Hi everyone,
I've noticed my setter is becoming somewhat the thief...I have caught her so many times leaning up with her front legs on the work surfaces, and noteable things have changed places such as gloves, pens, paper, etc.  I rang the breeder as short of watching her 24/7 and putting her in an empty room the moment I'm not in the room (i.e going to the loo) I'm a bit of a loss as to how to train it out of her as I'm not one to smack or shout at her, but she looks at me with a dopey mischievous look!  I've taken things off the work surfaces but alas hasn't deterred her from climbing up, even though there's nothing for her to grab.  My staffies and Boxer aren't like this, seems to be a setter trait.  Anyone had this and had any successful training tips?

Hi Nicky, I also have a naughty young Irish Setter. Rory is 14 months and he takes things off the kitchen benches too. I had to train myself not to leave anything lying around that I didn't want him to get hold of. I'm afraid that's the only thing I thought I could do. Now if he pinches the dish cloth I tell myself it's my own fault, I should have put it out of his reach.

Dawn R.

Arrrgh, I don't know why all that has come out in bold.

Hate to tell you but my 4 year old gordon still counter-surfs and will steal food if we leave it in reach - we just make sure there is nothing for her to steal. Sometimes she just does it to be nosey, she love to know whats going on and all strange objects need investigation!  One danger to be aware of though - we have a gas cooker and she often managed to turn on the gas!! We had to cover the knobs with a tupperware container to stop her from catching them. Fortunately our back door was always open so the gas could escape otherwise we could have been blown up a couple of times til we worked out what she was doing!

We have a counter surfer here too. He will even take washing up out of the bowl and has a particular thing for teaspoons.

I can also second the risk with cookers. My pup set light to the kitchen while we were out in Oct, he not only turned on the gas but also ignited it setting light to some cardboard he had dragged onto the cooker.

typical setter
you learn not to leave anything on the counter
some of mine did it, other did not
you say no a lot,lol
plenty of safe toys on the floor worked for some of mine

<<We have a counter surfer here too>>

Our WSS has lately developed a habit of counter surfing while we are out and ignores his own treats completely--he is normally completely unmoved by food but for some reason is obsessed with baguettes...had to laugh the other day when we came home to find him wanting to run to say hello to us with 3 feet of bread sticking out of his jaws--he couldn't get through the livingroom door.

I also know where to look now when my glasses and mobile phone go 'missing.'

Sounds like she's just looking for ways to amuse herself, she's still very young.  A few ways of dealing with it, firstly making sure that you clear work surfaces or leave stuff far enough back out of reach, if she never gets hold of stuff it will become boring for her to jump up. 

I would also make sure she has plenty to do and can amuse herself in an appropriate way while you aren't around such as stuffed kongs or treat balls.  Making sure she gets enough mental stimulation, such as training, find it games etc will mean she's less llikely to find things to do for herself.  If she doesn't already know it then teach a reliable 'off' for when you are around and reward her for appropriate behaviour; that combined with management so she doesn't get the reward of finding stuff will likely make her realise that feet on the floor is more rewarding.

My youngster, same age as yours has been unwell for some months and is suddenly feeling a lot better and is going through a second puppy hood, which includes stealing, usually things that make me laugh like my underwear as I'm trying to get dressed, she's also doing a little munching of fairly harmless things while I'm out, like paper etc.  I wanted to get her out of the habit of it because if I leave an important letter lying around I would rather it wasn't 'read' by Isha :-) so I save up toilet roll holders envelopes etc and leave them in strategic places, just about head level and just poking over the edge, and clear anything I don't want touched out the way.  For a couple of weeks these thing were the 'stolen' and chewed items and nothing I didn't want chewed had been touched.  A few weeks on and she's got bored and nothing has been chewed at all because I haven't been rushing to grab things up when I came in so it's not a game for her any more.  She's aways left with a stuffed kong to chew on aswell.

Is she just taking stuff and moving it rather than chewing it, personally that's the kind of character I love :-D

I have two naughty old setters !! at 4 and 5 they still steal stuff, if I turn my back whilst putting socks on by the time I turn round the other sock will be in Fagans mouth and half way up they garden. Alfie likes to walk around with one of my wooly hats in his mouth, or if there isnt one of those about he will go and get a sock.

When at my mums Fagan goes off upstairs and re-appears with a pair of trousers or a jumper - its all a big game, I dont think they will ever grow out of it.

A funny tale my OH visits his mum regular with Jake his Border collie, he trots in says hello to nanny and sits looking at the biscuit jar, she asks if he wants a biscuit, one bark and he gets a biscuit. She is a fantastic cook, in the lounge was a selection of chocolate cakes, mince pies ect for christmas distribution. OH let him in the lounge and caught him licking the chocolate cakes!! We had the mince pies ourselves and didnt tell her about the added lick factor which his dog gave to his sister's cake!!!

Mine will nick anything in reach, sometimes the border pulls it down so the cocker can have his share!!!
Cooperative our minx's.

Whistler (cocker) licks the plates in the dishwasher if your back is turned!!!!!!! Nasty nasty, like the "counter surfer" moniker. Cleaning consists of all floor's and everything about cocker height... handle of the fridge, oven, counter, washing machine if its there it fair game.

Oh what fun they are!!

Khan is a Counter Surfer Supreme! (English Setter 7months) His favourite trick is to reach to the back of the sink and behind the taps so he can parade around the house with the dishcloth in his mouth! I'm afraid he is now banned from the kitchen on his own as we just don't own enough cupboards to put things away anymore, too much stress anyway!! The hall is the only safe place for him when he's on his own! He also seems so much happier there too!
This came into force when he greeted me with a kitchen knife in his mouth!! He'd managed to knock over the knife block and literally had a bed of knives when I came home from work! Amazingly no injuries!
However if he comes into the kitchen when I am cooking he is now learning that all four paws on the floor and nose off the table means a treat may come his way!!
I love him to bits and although all these traits can be frustrating I marvel at his skill in trying to get something in absolute silence even though he knows we are watching!
It's a shame he doesn't put that much work into recall! (but that's another story!)

My American cocker is 7 in April and as much of a thief or worse as he ever was! Sorry!

Well, certain terriers are also tealeafs. Whilst lacking the height of a Setter, they will still try to lay their little paws, and teeth, on anything they can. However, objects are not just silently moved, rather they are shaken, whilst running at top speed, and killed (destroyed that is).

My GR pup used to do that a lot at first. Thankfully she seems to have grown out of it. I just had to push everything away from the edge of worktops, desks etc or just put somewhere higher or closed. After a while, I think she just gave up because she wouldn't find anything to nick. She's had a fair few of my pens before that and a couple of books (which I was VERY unhappy with), letters, spoons and once, a sock. The pens, books and sock are no more...
You can always hope she might grow out of it after a few frustrated atempts? I now just live in anticipation of any mischief and so prevent any temptation. It's just become a habit. Do not let anything out that she can reach.

But when i'm home, she is ever so good now and i can even leave my tray of food on the settee while I go and get salt or butter in the kitchen and she won't touch it.

You could try booby-trapping something, like a cloth tied to a can with pebbles or coins in (rattles as it flies over the edge of the counter), so she grabs the cloth to run off with it and the rattly can comes too.
This may work in putting her off.

my Springer was the same when she was younger.  OH was thoroughly fed up with me telling him consyantly to put the dish cloth to the back of the sink...

She stopped after a few months of telling her 'off', 'no', 'a-a'.  She eventually gave up.  Now I can leave eveything on the work top, she never puts a paw up :)

> Hate to tell you but my 4 year old gordon still counter-surfs and will steal food if we leave it in reach

Sometimes they are so cunning too.  One of the first things my Beardies learned was the command "leave".  When I told my vet this story, and he asked if the dogs had been told to "leave" I had to admit no!

I had taken a chicken out of the oven, and left it to cool on top of the cooker.  I popped upstairs, and returned to see my eldest Beardie girl carrying the chicken to her bed.  I have to say it looked hilarious, and I had to try and keep a straight face.

Using my sternest voice, I said Myfanwy leave.  She immediately put the chicken on the floor, and slunk to her bed as if I'd beaten her.  I couldn't believe it when I picked it up - there wasn't even a wing dropped off, it was totally entire!  Have to admit that I didn't fancy it after it had been on the floor, but I couldn't let her think that she was being rewarded, so the dogs didn't get it until the following day, when she would have forgotten about it anyway.

I still think it was pretty damn good of her that she actually put it down when told!