Dog jumps on table or counter and lies there...help!?

My 60 lb. hound mix dog loves to either lie on the kitchen table or counter when no one is home. We have tried barricading him out of the kitchen but he seems to get through. I can no longer leave any food out, even food that I am thawing for dinner. We can be gone 10 minutes or 10 hours, does not matter, he is up on either the counter or table. I have laid newspapers, magazines, even soup cans on the edge of the table, yet he still manages a way up there. What can we do to stop this very bad behavior? He has three dog beds and blankets to lie on yet he prefers to lie up high when no one is around....why???? Please help - any suggestions?