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Original poster

How did you stop your dog getting on the sofa?

44 replies

MonChoufleur123 · 08/08/2017 11:12

Hi all. We adopted our one year old lurcher x collie rescue in January. He's a lovely dog, incredibly gentle and eager to please and has settled in brilliantly. But the one thing we can't get on top of is him getting on the sofas! The rescue centre told us his previous owner/s had allowed him on furniture so we expected this.
We started off with a firm 'no' and telling him to get down which worked within a few weeks with our two other rescues. But eight months on we're still finding this little tinker on the furniture - sometimes within minutes of going out of the room! We're now telling him firmly 'no' and giving him a time out in his crate for 15 minutes. He also gets lots of praise for going on his beds in the dining room and living room.
When we're out or at night he's confined to the kitchen and dining room with the dining chairs upside down on the sofa so this is only a problem when we're home - but with three muddy walks a day plus swimming in the river it's one I'm really keen to get on top of! Any suggestions of how you've dealt with it extremely welcome. TIA x

OP posts:
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Collidascope · 08/08/2017 11:48

We sprayed ours with a water pistol everytime he started to jump up... We tried everything else first but he was so determined he was coming up that nothing else worked. Spraying him seemed to break the habit. Even blocking it off didn't work, as you can see from the photo. We'd come downstairs and find him asleep on the back.

How did you stop your dog getting on the sofa?
Original poster
MonChoufleur123 · 08/08/2017 12:11

Ha ha! I caught ours doing that too yesterday! Thank you water pistol may be something to try - cushions are getting damp and mudry anyway...

OP posts:
BocaDeTrucha · 08/08/2017 12:58

Lots of firm no's and putting him back on the floor. He's only just grown big enough to jump on to it but we keep his bed right at our feet so now he just doesn't bother jumping up. We've never found him on the sofa either when we've been out so it seems to be working so far (he's only 6 months old though so anything could happen!!!).

olliegarchy99 · 08/08/2017 15:41

give him his own sofa type bed - 'pointies' like their beds with something to lean against/snuggle under Smile
of course he may still prefer your sofa.

LonnyVonnyWilsonFrickett · 08/08/2017 15:44

Every time he even glances towards the sofa, throw a treat onto his bed and direct him there. Praise him for doing it. Rinse and repeat.

Wolfiefan · 08/08/2017 15:46

Prevention is easier than cure. We brought wolfie pup into the lounge on a longline to start with. Yes. Treats when settled in bed too.

SleightOfMind · 08/08/2017 15:50

I am extremely strict.
Sleighthounds on sofas are simply not tolerated!

joystir59 · 08/08/2017 15:53

we dealt with it by letting our dog get on the sofa- and by getting washable sofa covers

Wolfiefan · 08/08/2017 15:54

Hahaha Sleight! Yours are well camouflaged. Until the last picture. The laughing face gives the game away.
Pup isn't allowed on sofa. We have cats. Cats can then go on back of sofa away from her. But she does um perch!

How did you stop your dog getting on the sofa?
SleightOfMind · 08/08/2017 15:54

To be fair, that's the dog sofa in the kitchen.
I tried to discourage dogs on sofas in the sitting room but as soon as my back is turned, DH and the DCs are cuddling up with them!

I quite like them hopping up next to me if I'm in there in the evening. They don't go on those sofas unless invited though.

SleightOfMind · 08/08/2017 15:56

Aw Wolfie! That is the cuddliest lapdog ever. Is she actually sitting on you?

TwitterQueen1 · 08/08/2017 15:57

Op, give up. Really. It ain't gonna work Wink Grin

Besides, what/who will you cuddle up to and who will keep your feet warm?

Good luck.

Wolfiefan · 08/08/2017 16:01

I think in that pic she's actually sitting next to me. (She does that at dog training too. Takes the next seat along!) We saw the vet for nail clipping yesterday (it's a VERY scary event!) I sat on the floor and she did sit on my lap. Couldn't move when it was time to leave. She's just over 50kg!!!
But she's mummy's baby puppy!

insurmuntable · 08/08/2017 16:11

Yes to above, treats for getting in his bed (teach him the phrase 'get in your bed' or similar, use at night as well). We have a skittish dog so I have a quiet sound (uh uh) for things I want to warn him off and I save a firm 'no' for more serious stuff.

We just tell ours 'uh uh' when they get near the sofa and they get a treat and praise for getting in their bed (well they don't get treats anymore, that was to train them, they're good at it now). At night when we put them to bed we tell them 'get in your bed' and give them a treat. It helped during training to have their bed near the sofa so we were close and even though they were in their bed they weren't sent away.

And in the short term have a throw on the sofa just for belt and braces reasons.

insurmuntable · 08/08/2017 16:12

(I mean they don't get treats every time we ask them to get in their bed, but at night we sometimes still do.)

EezerGoode · 08/08/2017 17:01

Ours is one of the family,so she's allowed on..in fact I settle her there at night time ..I would have her in the bed ..but the nasty man( dh )says no

EezerGoode · 08/08/2017 17:03

Op theres actually nothing nicer than a cuppa and a cuddle on the sofa with dog on yr lap...best bit of owning a dog😀

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 08/08/2017 17:12

You buy him his own one Grin

How did you stop your dog getting on the sofa?
anchor9 · 08/08/2017 19:50

in my house ? surrender Grin

my dog is very small and also likes to sit on the kitchen table (never when there is food she's actually a v good girl and understands perfectly when is ok) to feel included when we are hanging out. so sometimes she appears when we have visitors and we have to look shocked GrinGrin

Rubberduckies · 09/08/2017 08:44

Being incredibly consistent saying No and rewarding being on his own bed......but it's hard when they're used to being allowed.

Can you set up a phone or webcam so that you can see what he's doing when you leave the room - then you can catch him 'in the act' and redirect hi ?

Rubberduckies · 09/08/2017 08:45

I did successfully train an older rescue dog not to jump on one of my sofas....my sister used to let him on the other one instead though!

Original poster
MonChoufleur123 · 09/08/2017 09:21

Thanks all! He knows 'go in your little house' to go in his crate and 'go on your bed' - I'm going to increase the treats and praise for doing both.
It feels more like a battle of wills tbh - maybe teenage dog behaviour - yesterday he was on his third time out of the day after getting on the sofa right in front of us while we ate dinner!
Totally appreciate lots of people really like having their dogs on the sofa - we live out in the country and he's walked on lots of muddy trails so just not practical for us. But love the photos of pointy faces all snuggled up! :-)

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Eolian · 09/08/2017 09:25

Ummm... I really wish we hadn't ever let him on the sofa! We're planning to wean him off it and get him a luxury dog bed when we get new sofas. Yeah right....

Original poster
MonChoufleur123 · 09/08/2017 09:26

I think a video baby monitor to catch him in the act a few times is also a great idea - thank you!

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frostyfingers · 09/08/2017 09:38

We have this with our 4 month old whippet - she has been a sofa surfer from the day she came home. I have now given up! I am trying to enforce a rule that she's only allowed on when there's a human there but we're not overly successful with that. Her face when she's told to get down is a picture of injured innocence!