Any tips for nipping future counter surfing behavior in the bud?

My aussie pup is just shy of 4 months old. It will be another couple months until he’s big enough to actually reach the counter, however, he occasionally likes to investigate smells up there by standing on his hind legs and using his paws for support. He’s never touched human food and actually will walk right by a plate of food that’s left on the coffee table within reach.

My last dog was a huge counter surfer. We were able to get him to lie on the ground while cooking but if food was left unattended and within reach, he would take the shot 80% of the time.

Seems like this is a great time to start training for the future but I’m not sure how to approach. So far I’ve done an “off” command and treat when he does. It works eventually after several tries but I also worry that in his little mind he stands on the cabinet then gets rewarded some time later.