How To Keep Your Dog Off of Your Furniture

The best offense is a good defense. In other words, don't let your dog up on the furniture in the first place! It's hard enough to train a new member of the canine family to respect your boundaries, never mind trying to "untrain" your pup of a habit you once allowed and now forbid.

Most dogs see how comfortable you are while you lounge around watching television - Can we blame them if they want a little slice of that comfort for themselves? Get your dog his own dog bed and place it in a central part of the home.

 Teach (and reinforce!) a few basic training commands. A hearty "No" will probably do the trick but even more effective would be teaching your dog to sit/stay and to respond to the command "down." Anticipate when your dog is about to make the leap from floor to couch and insist he sit. If you find him on the couch, coax him off with the down command and then reward him with praise when he responds.

Don't be wishy-washy. No means no. Don't allow your pet on the couch when you feel like cuddling up next to him--this only sends him mixed signals.

When you're not home to enforce the rules, you can rely on a few different products that are on the market. You can purchase a device that detects vibrations or motions and will emit a loud sound that should startle your pet off the furniture. There are also several scented products out there that when sprayed on the furniture's surface will discourage your pet from helping himself. Read the labels carefully to determine if damage to your furniture is possible. 

Before your dog has gained your trust and while you are still in the training phase, it's always an option to cover your furniture. Although not attractive, you can place plastic covers or old blankets on the couch. (We laid dining rooms chairs across our leather couch when we realized our lab took a liking to all things leather.) This method should be a temporary fix.