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Do you have a dog that’s always running around and making a lot of noise? Controlling your dog can indeed be a difficult task. Does your dog have a crate to spend time in, or does he prefer to spend most of his time in bed or on the couch?
If you don’t mind your dog staying on the couch, that’s not a problem. However, if your dog poses a threat every time he’s on the couch, or even destroys furniture, that could be a problem.
So, what are some ways to keep your dog off the couch or furniture? Let’s look at a few methods.
Why do dogs climb on furniture?
Before learning tips for keeping your dog off furniture, it’s important to understand why your dog climbs on it. There can be multiple reasons behind the same thing.
- Your dog sees you spending most of your time on the couch or furniture, and he wants to follow suit. Your dog wants to be with you forever, and what could be better than a tight hug while you relax on the couch?
- If you have a plush and comfortable couch, your dog will be just as comfortable resting and reclining on it as you are.
- When you have children at home who are constantly jumping and playing on the couch, your dog may copy their behavior and do the same things. Dogs have the unique psychological skill of imitating their owners or relatives. Studies have shown that dogs can imitate a behavior even ten minutes after it occurs. So it’s not an impossible task for your dog to copy your child’s behavior and spend a lot of time on the couch.
How to keep your dog off the couch? 3 effective methods
If your dog seems to be messing up the couch, you’ll definitely want to find a way to stop it. Check out a few things you can do:
1. Crate train your dog
One of the best ways to prevent your dog from damaging your couch or other furniture is to crate train it. However, you have to do this from the time you bring him home as a puppy.
When your dog has a place of his own and is comfortable with his most chosen belongings, he will be less willing to hang out in other parts of the house.
He’ll learn his boundaries and spend less time messing with or destroying furniture. You must ensure that your dog’s crate is comfortable and has all the amenities needed to make him feel at home.
2. Teach him the “close” command
Command training should begin when your dog is eight weeks old.When your dog has mastered the basics Ordersuch as “come,” “stay,” or “sit,” and you can continue teaching him other commands, such as “off.”
The “off” command will help your dog in many ways; whenever your dog jumping Your firm “no” on furniture or in places he shouldn’t be may help him stay disciplined.
You can reward your dog with a treat every time you command “off” and he listens to you and doesn’t sit on the couch.
3. Provide your dog with a comfortable bed
If your dog is more attracted to the comfort of a couch, then you can solve this problem by providing him with a comfortable bed. Do thorough research while looking for the right bed for your dog based on your dog’s needs and choices.
If you are a heavy chewer, a raised metal frame bed can help. Memory foam beds are helpful for seniors and provide them with the comfort they need.Overheated dogs find comfort sleep On a bed made of cooling fabrics.
When your dog has a comfortable bed, he will be less willing to spend more time on your couch or bed.
How do I keep my dog off the couch when I’m not home?
Managing your dog is easy when he’s right in front of you. However, when you leave the house, he takes advantage of every little opportunity to glance at the couch. Therefore, you must make arrangements in advance to ensure that your dog stays away from the couch.
1. Use barriers on furniture
Creating a physical barrier is the best way to stop your dog from getting on the couch when you’re not around. There are many ways to do this.
Pet training pads contain prongs that prevent your dog from touching the couch or other furniture.
You can even put a couch guard on your couch to prevent your dog from spending too much time on it. Couch guards will prevent your dog from accessing furniture but will not scare your dog or cause him discomfort.
If you don’t want to spend money on commercial products, your best bet is to stack books on your couch. Your laundry basket will serve as another great option for a physical barrier.
However, it is not good to use aversive or unpleasant stimuli to eliminate your dog’s bad habits. Therefore, you must try to stimulate and train your dog from puppyhood to eliminate unpleasant habits.
2. Use dog repellent
When spraying dog repellent on your couch, make sure you use a product that is safe for dogs. One of the safest ingredients is vinegar—mainly apple cider vinegar and white distilled vinegar. You can add any citrus-scented essential oil to vinegar. Once the ingredients are mixed well, spray it on areas you don’t want your dog to come into contact with.
Should I consider letting my dog on furniture?
This is a matter for you to decide. Many owners enjoy snuggling up on the couch with their dogs. When you have a small or toy breed like a Yorkie or Maltese, having them on the couch won’t be too uncomfortable.
However, when you have a larger breed like a Great Dane or Doberman Pinscher, you don’t want him to take up a large portion of the couch.
Another possibility is if your dog has resource guarding behavior and thinks the couch is his property. In this case, you probably don’t want them to stay glued to the couch.
Most owners like to keep their dogs off the couch because they don’t want it to get cluttered with debris, dirt, or hair. If you have a high couch and a small breed, you don’t want your dog to fall off the furniture and get injured. In this case, confining your dog to the couch would be a better option.
So it’s up to you whether you’re okay with your dog sitting on the couch or want him to stay away.
What if your dog won’t leave the furniture?
If your dog still won’t leave the couch despite your efforts, you should consider talking to a professional therapist who specializes in evaluating dog behavior. You must also check if there are any health issues that are bothering your dog. Maybe he has pain in his back or somewhere else that’s keeping your dog glued to the soft, comfy couch.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are some smells that your dog definitely doesn’t want on your couch. These include alcohol, mothballs, nail polish and detergents. However, using them as a deterrent is not a great option. They can have toxic effects on your dog.
The strong, pungent smell of vinegar is not something your dog will like. Therefore, a dog repellent containing vinegar will be an effective remedy to prevent dogs from coming into contact with furniture,
Vinegar is not harmful to dogs and when you spray it on your couch it will keep your dog away but will not have a toxic effect.
in conclusion
All in all, it’s not a big deal if your dog occasionally climbs on the couch. But if your dog is addicted to the couch, you have to find a way to distract him. And, sometimes it might not be the couch, but the items on it. For example, what fascinates your dog the most might be your dog’s favorite pillow or cushion on the couch.
It might even be the smell of food scattered on the couch that attracts your dog to it. So once you identify the trigger, it will help you resolve the issue as quickly as possible.
Dr. Lillian is a DVM with a passion for raising awareness about dogs. She shares her expertise through her blog at canineweekly.com and provides animal care services, including internal medicine, dermatology and urgent care. Dr. Lillian is committed to animal welfare.
