Nelson is now 22 weeks and is a very mischievous pup but very affectionate. We decided not to allow him on he sofa and as a small puppy he could never get on the leather sofa anyhow. Now though he can leap on the sofa and no amount of off seems to work. Whilst I was on Skype with my grandsons today he climbed onto my knee and sat for 10 minutes watching and listening to the boys and I had a lovely cuddle. Hubby is very against the sofa but I like him sitting close to me. I am unable to join him on the floor due to arthritic knees. What do others think...am I setting a bad precedence or allow him up on my say so. He is confined to the kitchen when I am not around.
Re: Sofa on or off? Throw treats on the floor and say 'off' as you do it, you'll soon find him hopping off as soon as you say the word. Tatze is allowed on one sofa (mine) and one chair (hers!) and doesn't go on any of the other furniture. If she occasionally tries it on the 'off' cue works every time - we used super duper treats to train it Here she is on her chair. She doesn't fit any more!
Re: Sofa on or off? Love my doggy cuddles on the sofa There is no downside to having your dog on the sofa other than a bit of fur, less room for the humans, and a little bit of extra patina added to the leather (we have an aniline leather sofa which shows scratches a bit). We let Obi get up when he wants. When we have visitors he wants to sit with them too (which we let him do...it soon weeds out the non-doggy people ) If you enjoy it and don't greatly mind the above, let him up to sit with you
Re: Sofa on or off? No sofa for us, Riley is intact and as a result has slight leakage sometimes which I'd rather didn't go on the furniture :
Re: Sofa on or off? I started off like you and tried to keep mine off the sofa, as mine is a fabric sofa. However, it was ruined when my parents came over to dogsit and she and my Dad had a nap together on the sofa i tried to keep her off after that and it was impossible, now she's up there when she wants but i have a blanket to cover the seating area. I think this is entirely a personal choice much like whether you want your dog sleeping in the same room with you, i'm fine now for the sofa but will not likely relent on the sleeping arrangements. The only problem seems to be that your OH is not in favour so i'd guess it depends on the reason why he doesn't want the dog on the sofa and whether it's negotiable or not.
Re: Sofa on or off? We've got a sofa dog too. I like it especially when she asks for a cuddle (ears back and down, paw out, head down). Down side is she's never quite free of mud so we bought some cheap bath sheets from Sainsbury's in dark colours and Lady has to lie on those to keep the sofa clean. Other things to consider - When I move to get something Lady immediately sets up position in my spot and has to be shifted. When we have visitors they don't appreciate being invaded by a big black Labrador. We have an old sofa in the back room that is entirely Lady's. She uses it as a bed at night and we've put her dog bed away and only get it out when we go on holiday.
Re: Sofa on or off? Thanks everyone for your comments. It is an old leather sofa so not proud. I think hubby is against the sofa to limit dominance. We make sure Nelson waits for the eat signal, make sure he waits for us to walk through the door first. He is a puller on the lead, gets very excitable when he meets anyone, loves digging up the garden. Bedrooms are a no no which I agree. I will try the treats but then won't he think I am going to jump for the treats instead of the other way around?
Re: Sofa on or off? I don't think dogs on the sofa think they're dominant and to be honest the whole dominance, pack leader approach has been shown to be not quite the case so I wouldn't worry about that. Dogs like consistency so they know what the rules are. Nelson (great name btw ) may want to mug you for treats but as long as you reward him for the good behaviour he'll soon wise up to what gets him the treats he wants. The others are far more experienced than I in getting obedient dogs so I would definitely go with practicing their suggestions!
Re: Sofa on or off? Charlie is allowed absolutely anywhere - sofa, armchairs, footstools, he views them all as his own. Throws cover the furniture, and go in the wash often, and I bulk buy anti-bac pet wipes (paws, bum and boy bits wiped before going into the TV room) and leather wipes for the sofa. Guests share with the dog or sit on the floor. Their choice. they seem happy enough to cuddle the dog. Only once, it was a problem, and if I want to see that person now, I suggest we meet in the pub. I have never told him to get off the furniture, so have no command that works.
Re: Sofa on or off? Sam is a sofa surfer too , I bought a load of inexpensive throws so that I can wash them every other day . I love our special moments with a big head on my lap , bliss x
Re: Sofa on or off? [quote author=bbrown link=topic=6507.msg86881#msg86881 date=1402401410] No sofa for us, Riley is intact and as a result has slight leakage sometimes which I'd rather didn't go on the furniture : [/quote] Same reason Zaba, my friend's entire male isn't allowed on furniture. Elaineh - the 'off' command for treats thrown on the floor is for when they are already 'on'
Re: Sofa on or off? Penny is a sofa dog, as well as an under the duvet dog!! I started off thinking I wouldn't allow it but she's such a cuddly people dog, and I really love it Downside is when we take her to my parents she tries to get on the sofa with me there and they have recliners so her legs go down the split between the two halves of the sofa lol she gets ever so confused!
Re: Sofa on or off? Harley is very much a sofa dog I love my cuddles she also sleeps upstairs with us, starts on our bed then gets off then sometimes in the night is up again. I originally said no to the furniture and upstairs, but am so glad I relented
Re: Sofa on or off? Meg definitely sofa dog. She has problems now getting up, so give her a boost. Both like our cuddles. Anyway floor too hard for her at her age. Bought a lovely orthopaedic bed for her but she refuses to use it.
Re: Sofa on or off? I plan to start with no going on the sofa. I don't want her jumping off and hurting herself for one thing. I am opting for joining her on the floor. I wonder how long that will last> : If I were you, with sore knees, I'd let your dog on the sofa, life's too short
Re: Sofa on or off? Holly is a floor dog. Every night we have to sit on the floor so she can lie on our laps for a snuggle. Our last lab, Cocoa, didn't like to go onto the sofa if we were there. As soon as we went to bed she would sneak onto the sofa, and go back to her own bed when she heard us get up. We pretended not to notice the tell-tale creak of the sofa and hairs.
Re: Sofa on or off? I think we are a bit unusual. No to the sofa, yes to the bed. She occasionally gets invited onto the sofa if there is a rug, but she doesn't usually stay long. Once or twice I have found Lilly on the sofa if the sun is on it at the right time of day, but it is rare, and I think I would notice on our red sofa covers if it was a regular. She spends a lot of her day on our bed in the front room however. Interestingly, if we are in it, she always asks to come up, but if it is unoccupied she thinks its fair game!
Re: Sofa on or off? [quote author=Jane Martin link=topic=6507.msg87001#msg87001 date=1402426929] I plan to start with no going on the sofa. ..... I wonder how long that will last> :[/quote] Traditionally, about two days
