Practice Makes Perfect

I've been fighting the urge to do a year end post. It was not a great year because we lost so many friends and our own Miss Morgan, but I've decided to move ahead and just let 2015 go. Instead I'll let you in on a little problem we're having with Miss Norma Jean.

Portuguese Water Dogs are expert counter surfers. It seems to be in their genes. Fudge broke the habit at an early age when he pulled a towel off the counter. Drying on the towel were several pieces of pottery and a couple broke. That scared the boy into giving up the habit.

Samba, on the other hand, started early. At three months she wasn't tall enough to reach the counter, but she pushed a chair over and was able to reach a plate of cookies. Once they have a success, there's no stopping them. She grabbed a newly opened container of Ben and Jerry's which she shared with Fudge and her best score was an entire turkey just out of the oven. I got that one away from her before she had a chance to eat it.

Samba passed the surfing gene to all her pups. Noah grabbed a piece of lasagna of Rob's plate, right under his nose. Sky stretched for and devoured an entire box of frosted sugar cookies. Bailey has managed to reach several bags of dog treats which she usually shares with her sisters. I've received reports that Gracie helped herself to a take out Mexican dinner while her Mom's back was turned. Each of them check out the counters a couple times a day and I am always reminding Rob to place things out of the reach of those stretchy legs.

This week Norma Jean who checks the counters regularly, made her first score. Rob decided to have a mid-day snack of coffee and a muffin. He put the lemon raspberry muffin on a plate and walked across the room to microwave a cup of coffee. I walked into the kitchen to see Norma Jean standing on tippytoes and eating the muffin from the plate. I yelled and Rob turned in time to save about half his muffin.

Well, after a fine score like that, an enterprising pup isn't going to give up. We were both careful to put anything edible out of reach till yesterday when Rob made himself a sandwich. First he took a nice hoagie roll and covered it with cheddar cheese. He left it on a plate while he cooked up some sausage with onions. When the sausage was ready he carried the pan over to the counter where he'd left the roll, but no roll and no cheese. Also no Norma Jean. The others were standing there watching him, but Norma Jean was in another room finishing off her cheese sandwich.

Now she thinks she's a pro at this counter surfing thing and we have to watch her constantly. During the evening, when everyone else is snoozing in front of the TV, I can hear her checking out the counters. I know most of you are probably aghast at the idea of your dog standing up at the kitchen counter reaching out a leg and pulling a plate of food toward them, but that's normal life with a Portuguese Water Dog. Just ask anyone who lives with them. So I'm trying to think up a way to discourage the girl. I may have to  dig out the shock mat again so that when she touches the counter she gets a shock, but Samba used to stand on the thing and thought it was just a pleasant massage, so that may not do it. I'll let you know if I win this battle.

Now bring on 2016 and we all hope it's a good one for all of Blogville.