rio on top of the kitchen island, just hangin’.
We are still trying to figure out, between laughs, how she managed to get up there since it is not so low. And Rio is not telling.
In time and with strict management which involves leaving no food on the counters at anytime… I know, there is something wrong with this picture: Rio, who pays the freakin’ mortgage every month??? I should be able to use my counters, no? Rio has stopped counter-surfing!
Counter-surfing is a difficult behavior to modify if the dog has had long history of successes. And get this; the dog will be even more persistent if he has gotten lucky only on occasion. This is a typical example of a thin schedule of reinforcement (AKA: Variable schedule of reinforcement)… think of Las Vegas here and why people continue to bet. Same thing, just different participant playing the odds.
Now, why did Rioja stopped playing the odds? It is very possible that she outgrew that specific behavior once she realized she was getting enough to eat? Maybe. But as I am writing this I doubt that is the only reason. Remember: It comes hard-wired!
Is it probable that the reasons she stopped are?
- Plenty of available food on a consistent schedule (am & pm with a daily snacky-snack mid-day)
- Good management: No food to continue to reinforce the Counter-surfing
- Short history of reinforcement. In other words, we nipped it in the bud right away.
away ASAP.
Come to think of it, perhaps Rio is a neat freak and this was her way of getting us to clean up our act.
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