Dog on sofa

[Ellieray]

I have a ridgeback and she is the laziest dog in the world. Which is great in a lot of ways but all she wants to do is sleep on the sofa.

We have always let her but usually we say she can only come up in the evening with a blanket on. She was always fine with that but recently she's started to just sleep on it all day everyday.

I bought her a new raised bed in the hope she would start sleeping in her bed again but she's not at all interested. We shut her out of the lounge at night but she's started to jump up and scratch the door open 🤦‍♀️ and then I find her there in the morning.

I spend all day telling her to get off and then finding her on it again 2 minutes later.

I wouldn't mind so much but she's been leaving little wet patches on the sofa. At first I thought it was just from her licking but I'm not so sure. And I just really feel unclean with her on it all the time.

How do I stop her? Am I really mean for making her stay off of it!?

For night time, get a baby gate to put across the door. For the day, you could either get some throws for the sofa, which could at least be washed easily, or a blanket for one specific seat which would then be ‘her’ seat. Or you could teach an ‘off’ command and work on getting a bulletproof ‘stay’ under her belt (or collar ). Try to make her bed more appealing, what’s her favourite treat/chew in the world? What toy would she sell her soul for? Figure that out and she only gets it when she’s in her bed.

We had a similar problem with a rescue we had, he was a beaut of a doggo, but a very smelly old boy and had clearly been allowed to languish on the sofas and beds all day. For us it was a case of really working on commands (eg. throw a small piece of her fave treat, in a long sweeping gesture and say ‘off’ or ‘down’. Yes he got back on at first, but it really is about persistence and giving them a reason to want to get off) and making his bed the most wonderful place to be. It took time, but was so worth it.

FWIW I don’t think you’re mean at all. We don’t have dogs on the sofas, but if you make the decision not to let her on the sofa, it will probably be best to have that as a permanent rule. Letting her up sometimes and not others will likely cause confusion and undo lots of hard work.

I think your maybe fighting a loosing battle tbh.
Ours goes on our sofa and bed but has a specific blanket. He sits and stares at me until I get the blanket out as this is his spot . He knows he isint allowed up unless the blanket is down.
We've also been teaching him bed. Now its winter he has his carrots in his bed (too cold and dark outside). He won't however ever go to his bed unless told too and will always choose the sofa instead.
I would maybe get a waterproof backer blanket like the ones you use for picnics and put them on the sofa along with reinforcing that he isint allowed on until the blanket is down.

Thanks for the replies..
@WhatAStupidIdea she isnt into any toys at all....

I will try a new blanket or cushion thought!

I think unfortunately I need to just go cold turkey and stick with it. We like having her up with us in the evenings for a cuddle but I think I that is confusing for her!

You have given her the green light and so retracting that will be confusing for her. I recommend a throw that you can wash frequently - we have three of the buggers on our sofas!

If you have the space, could you buy her a second hand armchair / small sofa (covered with throws that can be washed) that is hers and she's allowed on, while making your sofa off limits?

I think your sofa being allowed sometimes and not on others is probably confusing as hell for DDog.

They are creatures of habit after all!

Sofas are all or nothing to dogs. You either stop her completely or let her on any time she likes. They don’t understand why they can go up one minute and not the next. I like the blanket idea, however.

Are dogs able to tell the time? Surely they're allowed on the sofa or they aren't?

Get a waterproof backed blanket (washable) and leave on the sofa for her.

If she’s allowed on it sometimes she won’t understand the difference between it being ok and not. It’s one or the other unfortunately!

I don't think it's fair to say she can in the evenings but not the rest of the time!

Either you let her on it all the time and just have lots of throws you wash regularly, or stop letting her on at all, and you sit on the floor with her if she wants a cuddle.

There was a thread on here about this a while ago and I said exactly what most pps are saying: that if you allow the dog up it won't know that it's only allowed up at certain times.

I was informed by one poster in no uncertain terms that I was wrong and a dog can be taught to understand when it is allowed on the sofa and when it isn't so clearly some dogs can learn.

However, I still think it's confusing for the dog and a bit much to expect it to know when you're allowing it up there and when you're not so I have a throw on my sofa and I'm happy for her to sleep on it when she pleases.

My parents have a dog that is very good at only going on the sofa if the blanket is on and he is asked up. Won't even try the rest of the time. But I don't think mine is going to do that so we will have to stop completely.

I wouldn't mind if she sat nicely on a blanket but she seems to try and get the blanket off the sofa before getting on!