Available at most bookstores, this how-to tome covers problems from clawing and counter cruising to whiskers and wild birds.
—Patricia Dibsie, "Holiday gifts for our best friends," The San Diego Union-Tribune, December 7, 2000
Dogs and cats have been poaching food from kitchen countertops for ages, so it's a bit surprising that today's phrase is only about five years old, which, on the other hand, is about 35 in dog years
*. A similar term —
counter surfing — was coined around 1999. (A synonym —
counter surfingM/i> — dates only to about 1999.)
(* Yes, I know that the old "1 dog year equals 7 human years" formula is outdated, so please hold off on the e-corrections. The most commonly accepted replacement formula is that each of a dog's first 2 years is the equivalent of 10 human years, and each subsequent year is the equivalent of 5 human years. Therefore, five dog years is still equivalent to 35 human years. Other formulas exist and the mileage varies depending on the breed, yadda yadda yadda.)
