Posted on Oct. 18 to X with over 244,000 views, a dachshund has captured the internet’s attention through a display of his bottomless appetite.
A woman holds her black and brown dachshund under her arm as she walks by a tray full of Yorkshire puddings. As soon as he’s within reach of the tray, he stretches out his little neck and clamps a hold on one of the puddings. The video zooms in on the dog as it snatches the food, showing his satisfaction in slow motion as he carries the pudding away with him, his owner acting as his getaway car.
— out of context dogs (@contextdogs) October 18, 2023
The American Kennel Club wrote that “counter-surfing” is a problem for dogs of all sizes. In their article, “How to Get Your Dog to Stop Counter Surfing,” Stephanie Gibeault wrote that the first step is to be proactive in not leaving food out in the first place.
Gibeault said, “If your dog never finds food on the counter, they will never think of it as a source of food and won’t bother looking there.” She added, “Unfortunately, even small amounts of forgotten food can cause your dog to develop a bad habit.”
Meal prep times in the kitchen can be an especially tempting time for dogs to counter surf, and Gibeault encouraged dog owners to preoccupy their dogs during this time to keep them from stealing food.
Putting your dog in his kennel during meal prep times or having him stay in his dog bed will teach him that stealing food is not acceptable.
Gibeault concludes her article by encouraging dog owners to make sure everyone in the family is on board with your specific counter surfing prevention. She added, “If you remove all temptation and never allow your dog to eat off the counter, it will be far easier to teach them new behavior patterns and eventually eliminate counter-surfing altogether.”