What is Self-Rewarding Behavior?:
A lot of habits that make a dog owner cringe are the things the dog has taught himself, where the very action the dog takes results in a reward, with no human intervention. Counter-surfing, garbage-eating, and food stealing are a few of these unwanted behaviors that are self-rewarding.
A lot of habits that make a dog owner cringe are the things the dog has taught himself, where the very action the dog takes results in a reward, with no human intervention. Counter-surfing, garbage-eating, and food stealing are a few of these unwanted behaviors that are self-rewarding.
How to Stop :
The easiest method of preventing a self-rewarding behavior is by removing the temptation completely, or lessening the "reward" factor by adding a negative stimulus. How great is the reward that offers the temptation? Is it enough to overcome a very scary result of your dog's actions?
By "negative" I do not mean punishment by yourself or another human. I'm talking about a direct reaction from the object taken, or turned over that would counter the temptation of the reward.
The easiest method of preventing a self-rewarding behavior is by removing the temptation completely, or lessening the "reward" factor by adding a negative stimulus. How great is the reward that offers the temptation? Is it enough to overcome a very scary result of your dog's actions?
By "negative" I do not mean punishment by yourself or another human. I'm talking about a direct reaction from the object taken, or turned over that would counter the temptation of the reward.
If your dog knows that there is a lovely steak left on the counter and it presents a great temptation, is that temptation enough to overcome something like very loud bells going off over his head when he puts his nose on the counter? Is it strong enough to be worth the irritation of having your paws stuck to the counter with sticky tape?
If this is starting to sound suspiciously like entrapment, well ... it is. The greatest lesson learned is one taught by one's self, not through intervention.
If this is starting to sound suspiciously like entrapment, well ... it is. The greatest lesson learned is one taught by one's self, not through intervention.
A Fine Example - Counter-Surfing:
Counter-surfing is really best treated by putting all the food away, and not leaving anything on the counter. However, this is the real world, and some things are better thawed from a frozen state before being eaten (Christmas turkeys come to mind). To put an end to counter-surfing, I do recommend booby-trapping the reward. However, don't wait until the last minute to do this, or you might find that your dog is unusually unflappable and your Christmas turkey has pulled off a vanishing act.
Counter-surfing is really best treated by putting all the food away, and not leaving anything on the counter. However, this is the real world, and some things are better thawed from a frozen state before being eaten (Christmas turkeys come to mind). To put an end to counter-surfing, I do recommend booby-trapping the reward. However, don't wait until the last minute to do this, or you might find that your dog is unusually unflappable and your Christmas turkey has pulled off a vanishing act.
A few weeks before the Big Thaw set up your trap. Okay, it's a gorgeous day, perhaps it's a good day to work outside, or go for a walk, but gee, you know this steak (or chicken piece, or bread loaf) just has to be thawed before dinner. You set it out on the counter like always, studiously ignoring the avid eyes watching you from across the room. You leave the house, but wait quietly for the "Surfer" to take advantage of your absence.
Sure enough, a little while later, you hear the loud crash of several pop cans tumbling from a neat stack at the back the counter, and the subsequent rattling as your dog tries to run away with the prize with the cans still tied to it. Once the rattling stops, go on back in and see who won. Is the "prize" still tied intact to the pop cans? If it is, congratulations! Your dog has just learned that some things aren't worth the ear irritation.
To set the trap, find a piece of tempting meat that you won't feel too bad about losing if this doesn't work. Use a good number of empty soda cans, maybe ten, and stack them all on the counter. Using duct-tape, tape a string to the bottom row of cans, so they are well connected, and wrap the other end of the string around the piece of bait. Make the sure that the string used is at least two feet long, enough to get a good "drag" out when the bait is taken.
The end result should have the bait pulling down the stack of cans when the dog takes it, resulting in a loud crash, and four or five cans from the bottom row "chasing" him as he tries to get away with the bait. Once he drops the bait, the noise will stop, a reward in itself. If he tries to pick up the bait again, the cans will once again, chase him from the room until he stops.
Good Luck!
Good Luck!