How do you keep a dog off furniture?

[4theloveofzoe]

Zoe wants to constantly get up on the furniture, which we don't want because we figured when we come from outside, she's going to jump up on the furniture after she comes back from a walk, all dirty.

Any advice?

[areias]

Teach the "leave it" command. It will be in valuable to you. Start off with treats-when Zoe goes for the treat, startle her and say "leave it". Don't allow her to eat until she actually leaves it for a second. After a couple of times of doing this, call it quits. The next day you do it again, but wait a few minutes until you let her eat it. Then work up to objects. Toss a ball a short distance and tell her to leave it. She might not distinguish the ball as a leave it command, so be patient. You will eventually be able to tell her to "leave it" when she jumps on the couch. Be very very consistant until she is much older, never allow her on the couch, even just to cuddle. When she's older and able to understand more, you may be able to teach her that it's okay to get up on the couch, but only when you say. (If that made sense.) But for now, don't let her up there at all.

Until she learns leave it, gently push her off the couch. She should get frustrated after a couple trys and go off to find other things to do. Give her a treat when she's calm and not trying to get on the couch. Hope this helps!

[4theloveofzoe]

Thanks!

What about spraying dogs with water from a water bottle? Is that effective?

[lbaker]

Make sure they have their own furniture they CAN get on. Maybe if you're good they will share with you

[IRescue452]

Spraying animals with a water bottle only works with other corrections, so the water bottle part is not important. Animals just wonder why on earth you'd want them to get wet, the verbal correction is what makes them understand the behavior you want. Try the leave it and for a while you need to be in the room with her so you can say leave it or eh-eh while she's eyeing up the couch but hasn't jumped yet.

[lv4dogs]

The leave it command is a great command to teach for this & many other things too. It is pretty much only useful if your dog is getting close to the couch, once she jumps up on it I'd proabably use the "off" command.
The off command is great for when they jump on you or other objects. A lot of people make the mistake of saying down, to the dog down means lay down, so they get mighty confused when you say down to get off of something.


I agree with Irescue as far as the water technique goes. Also some dogs may like to be squirted with water. And also if you do decide to try it you'd have to make sure that the dog does not know that the squirt is coming from you, otherwise she'll know that if your not around or you don't have the squirt bottle in hand she can get up there. That doesn't really teach the dog anything it just prevents things from happening.

[buttercup132]

i found this awsome thing the other day icant remember where i think pet smart let me check but its a invisable pad that you stick whereever you dont want your cat/dog to go and it gives the a quick zap and eventualy they dont go on it anymore
http://www.petsmart.com/global/produ...=1129338242894
yep pet smart its called a scat mat most expensive one is only 64 bucks there pritty cheap! hope it helps