Dog on Couch

[Brook]

My Brittany will go up on our couch when we leave the house. How do we control this behavior?
We would rather not have her on the couch. She has never done it until 2 or 3 weeks ago. When I come home all I have to look at the couch and if there is a little hair on the couch I know she was up there. I just have to look at her standing next to the couch and she knows she's not suppose to be up there!
How can we prevent her from going on the couch when where not there?
Brook

[aly]

Has anything changed recently to make her want to get on the couch?

You may have to crate her while you're gone or somehow block her out of the room with the couches because you don't want her to ever get away with being on the couch. Let her in the room with couches only when you can supervise her. If you anticipate her about to jump on the couch, clap your hands or say "NO!". Hopefully after awhile she could be trusted to be in there alone and wouldn't try anything again.

My couches on the other hand have no room for ME!

[Cincy'sMom]

You might try leaving cardboard with double-sided tape on the coauch. The dog will not like the sticky feel on its paws. I know that is a suggestion I have heard for counter surfers, although I have not tried it myself.
we started out saying, so dogs on the couch. Then it became, only if snuggling. Now Ralph and I sometimes find overselves on the floor and the dogs on the couch hmmmm....

[carrie]

Try some wire coathangers on the couch when you leave.

[yorkster]

Hi Brook and welcome.
Just recently my dog has been going on the couch too........I can always tell because she knocks the pillows off, etc.
Sometimes she will even run into the living room while we are there and jump up there and roll around, then off again (just long enough to mess it up).
We let her on the bed for awhile before we go to sleep (I know that's a no-no to Carrie.....!), so maybe we can't expect her to know the difference.

[Brook]

Yorkster- that is exactly what is going on as well. We let her on our bed, but have been saying no to the couch and have been successful with it other then the last couple weeks.
I will try a few of these suggestions and see how they work.
Thanks Brook

[Pam]

Everyone's suggestions are very good. My animals are allowed on the couch but here's an idea a friend of mine used because she didn't want her furkids on the couch. She would either remove the cushions from the couch or turn them up on end when she went out. This way even if the dogs still climbed on the couch they weren't soiling or shedding directly on the cushions.

[AdoreMyDogs]

There are a few products on the market now that may help. The first one is at the site: www.drsfostersmith.com and here's the link: Sofa Scram

Here's one that pulses when the dog touches it:
Scat Strip

Good luck.

[C.C.'s Mom]

Guess why Cookie's on the sofa...

[carrie]

C'mon guys!!! You KNOW what is going on here!!

Look at it from a doggy point of view. The boss lets me up to share the boss place to sleep. The boss also likes to lounge around and look really comfy on the couch. If I have a right to the boss sleep place it gives me instant access to the other boss relaxing places, doesn't it? - Yeah it must. It makes no sense to share one boss sleep place and not another - what is it that they go nuts about then? I know it has something to do with the couch....but I already have the rights to sleeping places? I'm confused!

[yorkster]

I know you are right, Carrie..............
It's just that she has been doing sooooo good lately, and I am kind of a softy when it comes to my animal babies: I really love the 'closeness' of snuggeling with them at bed time.
I know I should be more firm about that stuff..............It's MY PROBLEM, not hers. I'm working on it!

[sabies]

you're not alone yorkster, there are a lot of softies here

[aly]

There's nothing wrong with snuggles! I think my babies would die without their daily (BIG) dose of snuggling!!

[carrie]

Snuggling is GREAT!!! I love Paddy snuggles!

A good way to get around all the Alpha issues is to sit on the floor and ignore the dog. Once it has settled for 10 minutes call it over, ask for a sit and once the dog has done what you ask snuggle as much as you like!!!!!

[yorkster]

WOW! TEN whole minutes? I'll try it.