For many people, a dog on the furniture is taboo, an unacceptable behavior. Others may be wishy-washy in their choice, which is unfair to the dog. Once the dog becomes used to getting on the couch or bed, it becomes a learned behavior. Fortunately, any learned behavior can be unlearned if everyone in the household consistently enforces the new rules.
When you’re making the decision on whether to allow your dog on or off furniture, be aware that one big consideration is ensure that your dog has his own spot. This might be an extra special comfy dog bed or blanket in the room where you’re spending most of your time. Some folks designate one piece of furniture as the dog’s place to keep her off other pieces of furniture, which is fine if you’re consistent. Reward your dog for seeking out the right spot to rest.
How to Keep Dogs Off The Furniture
If your dog has never climbed onto the furniture, don’t encourage it. Instead, reward her with a yummy treat for seeking out her own spot.
If your dog already climbs on the furniture, you will need to re-educate her. Again, start by consistently not allowing her to climb on the furniture. You might be able to do this by blocking her access to the furniture, whether you use pillows or piles of blankets the dog can’t possibly crawl up or a barrier like a baby gate (more on this below). Never use aggressive actions like trying to pull her off the furniture or using noisemakers to scare her off. These actions are not positive training techniques.
If you’re in another room or not at home, and your dog is free in the house instead of in a crate, you will need to use a blockade method:
- Close bedroom doors and block off access to rooms where the temptation is greatest.
- Strategically place boxes or turn the couch cushions to physically block access.
- Consider using room barriers like baby gates. They are convenient, easy to install, and designed to not damage furniture.
Keep in mind, though, where there’s a will there’s a way and many dogs figure out ways to jump over, climb up, dig under, or push aside barriers. Choose your barriers with that in mind. Be certain they’re safe but be prepared to switch them out periodically.
Stick with the Rules
The best way to teach your dog to stay off furniture is to never let your dog on the furniture in the first place. This is especially important when adopting a new dog. If you allow your dog on the furniture (even once!), your dog considers this permission and it becomes a learned behavior, as we stated above. While the behavior can be changed, it’s not easy. Everyone in the household must consistently enforce the rules.
Note for those considering a puppy and haven’t decided about the furniture rule, consider this: That cute little puppy you snuggled with that took up a quarter of your pillow will soon grow up and may take up more of the bed than you, or your spouse, may be willing to give up. And dirty paws aren’t always caught at the door. And then there is the fur. Don’t start a habit you’re eventually going to want to break.
This article is a huge disappointment, guiding readers who assume that you are still a science-based training and behavior journal to use aversive products such as “sprays to noise makers . . . that can help “remind” your dog of the new rule as she begins to climb up” I’ve already learned from a number of skilled positive trainers how unhappy they are to read this in what was once considered a solid, reliable publication. How sad. Susan Sanderson, PMCT3, KPA-CTP
I subscribed to WDJ in 2009 as an excited newcomer to force free R+ dog training, and I have looked forward to learning something new from each issue. I appreciated how the training articles changed over the years and became more insightful, and more mindful of the animal’s
perspective as the science of animal behavior progressed. But progress is certainly NOT the
word that came to my mind when I read this article. Startling noises, spraying water at the dog to “remind” them? Wow, this article isn’t just a bit old-school, it’s “wrong school.”
My hope is that this article somehow slipped
by the editor, and that WDJ is not abandoning its commitment to following the science and continuing to make dog training more effective and humane. If so, this article really needs a retraction!