Reliable dog suddenly counter-surfing

[mamallama]

My dog (GSD/lab mix) is 5yrs old. I've had him since he was a pup.

He has always had excellent house manners. When people come to the door, he goes to his bed and waits for the ok to get up and greet. He's an all around Good Dog.

I have three kids, and I do occasional home daycare. I've done regular home daycare during this dogs lifetime. Steady stream of babies and toddlers wandering through my house with fistfulls of cheese--no issues with him ever taking food from any of them.

For the first FIVE YEARS he never, ever stole food.

Now, overnight, he suddenly steals food. He has stolen meat off the counter (before dinner!) three times in two weeks. I just caught him with his feet on the stove and a left over scone in his mouth (I snatched it back and made an impressive noise with the tray as I corrected him.)

Why is he doing this?

Nothing has changed. No new dog, no new baby, no new routine, no new stress--nothing that I'm aware of at all.

I've had counter surfing dogs before. I'm pretty confident I can fix the bad behavior (if I can just remember that he's no longer reliable!) but I'm totally at a loss wrt where this is coming from.

Could it be a health issue?

Has anybody had a reliable dog suddenly start stealing?

[Elismum]

I'm so impressed with the manners you describe. Wow! We have a very good-natured Golden who is very good in many ways but he's been a counter surfer since he could get his nose up there. We tried everything but can't get him to stop. We just make sure there's nothing to steal. I don't know why yours would suddenly do this. Our other dog about once a year will stick her nose up there to try to get something. But then it stops. Maybe it's a fluke.

[Girl In The Fire]

Originally Posted by mamallama

Why is he doing this?

Because he is a dog. Dogs evolved to be highly opportunistic creatures and thousands of years of domestication will never erase that. The food is there, it tastes darn good, and it is a self reinforcing behavior if there ever was one.

He may not have realized, until recently, there were delicious things all over the counter.

To solve this may or may not be easy. If it is recent behavior you have a better shot at fixing it. Here is something to get you started http://www.clickertraining.com/node/1034