Dogs have a habit of disrupting our daily routines, especially when they’re still puppies. One of the toughest battles our Okemos, MI, dog trainers hear about from new pet owners? Keeping animals from jumping onto furniture in the home.
Beds and couches are enticing to dogs. If you want your furniture to avoid wear and tear, it’s important to teach your new puppy good habits right away.
Here’s what you need to know about
.1. Be Consistent
In order to effectively prevent your dog from getting onto furniture, all members of the household need to agree to work together. If dad lets the dog on the couch while mom doesn’t, you’ll send mixed messages that will confuse your dog and make it almost impossible to achieve the dog training results you want.
There’s no shame in deciding as a family that you will allow the dog up on the furniture, but if you want the dog to stay down, everyone needs to be on the same page about enforcing that rule. After that, you’ll need to stick to it! Inconsistency can undo all of your hard work.
2. Provide Multiple Alternatives
The reason dogs love to jump up on the furniture is because it’s comfortable. If you want your dog to stay off the furniture, you’ll need to provide an equal alternative.
Placing a dog bed near the furniture is a great first step. You should have a dog bed in every room that you spend a significant amount of time in, so your pup can be close to you and still be comfortable.
If your dog isn’t using the beds, you can try putting some of your old pillows or blankets in them to make it cozier and also to make it smell familiar. This will help keep your dog off furniture and in their designated spot.
When your dog jumps on the furniture, guide them over to the closest bed and give them a treat once they’re in it. This will help train your dog to prefer their bed to your furniture.
3. Make Furniture Less Enticing
Continuing the idea in the last point, one of the
is to make the sitting areas less comfortable for them and not as easy to access, especially while you’re not around.Piling objects on the couch is a great way to create obstacles that will prevent your dog from jumping up on it when you’re out of the house. It might be unsightly in the short-term, but once your dog learns that they’re not allowed on the sofa, you can clear away the rubble.
4. Train Your Dog
Your dog will inevitably jump up on the furniture at some point, no matter how hard you try to dissuade them. In this case, it’s important that you’ve trained your dog to obey your commands.
A stern “down!” should get the point across, but if your dog is disobedient, you might struggle with this. Properly training your dog is vital if you want them to listen to you in the long-term. If your dog won’t listen, you might want to consider enrolling in one of our dog training classes.
Call Us Today!
Our dog trainers in Okemos, MI, can help you instill good habits in your pup. To reserve your spot for our obedience classes, call Dog Gone Fun today at (517) 657-4300 or contact us online.
This blog post has been updated.