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Bench Surfers!


Nic.B
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Even a big wide pet gate?

Yep and we're also renting so can't fix anything to the wall, there's also no door way into the kitchen so no where to attach the baby gates to :laugh: And we'd have to fence off the entire island bench as well, which is in the middle of the room.

I'm not looking for a solution though - we have fixed food stealing as I mentioned above, I was just explaining why baby gates etc aren't an option for everyone. It also wouldn't actually stop the dog's desire to steal the food, so the behaviour isn't being altered and I know a dog like Daisy if managed would still steal food at any given opportunity she can find.

Doesn't sound like the designer had kids. :laugh: It's the kind of home I've always loved but glad I didn't have. :)

:laugh: Gotta love that "survival instinct!

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Love all the bench surfing stories! Thanks for your help guys :)

I was sitting on the couch the other day and Fern came mooching over as usual. When she walked away I looked down and she had brought me an orange. I put that back and sat back down, she came back and then plonked down two bananas :laugh:

Shes a big girl, so can reach just about anything!

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I've lost roast before too, ours was the leftover we left on the bench to cool before we packed it away though! Once we are dished up we hide ours in the microwave these days!

Latest counter surfing incident was the other day, stupidly left a block of chocolate on the dining table and miss Piranha (aka gossip) decided to eat the leftover 3/4 of the block to herself!! Luckily it didn't make her sick at all, I have no idea how she wasnt with how much she ate!!

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Penny stole an uncooked leg of lamb off the counter while I was outside picking rosemary for it. I was gone for just a few seconds and when I came it it was gone. I went roaring out the other door, snatched it off her, washed it and cooked it. :laugh: If it was Kibah or the boys I dont think I could have caught them, I'm pretty sure they'd run with it. I'd have to wait until they'd eaten their fill.

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The mouse trap idea might work, as long as they dont hurt her nose...she has got a big goofy head though. We are going out to look at baby gates today (I thought the baby gates part of my life was over!)

I would have done the same as you Kirislin if I could have :laugh: The things we do.

The lamb was deboned so she was through it in no time.

I bought some lamb for them all at the butcher. I wished I had fed them early now.

Shes a bugger, though I love her to bits!

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We installed the baby gates after a s/s bain marie dish with 3kg of meat thawing in it waltzed past me in the jaws of a very determined Lab. He was most disturbed by the gates :laugh:

:laugh: I cant wait to see the look on Ferns face when we set up the baby gates! I just hope she doesnt go over them!

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When you breed cats you learn to put everything away & put them in another room when cooking. Big woks are handy to have around. Not to cook in but to turn upside down & put over the hot element until it cools.

My toy poodle can clear a 4 foot barrier with ease & jump on the kitchen work surfaces but will only be tempted by meat or chicken.

I wouldn't trust any animal near food. I turned my back for 10 seconds once & found my fillet steak in the jaws of 2 cats.

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my cats do not jump on tables or benches.. . Oh- I lie ... if I'm outside at night, Mr/W will sit on the draining board and look out the kitchen window ...:). I would be most unhappy if I had cats/dogs who did that ..... food stealing has happened a few times, but not many.(it is usually a cooling cake,or dog's meat left on sink) I can be eating something in the lounge..get up, leave a plate on the arm of a chair/couch ..and it will all still be there when I come back :)

The grey plastic snap traps make a good noise, and won't hurt a dog ...

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You could try setting mouse traps up there. It might frighten her off when they "!!snap!!"

Oooh good idea, our latest is a bench surfer, little bugger also rummages through my handbag for left over lunch! might have to invest in some of those little grey traps to stop him

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When you breed cats you learn to put everything away & put them in another room when cooking. Big woks are handy to have around. Not to cook in but to turn upside down & put over the hot element until it cools.

My toy poodle can clear a 4 foot barrier with ease & jump on the kitchen work surfaces but will only be tempted by meat or chicken.

I wouldn't trust any animal near food. I turned my back for 10 seconds once & found my fillet steak in the jaws of 2 cats.

My cats worked out quickly with a squirt from the water pistol that benches and tables were a no go, it was the ruled by the stomach dogs that were slow, or should I say more determined.

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We have rarely ever had any food stolen by dogs or cats when we had them and the few times it has happened the food was literally visible over the edge. Our fault not theirs. The kitchen table and benches are simply out of bounds and they know they are not allowed to put a paw on them. The dogs will stand on their back legs to see what is there and lick the table edge but it is hard to pinch stuff if you cannot put a paw against it. The first time any of them ever made any attempt to jump up to put paws on a bench or table I would slam my hand down on it very loudly and roar at them. They soon get the message that anything up there is not theirs.

I do not leave anything tempting near the edge and make sure I push chairs in around the table but the no paws on the table or bench rule has always worked for us. I cannot ever remember any dog or cat ever actually jumping onto a kitchen table or bench.

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When you breed cats you learn to put everything away & put them in another room when cooking. Big woks are handy to have around. Not to cook in but to turn upside down & put over the hot element until it cools.

My toy poodle can clear a 4 foot barrier with ease & jump on the kitchen work surfaces but will only be tempted by meat or chicken.

I wouldn't trust any animal near food. I turned my back for 10 seconds once & found my fillet steak in the jaws of 2 cats.

My cats worked out quickly with a squirt from the water pistol that benches and tables were a no go, it was the ruled by the stomach dogs that were slow, or should I say more determined.

We use a water bottle for Pepper cat, that drives me mad as well though she causes much less damage.

Fern on the other hand is not so little and everything must be put away from the bench. Bread, butter, fruit, roast, or anything else.

We have been to bunnings and have a good baby gate, will set it up.

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OMG we have abnormal dogs :eek:

They know that plates are off limits and that they are not allowed to eat out of each others bowls unless invited to by me. And the two girls are absolute pigs when it comes to food. Any food. Baylee and Dee will come and find me to ask if they can finish off Zephyr's dinner.

One night I had just dished up home made spag bol and the CFA pager went off. We dashed out of the house with two bowls of fresh spag bol on the coffee table. When we got back 4 hours later it was still all there. Not a bit was missing. So we microwaved it and had a late dinner.

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We've ended up training ourselves more than we've trained the dog.

We never ever leave any food on the bench that he can get. I can walk out of the room for a minute or so as long as he can still year me and I tell him I'm watching him but any longer than that and anything is fair game. If we must leave the kitchen and we have food that is out it gets put on top of or in the microwave as he can't get to it then.

He is fairly picky though and truly believes that you don't win friends with salad so it's really only meat or bread we need to worry about. Fruit and veggies are ok as he has no interest in those.

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OMG we have abnormal dogs :eek:

They know that plates are off limits and that they are not allowed to eat out of each others bowls unless invited to by me. And the two girls are absolute pigs when it comes to food. Any food. Baylee and Dee will come and find me to ask if they can finish off Zephyr's dinner.

One night I had just dished up home made spag bol and the CFA pager went off. We dashed out of the house with two bowls of fresh spag bol on the coffee table. When we got back 4 hours later it was still all there. Not a bit was missing. So we microwaved it and had a late dinner.

My other dogs have always been like this too, plates are a big no-no, as are benches, cups etc etc...this new one? lord its like he is never going to learn, he found a tupperware container with a tiny bit of tupperware in the backpack I've been taking to work...the other day I lost an apple out of my handbag!

ETA...I saved the tupperware (thank god lol)

Edited by GoldenGirl85
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