How to Keep the Dog Off the Furniture
Dogs tend to like nice, comfortable furniture as much as we do. However, you may want to keep the dog off the furniture to prevent dog hair, as well as dirt and odors, from accumulating in your upholstery and bedding.
If you have a puppy to train, it is best to never let them up on the furniture to begin with. Once a dog gets used to being on the furniture, it can be a very hard habit to break him of. It will take a lot of consistent training, as well as patience to keep him off.
The first thing you need to do to keep dog off furniture is to provide him with his own comfortable dog bed. Give him positive reinforcement for using the bed such as providing him with treats and toys. Make it a comfortable and enjoyable place for your dog to be. Keep his dog bed in an area where the family gathers. Dogs are social and do not enjoy being isolated.
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If you have a puppy or new dog in the house the very best thing to do is to have a consistent rule of no dog on the furniture ever. All members of the household need to cooperate and reinforce this rule consistently. When you are in the middle of your “keep the dog off the furniture” training, you should not leave the dog or puppy alone in rooms with furniture he likes to jump on. Close off the rooms or crate your dog while you are away.
When your dog jumps up on the furniture do not try to pull or push the dog off. If you yell or forcefully pull him down from the furniture, you can trigger defense mechanisms in the dog and your efforts will be ineffective. Train and use the “off” command. Use a firm but calm voice and have the dog get down on his own. You can lure the dog off with a treat and reward him for getting down.
To keep the dog off the furniture you want to train the dog to do what you want him to do, rather than punishing or scolding him for what you don’t want him to do. Get your dog used to his dog bed and reward him for using it. When your dog jumps up on the furniture coax him down and guide him toward his dog bed. Reward him with treats, toys, petting and praise while he is on his bed.
If your dog has a long established habit of being on the furniture, it is going to be much more difficult to break him of the habit than it would be with a puppy or newer dog. You will need to keep the dog away from the furniture while you are not home for quite a long time. While training the dog, you will need to bar access to rooms with furniture that he jumps on or crate him.
There are other measures you can take to keep dog off furniture. You can buy a Scat Mat through a pet store. The mat is placed on the furniture and it gives the dog a shock when he jumps up, but this may also cause the dog to become fearful or aggressive. You can also use a plastic runner and turn it upside down so that the pointy sides are facing up. This will make it uncomfortable for the dog to be on the furniture. Some people use sprays on their furniture with odors that dogs don’t like or attach tin cans or other objects that will make a loud noise when the dog tries to jump up on the furniture.
To keep the dog off the furniture you will need to be very consistent in your training and be patient, particularly if you dog is already in the habit of being there. Make his dog bed a comfortable and enjoyable place to be. Use firm but calm commands to get your dog off the furniture. Reward him and reinforce the desired behavior you want rather than scolding or punishing him for jumping on the furniture.