Are you tired of constantly having to vacuum dog fur off your furniture, or fighting with your pup for room on the couch? While snuggling on the sofa with your furry friend is sweet with permission, there are many benefits to keeping them off the furniture when you don’t want them there. Limiting the time they spend on the couch means less vacuuming you have to do, reduces the chance that they dirty it with muddy paws or snouts, and keeps your furniture from developing a permanent doggy smell.
Train Fido to keep four paws on the floor with these simple tips.
- Establish your house’s rules. As with all training, it’s important to make sure that everyone living in your house understands what the rules and expectations are, and enforces them around your dog. Either before or early on after getting your dog, decide when your dog should be allowed on furniture, if ever. Choose the verbal commands you will use to enforce this behavior, and hold each other accountable for sticking with the training and not giving into Fido’s puppy dog eyes!
- Teach your dog your chosen vocal commands. Create a command to tell them to get off furniture when you don’t want them there, such as “off” or “down”. When they jump on furniture, say your off command and throw a treat onto the floor. As soon as your dog’s paws hit the ground, praise them and throw another treat. With enough repetition and conditioning, your pup will learn to immediately put four-on-the-floor when given the off command. If you plan to let your pup onto the furniture on occasion with permission, you also need to train them to respond to your release command (i.e. “okay”, “up”). Use your release command, and reward Fido once they are on the couch. Allow them to sit, then give your off command. Repeat this process with varying amounts of time they are allowed on the furniture until your pup is comfortable with responding to your commands at any time.
- Give your dog a better place to be. It never feels good to constantly be told “no”; most everyone including kids, adults, and dogs, respond better to being told that they can do something rather than that they cannot. Create a comfy spot for your dog in your living room with a bed or pile of blankets to which you can send them. Use the “place” command so that they know where they belong while you are chilling on your couch.
- Limit Fido’s access to furniture while you’re gone. During training, your pup will likely try to take advantage of the furniture when left unsupervised. Use baby gates to block their path to the living room and close your bedroom doors during the day while you’re gone. Crate training is another excellent way to make sure your pup doesn’t get into trouble–you can leave home with the confidence that you won’t be met with accidents or destruction later. A crate also serves double-duty as Fido’s “place” spot, and gives them a place to go when they need some quiet time.
If nothing seems to work and you are looking for professional dog training options in the Sarasota area, look no further than Gulf Coast K9 Dog Training. From puppies to mature dogs, we have the skill and expertise necessary to get your dog comfortable with all the rules they have to understand. We love your dogs almost as much as you do!
