When our dog is a puppy, it is common to let him sleep and play on the sofa. As they grow and depending on their size, this custom can create conflicts in a house. For this reason it is important that from a young age we dedicate time to their education.
We can train our dog not to get on the sofa by establishing rules of behavior and being constant, in this way we will ensure that our dog lies down calmly in his bed and leaves the sofa for us humans. In this article on our site we will teach you how to keep your dog from getting on the couch, and remember that the better the relationship with your dog, the better and more fast will be the results.
Step One: Set House Rules
It is very important that you decide if you are going to let it rise or not. The dog's education will depend a lot on it. If as a general rule you don't let him get on but a family member always invites him up, it is very likely that the dog is confused. The whole family must follow the same rules Now, there are two assumptions that we must analyze before explaining how to prevent the dog from getting on the sofa:
- I don't want my dog to get on the sofa: If you don't want him to get on the sofa, never let him do it. It is essential that you be constant and do not give up if at first he does not pay attention to you. Don't make exceptions, ask him to go down as soon as he tries to go up.
- I want him to get on occasionally: While you can teach your dog to get on and off the couch, as well as go to sleep s his bed, the truth is that it is very confusing for the dog that sometimes you let him climb and sometimes not, as well as frustrating. If you want your dog to get on the sofa from time to time, you should give him free access and, if not, prevent him from going up at all times.
How to prevent my dog from climbing on the sofa?
Forget the shouting, the fights and the "challenges", if you want your dog not to get on the sofa you will have to teach him what the word "low" meansreally, so the second step will be to use the training so that he associates the word "down" with getting off the couch and "up" with getting up.
Look outside for a place where you can practice, but be careful, you shouldn't do it on a sofa, but on a step, street bench, etc.:
- Get dog snacks and offer him one.
- Move your hand and guide him to the step, to climb, using the word "climb".
- Once you get to the top, reward him with a snack.
- Now repeat the procedure making him go down, while using the word "low".
- Repeat until your dog understands the exercise.
Remember that dog training sessions should be short and intense, so give your dog a break and resume the exercise half an hour later.
Now that you know more or less what "up" and "down" mean, start practicing without guiding him with the treats, but only with your hand. Of course, every time he goes down and up you must reward him, what you are not going to do is guide him with the food. You will repeat this exercise as many times as necessary, preferably performing between 2 and 5 sessions a day, until your dog understands the exact meaning of both words.
Once you understand the exercise, every time your dog gets on the sofa you must ask him to get down, remember: always using the same word. Based on repetitions, your dog will learn that the sofa is not a place to get on. Don't forget to be very consistent and always follow the rules.
How to prevent my dog from climbing on the sofa when I'm not home?
Maybe you managed to keep him from getting on the sofa in front of you but when you come home you find him sleeping on it or getting down quickly when you walk in the door. It is a problem that many owners have and there is no easy solution. The only thing we can do is prevent him physically That is, placing objects such as a lying chair or some plastic bags. So it will not be comfortable or pleasant to climb on it. It is a measure that over time you will be able to eliminate.
