New gadget meant to keep fido off couch

[Vivianne]

Went to the pet store and saw…
Let’s see how best to explain it…
It reminds me of a car mat that’s been turned over to expose the pincushion side (for lack of the proper terminology). This was being sold as a means of keeping your pet off the couch. Has anyone else seen this? I rubbed my hand along it and it hurt. It’s also made of hard plastic that wouldn’t give much if an animal jumped up on it. In my opinion that was a bit much.

[jakesfostermom]

Vivianne - it sounds like an office chair mat turned upside down - and that would hurt! I haven't seen it....but you can bet people will buy it....they could save their money if they taught the "off" command, right? :)

[Bruce Lanthier]

I have to disagree. My dogs know "off" very well. As a matter of fact they wouldn't dream of getting on any furniture when we are around. But when they are sure we are asleep or out of the house they will get on the first available open cushion and curl up. I wouldn't use one of those mats (we use Carolyn's little plastic chairs :D) but they aren't cruel or inhumane. Really not much different than walking on gravel if you think about it. At most it would be uncomfortable and that's all you need to do, make the dog uncomfortable.

[jakesfostermom]

Well - I hadn't thought of it's night time application, I guess because mine are crated at night - but when I was a kid, my mom did put Dad's water ski's on her couch at night to keep the Boxers from camping out....it was a nightly ritual....

[Vivianne]

I agree Bruce my gang knows off too, but as you said they know when the coast is clear and up on the cushions they go. I still feel really bad for the pets whose owners are putting this mat down. I would bet that if a dog of a Rottweilers size and weight landed on this mat after jumping up on the couch his paw pads would bleed from the encounter. They wouldn’t be so bad if the plastic were more pliable and created an uncomfortable place for a pet to try to lie down for any length of time, but this mat as I saw it would pierce my back side through a pair of jeans if I plopped down on it – I can imagine the panic and pain that would go through the mind of an unwary animal. I sure do hope people think before using this to keep their pet off any horizontal surfaces.

[lblax]

they make shock mats also for this..... sure beats rat traps under news papers like the old days

[Rottlva]

:) The best thing would be to crate the dog or shut the doors leading to the room.... I know for certain mine get on the couch when I am not home.... As long as they don't do it when I'm around I don't care too much!!

As for those spikey things, I was house sitting for a family which had those on thier couches and I hopped on the couch forgetting they did.....Yeee Ouch!!! It sure hurts to touch them!!

[Mary Bouchard]

I saw a mat once that slipped under the cushions and made a noise to scare them off.

But I just tell them move over one day I will have to take a picture of What's up half falling off snoring, the puppy curled up in a ball our male sitting on the arm of the loveseat with my teenager in the middle of the rottie pile watching TV.

I often ask her why she doesn't tell them off and she says she loves them snuggled in around her and it looks cool on my little love seat.

Recently one of her friends came over upset and actually SAT on the love seat What's up? ambled over in her slow walk looked her eye ball to eye ball and when the girl looked up and saw her she asked what does she want?

I told her probable trying to figure out why your crying you have her chair and SHE is on the cold tile!