Keeping dog off new couch

[Tara]

Our new couch is being delivered today. :D Roxy has always been allowed on our other couch. It's old and in the basement.

The new couch is leather and I don't want her going up there. She likes to nest and dig for goodies in the couch or something.

We are still going to allow her on the couch in the basement. How do we keep her from going on the new couch?

Also, we should be bringing our new puppy home at the beginning of October :D :D. I haven't decided what we will allow as far as getting on the furniture with him. Is it bad to allow one dog on the furniture, but not the other?

[sophie's-mom]

Originally posted by Tara
Is it bad to allow one dog on the furniture, but not the other?

Why would you allow one on and one not? Just curious? Honestly, I think you're going to have BIG problems if you do it this way!

I'm not sure how you're going to train the couch OUT of your current dog......but GOOD LUCK.......I can't imagine it being easy.

[Tara]

I don't think that we would actually not let the new pup on the furniture, I was just wondering.

Then I start to think about 2 adults and 2 rottweilers on the couch together! At least we have a sectional so it's sort of big!

Roxy has never been a couch hog and she gets down if people want to sit. Either that or she sprawls out on the top of a couch, like a cat!!!! She also asks if she can get on the bed usually. She never sleeps there though, when we are there at least!!!

People I talk to keep mentioning a scat mat for the couch. Don't really want to do that though.

When I was a kid and we got new furniture we would put chairs on the couch while we were gone. The dog always had free roam of the house. She was allowed on the old couch. She was great, never tried to get on the new furniture.

But Roxy is either crated or in our bedroom while we are not home.

I hope she learns quickly!!!!!!!

[Judi W]

Much easier if you simply establish the rule that the furniture is for people not dogs. Have a nice doggy bed on the floor for the dogs.

Otherwise you look capricious and confusing in your rules, and it would be unfair to ask the dog to understand them.

[samanthac]

Dogs can't tell the difference between the new couch and the old couch. A couch is a couch plain and simple. Same with shoes. To a dog a shoe is a shoe. They cannot tell the difference between your $10 tennis sneaker and your 4150 Ferragamo pump. If you give the dog old tennis sneakers to chew, you chould not be surprised if he chews your other shoes too.

If you let them on one sofa, they are going to go on the other. You must make one rule NO SOFA and enforce it consistently. I love my dogs dearly, but I do not allow them on my furniture or bed.

[Burnsway]

It is not fair to allow the dogs on the furniture and just decide now tonight because we have new stuff it is not allowed. The dog does not understand this. That doesn't mean you can't decide that you want to incorporate a new no furniture rule but it won't be fair to try and do it all at once.

We have had success with changing rules at our house but it takes time. And I do believe in some situations one dog can be allowed to do something that another can't but that too is a situation by situation thing. We decided that Our big dog was getting a bit pushy about sleeping with us so instead of saying NO MORE BED after we had allowed it and also want to keep our 15 year old small dog there so she can easily let us know when she has to go out with her weak bladder, We decided FUNNER BED!...LOL! We bought big dog neat bed and made such praise and fun out of it I never really have to kick her out of bed. She jumps up with us, says good night , moves around a bit and jumps down within minutes on her own bed......:D

So if you are going to change the rules after so long of allowing it you will need to make it fun, rewarding and fair to the dog.

Good Luck!

[Tara]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. Hopefully she will learn quickly! I just don't know how we will teach her to not do the flying leap over the couch. The cushions go EVERYWHERE!!!!! Maybe in the living room she won't be able to do it because it's hardwood floors and she can't get her traction!

Thankfully she's not pushy as far as being on the furniture. She's content lying on the floor.

We've been talking about buying another dog bed for her to have besides our room so I think we will look around for something nice. Maybe something that will match our new decor! :D

Can I still call her up on the bed to snuggle before we go to sleep? I don't want to confuse her.

[Burnsway]

Originally posted by Tara
Thanks everyone for your suggestions. Hopefully she will learn quickly! I just don't know how we will teach her to not do the flying leap over the couch. The cushions go EVERYWHERE!!!!!

Yes we are working on this one too but probably easier for us because it is a fairly new bad behavior. We just moved and before a leap-over the back of the couch would mean splattering yourself on the wall.... But in our new place the Glass door to the back yard is in the dining room which our couch divides from the living room. So one sweep over the couch lands her right where she wants to be, the back door.....

We do not say the word outside or want to go out or anything while in the living room. We leash her or grab her collar and walk her "AROUND" the couch saying "AROUND" with authority and clearly . My Couch and home is not an agility field..... If she lets loose or does the over the couch and we don't catch her first, we close the back door or if it was a kitchen treat or anything she wanted she does not get it. We then take her by the collar again doing the steps above and then give her what it was she wanted.

She is catching on mighty fast.......;)

[samanthac]

Originally posted by Tara
Can I still call her up on the bed to snuggle before we go to sleep? I don't want to confuse her.

I wouldn't. It just sends mixed signals. If you invite her up sometimes and not others it will confuse her. But there is no rule you can't sit on the floor and snuggle with her for a few minutes before bed. :D

[Tara]

Originally posted by samanthac
I love my dogs dearly, but I do not allow them on my furniture or bed.

http://www.rottweiler.net/forums/sho...5&pagenumber=7

Never allowed on the couch?????? ;)

[sophie's-mom]

Originally posted by Tara
http://www.rottweiler.net/forums/sho...5&pagenumber=7

Never allowed on the couch?????? ;)

ooooooooo!!!!!

[Burnsway]

Oh....... Good catch Tara!!!!.....Samantha my dear you are so..........


BUSTED!!!!!!


:D :D :D

In Samanthas defense she never said never but anyhow in the dog world never means .....Almost never......;)

[samanthac]

Excuse me, if you will note, that is my HUSBAND that allowed them on the sofa, and you can bet I reamed his a@@ out for it, too, after I got done taking the picture. Unfortunately you cannot control what a spouse does. I, meaning ME, do not allow the dogs on the furniture and after my reaming, neither does hubby. They are never allowed on bed by either of us.

This is what I get for offering help. Next time I won't bother at all. Good luck with that new sofa.

[Burnsway]

Samantha dont get upset your advice was well read and taken I'm sure but we all have to get "busted"once in a while or life would be boring.......

And don't you just hate it when hubbys break "our" rules.......

[Tara]

Thank you for your advice. I will start the no furniture rule. I have been playing with Roxy on the floor before bed lately anyway.

I just thought the picture was funny!!!! :p
Lighten up!

My fi definitly does not like to inforce the same rules I do with Roxy, like her jumping on him. He calls her, and the next day he yells at her for doing the same thing. MEN!!!!!!