Dog on the sofa

[beluga425]

Why?

SelectASpaniel stays on the floor 95% of the time, but around Bonfire Night and New Year's Eve he is allowed up next to one / inbetween both of us as fireworks make him nervous and lying beside us calms him down. We use a large bath sheet to cover the sofa before inviting him up, which is easily washable, protects the seat from getting too hairy and can be quickly removed in the event of visitors.

But then I'm considered slightly odd by some anthropomorphic weirdos animal lovers because the dog stays predominantly on the floor, isn't allowed upstairs - as much because stairs are very hard on dogs' joints and SAS has arthritis as any other reason, admittedly - isn't allowed to lick plates, the cat isn't allowed on kitchen work surfaces or the dining table or my bedroom at night (that's when my asthma is at its worst) or in the spare room if we have guests. I love them to bits, they're house pets and they have plenty of comfy places to sleep, I talk to them all the time - but they are animals, and are treated as such, not as small furry humans.

We have a 4kg dachshund...he cant get on the sofa by himself so its by invitation only!

Only when he's clean, mind, though he's got low clearance so a belly wash is pretty much a daily occurrence at the monent. He's long haired though and doesn't shed. Been to a friends house who has labs and they seem to shed everywhere!

PS. Cats in worktops? Now that IS bleurgh!

selectA - As a non dog owner, I would feel truly comfortable sitting anywhere and eating in your home :) So many people think animals are small, furry humans.

dons flack jacket and prepares for flaming

I'd like my dogs to sit on the sofa with me but we took the view they wouldn't understand when they could & when they couldn't sit on the sofa so they stay on the floor or in their beds. They like swimming & have long coats. My old dog was allowed to sleep upstairs but when he became old & we had carpet in our bedroom this was rather stressful - he was sick quite often & being woken up by a retching dog was grim. If I lived without DH my dogs would sit on the sofa with me & my girl dog would sleep with me (we've been places she is allowed on the sofa & we've fallen asleep with her in my arms). If I lived on my own I think I'd become a mad dog lady .

My dogs are a damn sight cleaner than my two year old and don't pee on the sofa either!

We have leather sofas which wipe clean so no problem with dog hair. Probably wouldn't allow it if we had fabric covered sofas.

My dog is only allowed on the sofa if we invite her on. She absolutely knows not to go on it unless we have told her she can. She only gets on if she is clean and dry. It is nice snuggling up to her when watching the TV.

Our dog had a shit life before she became part of our family so if she wants to jump on the sofa for a cuddle she bloody well can. She knows not to round at other peoples houses.

Some things in life are more important than soft furnishings

I've got a throw for each sofa, they get put on and the dog knows he can get up, if they're not on then he knows he's not allowed.
Dh works away, on an evening when I'm on my own he'll get up next to me for a snuggle, if dh is home then he gets up on the other sofa instead.

My dog wasn't allowed on the sofa, he was a jack Russell terrier so small and short haired, but if he was allowed on the sofa he would want to 'control' it and decide who else was allowed to sit there.

However we often used to sit on the floor/beanbag so he could curl up on our laps!

Select Crazy cat lady here. Three cats and a hooge dog. Nobody is allowed on the bed except me and DP. We need our own space. Dog has his crate bed and a cushion and still tries to get on the sofa when I'm on the toilet out of the room for more than a minute. Cats have beds in the spare room. They need to know their place. Saying that, I've just got up early to make the dog and I a cuppa and get him an extra blanket as it's frosty out and I knew he'd be cold.

I've not got dogs, but used to have cats. They weren't allowed on any furniture at all, except by invitation onto your lap. Of they fancied getting off your lap onto the sofa they got booted off. My bed was an exception mmmm lovely cats snuggling up in the morning :-)

Anyway, that all lasted until they got old and mum became a big softie and put a blanket over one end of the sofa for them.

I think if I was a dog person if probably have them up on the sofa with me.

Cats on tables and work tops = disgusting. Also dogs that jump up at you or the table while you're eating. Not nice.

Dogs on the sofa?

Naked dogs?

People let naked animals rub their genitalia over furniture that unmarried women or vicars might subsequently sit on?

Disgusting.

When naturists or swingers or other naked humans sit on sofi they put towels down first. I hear.

Because there is nothing more heart warming than seeing your children cuddling the dog on the sofa and we were all too lazy to sit on the floor with him. He had to be invited on and wasn't allowed if people weren't there too. He's dead now and I would give anything to see him back on the sofa.

We were very strict with him in other ways - not allowed on beds, not allowed upstairs and he had training classes to make sure he was well behaved. Oh and we always put washable covers on the sofa first.

She is so cuddly! We have rugs on the sofas but she doesn't smell or shed that much anyway. I think she smells lovely.
I am very glad for people who don't like this to not come to my house.

Our cats love sitting on the kitchen table watching me cook at the stove or wash up. They will sit for hours watching everything I do.

Kitchen table/worktop is wiped down with antibacterial spray before food prepared/eaten and means I am not constantly on at our rescue cars who are very nervous of people as it is.

Because she is a greyhound. As any greyhound owner knows, once you have one you never have a sofa chair, bed to yourself again despite there being at least 3 dog beds scattered all over the house. It is a breed requirement

tiggy

Cats on kitchen table and worktops!

Because he's small, is a non shedding breed and he can see the tv better from there (not even joking, TV fascinates him)

No dog on sofa here, there wouldn't be room for us.

Brought up with dogs. Slept on sofa, on me, on my bed. I really miss it.

Both dogs allowed on sofas, but have to move if instructed (both do). One small, non shedding dog and one small spaniel. Neither allowed upstairs, although small dog ahs a habit of sneaking up and snoozing on the beds. He gets away with it because he's very cute and doesn't leave clumps of fur everywhere. Both are banished to the kitchen unless clean and dry, though. I like a sofa cuddle and a prewarmed seat cushion.

Our hound has its own settee, with covers, which are washed on a regular basis. I hate not being able to take her places. Some NT properties etc, Whilst i fully understand the reasoning for banning dogs, it's really annoying when ill mannered people, and their nasty, dirty, snotty kids are allowed in places my non smelly, clean, and under control dog isn't! And if visitors don't want to come to my house because of the dog, fair enough. My house, my rules.

Cats on sofas yes, dogs, no.

Why? In our case mahoosive dog was same size as sofa

Cos she is cute and cuddly and doesn't moult