5 Tips For Keeping Your Dog Off Furniture

Some dog owners are perfectly okay with their dogs taking up a spot on the couch, but some are not, and that is okay too. As long as your dog is taught your preference, there should be no guilt in not allowing your dog to lounge on the furniture. Here are five tips for keeping your dog off of the furniture.  

1. Start as soon as you get your pooch. Don’t allow your dog to sleep or sit on the furniture in the first place and your problems are halfway taken care of. Dogs are creatures of habit. If you allow your dog on the couch the first time, you can bet that he/she will see no problem with it from then on. And why should they if you allowed it?

2. Give your dog its own place or its own “furniture.” A comfy doggy bed between your couch and love seat is a great way to make your dog feel as if it is being included while also keeping the fur, scratches, and stains off your own furniture. If your dog doesn’t seem to want its new bed, sit in the bed yourself! Dogs follow by example. If they feel that you enjoy being in that bed, then they will want to be there as well. When your dog does lie in its own bed, give it a treat for its actions.

3. Block their access to the furniture. Fighting your dog off the furniture can be a real pain when or if you need to leave the room for whatever reason. If this happens, block your dog from getting on the furniture with boxes or other large objects while you are out of the room. If your dog cannot find a way to access the couch, it will turn to sleeping on its own bed. Once your pet lies down in its bed, be sure to treat your dog.

4. Correct them as soon as they try. If your dog decides to try and lounge on the furniture while you are watching, immediately correct the behavior. If your dog will not listen to “down” or “off” then physically remove your dog from the couch and place her/him on their own doggy bed. Keep doing this until your dog catches on that you do not want it on the couch, but instead on its bed.

5. Seek professional help. Sometimes dogs are super stubborn. If this is the case, it may be time to take your dog to some obedience classes. You may also consider having a professional trainer come to your home to help in the furniture training.