Sneaky dog

I have a 4 year old female black lab mix that has a behavior problem I can't seem to solve...

She gets on furniture (couch & beds) when I'm not home, or when I am in the other room or she sneaks off to the other room. Before I walk into the room she gets off and acts guiltly (walks low to ground and avoids me). I hardly ever catch her while she is still on the couch, but punish her when I do (kneel in front of her, look her in the eyes, grab her nose or neck scruff, and tell her "McKenzie no, stay off", and I put her in her kennel for 10-15 minutes.

This has been going on ever since I got her 3 years ago. She knows not to be on the couch when people are around, but sneaks up when she's alone or with my other dog (a 5 year old male german shepard) who never gets on the furniture.

Any ideas of what I can do? I'm so frustrated! How do I get her to behave even when I'm not there?

You need to figure out a way for her to be punished when you are not home. Maybe a scat mat or the like.

I do not reccomend that you use the dogs name when punishing the dog, just tell her a firm NO, I presonally don't even see a need to scruff her or look her in the eyes. Just tell her OFF (not down, unless you don't use the word down when you want her to lay down).

What she has learned is that it is not ok to get up there when you are around, but when she's alone there is no punishment. What a smart girl. Bad but smart. lol

Does she have a bed of her own?

It's pretty clear that your dog doesn't understand what you want,
or don't want.I agree with Lv4dogs on just using OFF when you see her
on the furniture. Speak firmly, but calmly & don't do the face to face
thing. Good Luck with the training. :)

Put something like aluminum foil on whatever it is she wants to get comfy on. When she jumps up on it, the sound and feel of it may startle her and keep her from going on again. If you're going to try this out be close by so that you can see how she reacts, she may just be the type that thinks the foil is a lot of fun and start to tear it up and eat it, and that's not good.

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Well first of all, I woulden't use her kennel for punishment. If she has a bed of her own, it would make it alot easier. But I have never taught a dog not to go on the couch before, so I woulden't know many good ways. Everyone else seems to have good suggestions. Good Luck!

Go out a purchase a length of plastic carpet runner/protector that will cover the couch and place it nobby side up on the couch. She has simply learned the couch is a comfy place to sleep, if made uncomfortable she will not be interested in sleeping there.

As others have mentioned a crate should not be used as punishment, you want the crate to be seen by your dog as a safe have, physical punishment is another no-no in my book, it can make dogs fearful of hand movement and can lead to snapping in fear, using a firm voice not yelling can be effective if the dog chooses to ignore than you can use a squirt bottle with water along with the verbal correction eventualy the dog learns to respond to your voice without the need to be squirted.

That reminds me of my favorite dog of all time.
She was the best/most perfect dog I ever owned.
(If I could have cloned her I would have) :D

I would leave her in the house when I went to work.
(I never saw her on the furniture when I was home, but
a dead give away she had been sleeping on the couch
was the her dog fur.)