Fortunately, only one of my dogs is a counter surfer. Unfortunately, that dog is over 31 inches tall on four legs(Shadow), and can reach any point on any counter. I have to keep everything that is edible off the counters, and most things that are non-edible (to most), like towels, wash cloths, sponges, etc. At night, the trash container goes into the bathroom, as he has taught himself how to open the kitchen cabinets. Although Molly does not counter-surf, she is a masterful beggar. One day I had a friend over to watch the football game on TV. He was seated on the couch eating a pizza roll. Molly walked over, sat down in front of him and rested her chin on the couch, turning her big puppy-dog eyes up at him. Credit my friend, he did not give in.