Dog Jumping on Furniture
Deciding
whether or not your dog is permitted access to the
furniture is a pretty big deal. If you have a big
dog, it’s an even bigger deal.
Furniture access is a matter of some importance for
two reasons: firstly, because it’s mighty inconvenient
to have to fight for space on your own couch; and
secondly, because it strongly relates to the matter
of dominance, which is of the utmost importance as
far as a harmonious dog/owner relationship goes.
Your dog knows that the furniture – in particular,
your bed - is your turf. If he’s allowed up
onto your personal, private territory as a matter
of course and whenever he feels like it, that’s
conceding a pretty big point to him; especially since
it’s rarely a two-way issue (when was the last
time you invaded your dog’s own turf and snuggled
down for a nap in his bed?).
It’s best to be aware of these things before
making a final decision on furniture access for your
dog. If you do decide to allow him unimpeded access,
you’ll need to make sure that you’re extra-stringent
with the other facets of alpha-dominance to prevent
him from getting an over-inflated sense of self-importance.
Generally speaking, it’s a good idea to forbid
your dog access to the furniture outright, until he’s
at least five or six months old.
When a puppy’s growing up, he’s forming
the basis of his conceptions as to what constitutes
appropriate behavior, and he’s figuring out
his own ranking in the social hierarchy of the household.
If he’s allowed to leap onto beds, couches,
and armchairs (the three most-prized pieces of furniture
in the house for any dog) at will and from day one,
he’ll have a skewed view of his own ranking.
He won’t see it as the privilege that it is:
he’ll see it as his God-given right, and something
to be taken for granted. This does a lot towards equalizing
your dog’s rank with your own, which –
as far as your role as the owner goes – is decidedly
not a good thing. To maintain a good relationship
with your dog, not only do you need to be the boss,
but he needs to know that you are.
To prevent attitude problems from developing in adolescence,
it’s generally best to keep your puppy as humble
as possible – which means that he needs to appreciate
being allowed up ‘on your level’.
Rule number one, as far as this issue goes, is consistency.
You must be consistent! Once you’ve made your
decision as to whether or not he’s to be allowed
up on the furniture, you will have to stick with that
decision, or else – whatever that decision was
- you won’t have a hope of enforcing it.
So, if he’s to be allowed up on the couch but
not the bed, for example, he must never be allowed
up on that bed – not even for a moment. If you
decide not to allow him up on any furniture at all,
you must ensure that nobody counteracts your decision
and invites him up there.
Changing the rules according to human whims and impulses
isn’t fair on your dog. It’ll just confuse
him. He can’t tell the difference between an
expensive new couch and a grubby old one, or between
clean paws and muddy paws. This can have a detrimental
effect upon your own peace of mind (not to mention
your dry-cleaning bill), and if you take that frustration
out on your dog, it’s confusing and upsetting
for him.
This is why, if you’re going to allow him any
access at all, it’s a fantastic idea to impose
limits: to teach him that he can’t just leap
up as and when he chooses, but that he must wait for
an invitation.
Inviting your dog to join you on the couch is pretty
easy. All you have to do is pat the seat next to you,
and – in a cheery, friendly tone – say,
“Up you get!”. Most dogs need little more
encouragement than this, and will be up like a shot
before the second syllable’s even passed your
lips.
You’ll also need to enforce the “off”
command – this allows you to relax in the knowledge
that, when you want some leg room, it’s there
for the taking; and also reminds your dog, in no uncertain
terms, that his furniture access is not a right –
it’s a privilege!
As is to be expected, most dogs are less enthusiastic
about obeying the “off” than they are
the “up you get” command: on occasion,
you may be required to resort to physical force to
maintain obedience. Don’t worry, it’s
not inhumane in the slightest, merely highly effective.
Here’s what you do:
- First of all, supply him with an attractive alternative.
Being asked to get off a comfortable couch to lie on
the unadorned floor is hardly something he’s going
to respond to with enthusiastic obedience: set him up
for success, not failure, by giving him a comfy dog
bed. You can make one yourself, out of towels and pillows,
or you can purchase ready-made dog beds in a variety
of sizes and materials from the pet store.
- When it’s time for him to disembark, point to
the dog bed and say, “Off” in a calm, authoritative
voice. No need to raise your voice or shout: use a no-nonsense,
but pleasant, tone.
- If there’s no immediate response, do not repeat
yourself. Keep your arm pointing at the bed, and maintain
eye contact. If you have a perceptive dog, often it’s
enough to simply intensify your expression (raising
your eyebrows or tightening your mouth).
- Wait for 30 seconds (which will feel like an eternity!).
- If there’s no response after 30 seconds, you
can resort to a physical enforcement of your request.
The Humane Physical Enforcement
Some owners drag their dogs off by the collar, which
is effective in the short-term (provided your dog is
of a size that you can physically handle). However,
it’s not recommended - simply because, as a technique,
it allows your dog to demonstrate his refusal to obey
you.
He can still dig in his paws and strain against your
opposing force, which is both downright disrespectful
and counteractive to all the alpha-dominant behavioral
training in the world.
It’s much more effective to think smart: make
him get off under his own steam, simply by making
the couch (or chair, or bed) uncomfortable for him.
To do this, slide your hand, palm-down, under his
rear. Slowly slide your arm forwards, using it as
a lever to gently and slowly pry him off the couch.
It raises his bottom in the air by degrees, which
is increasingly uncomfortable for him – enough
to make him leap off the couch of his own volition.
This is both more effective, and physically a lot
less demanding, than dragging a reluctant dog off
by his collar: by making him want to get off when
you ask him to, you’re strongly enforcing your
obedience requirements, which is great for your role
as an authority figure.
Further Reading
For more information on canine psychology and behavioral
problems, check out Secrets To Dog Training. It’s
an absolute goldmine of valuable information and advice
for the responsible dog-owner, and covers just about
every topic you could ever need to raise a happy, healthy,
well-adjusted dog – everything from obedience
work to correcting problematic behaviors to dog-whispering
to teaching ‘tricks’ is covered in full
detail.
You can check out SitStayFetch by clicking on the
link below:
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