How can I stop my dog from counter surfing?

One of many dog behavioural problems encountered is counter surfing.  A typical scenario is we have John and Sara intently watching a TV movie. Their dog, Rover, slowly gets up and heads for the kitchen. As the movie ends, Sara notices Rover on his bedding repeatedly licking his lips and a trail of crumbs and blue goop come from the kitchen. Sara leaps up and heads for the kitchen and notices the table a disaster zone of blueberries and crust pieces coming from what was a beautifully baked pie.

One suggestion is to make sure the counters/tables are cleared of items that the dog could get into. Also, as a safety net, one would put temporary barriers (doors, folding gates, etc.) to prevent the dog from entering those areas it’s not permitted to be in. For example, if the dog is in the living room with you, then he/she should be contained in the room with you so that you can fully monitor him/her. After all, there’s always a chance that one might forget to clear items on that table and/or counter.

However, this is only part of the solution to counter surfing. One must also add a positive and motivational daily dog obedience training routine to help modify this behaviour problem.