My little Schipperke, Sasha, has all the toys imagineable, blankets, lovies, and gourmet food. She also has a cozy bed, and is allowed to sleep with my little boy. After all that, she still insists on sleeping on the back of my couch, and loveseat. I've scolded, reasoned ( yes, with a dog ), and lost my patience with her over this matter! I'm sick of my cushions being dented and smelling like her, though she's pretty clean, it's the idea.
Any advice is welcome!!
I read all of the responses, thank you all! I'm going to give the flipped over runners a try, she only does it when shes alone. This should work! Next, I'll try duct tape!
one word my child.. DUCT TAPE, actually thats two words but work with me.if you put duct tape where you know the dog
is going to be, he will only climb on the duct tape.. once.
K. h.
i agree spray bottle and it works!
there is a product called bitter apple and dogs hate it. it doesnt stain upolsry and u cant smell it. also, u can try putting pennies in a can and shake it when u see her on the couch..very effective!! double sided tape worls well too. if her feet sticks to the tape when she jumps up there...it will freak her out.
good luck!!
Use a spray bottle with water in it & spray her everytime you catch her on the couch.
Dogs are pack animals and you are (or should be) the leader. A technique we learned from our trainer is to growl or "Bah" the dog when it does an unwanted behavior. If this doesn't work, it is followed by a loud noise(shaker can) to mimic a dogs snapping. The best way to use this would be to Bah her when she even looks like she's about to climb on the couch. Praise her when she turns away. Depending on your dogs personality it shouldn't take long for her to get that the couch belongs to the "Big Dog" and not her.
I have watched those dog training shows and they always seem to use a little horn or something; the noise bothers the dog and, followed by your instruction, will curb the behavior....or use one of those dog whistles..?? Also - make sure to reward the dog with a treat and praise when it does get down. Another dog site I found said that you can use carpet covers that have grippy things on the bottom but turn them upside down so the grippy side bothers the dog. They also mentioned that for older dogs it's extremely hard to break the bad habits, so you may have to compromise by using a sofa cover. Hopefully one of the former ideas will work first though!! Good luck!!
Lots of great ideas from the other ladies, but I think everyone is forgetting your number one weapon- YOUR VOICE. Dogs are eager to please their masters, as long as dominance has been established. This is what makes dogs such loyal pets. Just like training a small child to STAY IN TIME OUT, do the opposite... sternly and firmly raise your voice and say 'NO.' and remove the dog from the couch, putting her in HER BED. Once she's been in her bed for a second, praise her, so she knows that that is her 'happy place'... When I was sick with the flu, my darling boyfriend let our german plott hound start sleeping on the couch... this went on for 10 days, so our pup thought that was his new cool place... NOT SO MUCH! One full day of reminding him where HIS spot was, and he hasn't tried to climb back up on the couch since. GOOD LUCK!
Good luck with that. The only thing i have ever seen work is putting aluminum foil on the couch and when she jumps us it scares her but with childcare going on you can't really do that.. The only thing you could do is take her off every time you see her up there. Scolding or what not won't work it will only make her afraid of you or your hand. You just need to take her off EVERY time she's up there not most the time EVERY time and she will get tired of being taken off but it will take days for her to get tired of it from what they say.
All good advice, for when you see it happening, which is the best time to stop the behavior. If you're worried about when you're not in the room, or at night when you're asleep, the duct tape is good, or use the plastic runners meant for carpets. Flip them over so the pokey plastic is sticking up and lay it on the couch. Just remember you put it there because you don't want to sit on it! Doesn't hurt, just very uncomfortable (good for a practical joke too!), and you can cut it to fit any area. It is sold in big rolls at home improvement stores.
These are a lot of good ideas. However, the most important is also one that we need to remember to use with our children:
Correct, and when they get it right, make sure to REWARD!!
With a dog, just giving them a good petting or tummy rub is a great reward. When the dog looks like he's going to jump, you say "no", dog doesn't jump--reward!!
Just disciplining the dog only teaches him--"when I do that mommy will talk to me, this is fun!" Teach him the opposite with praise. Believe me, this works with kids too!!
Grandma N., breeder of Shetland Sheepdog puppies
Put vinegar & water in the spray bottle, but avoid the couch and her eyes.
Also, just try rewards and punishment. If sh sits in her bed, giv eher a treat. If she goes on the couch, lock her out of the room temporarily.
Give her a cozy spot near the couch to be if her bed is not there.
Alternativly, buy her a couch bed, so she can sit there and you can remove it when company comes.
