Keep Your Dog Off the Furniture

Protect your furniture by stopping your dog from getting on the couch.

Start teaching him the right way to behave inside.

The first topic to tackle is the house rules. When it comes to naps on the couch, people have different opinions about what behavior can be permitted. The good news is that you get to decide and you can be inconsistent as long as you are consistently inconsistent. To do that, you just have to set simple yes/no rules and stick to them.

Yes you can get on the gray couch. No you cannot get on the suede sofa.

To correct issues with jumping on the furniture you have to prepare for owner-absent problems. The best way to handle these behaviors is to establish a space for your dog (crate or gated area) where he can be when he is not supervised. If you are going to let him roam, then you can take other steps to prevent access to the sofa or comfort when he is on it. Access can be restricted by placing items in front of the sofa (for example TV trays or an ottoman that prevents him from climbing up.)

You can also leave crinkly aluminum foil on furniture you want to protect (make sure it doesn’t scuff up the furniture in the process!) to make his landing – and potential nap – as uncomfortable as possible.

One thing to keep in mind when you find your dog on the couch is that you should not drag your dog off the couch by his collar. There are two main reasons for this. 1st  if your dog gets loose a friendly by-stander may help by catching your dog for you. And 9/10 times he will grab the dog by the collar. That is what people do and so you want to avoid ever punishing your dog by grabbing his collar. Never start with that move or include it. It’s pure silliness that can lead to a bite.

2nd he might bite you then and there. So for your sake and other people’s, don’t grab that collar. Instead use the leash or offer him a treat reward for getting off the couch (yes – that can increase his jumping on the couch in the future, so if you do find he’s too stubborn to get down and you have to hand out the treats, make your next step blocking access. We’re talking safety here – not rewards for bad behavior).

Jumping is an access issue. Control his freedom to get to people at the door and to furniture in the house and you will resolve the issue. If you want to be greeted exuberantly then teach him a visual signal and also add Down or Get Off to his training cue set. If letting him on one piece of furniture, but not all, then tell him the rule. Encourage him to jump on “his” couch while preventing access to the others. If you are consistent with your inconsistency he will soon learn the house rules and give you exactly the behavior you want.