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Permalink Reply by Autumn and Jonathan on February 12, 2014 at 1:28pm

We didn't start letting Dodger up on the couch until we felt that he was old enough and felt more at ease from a lower risk of him getting hurt. Even when we had first introduced him to the sofa as a puppy (whether he was sleeping or not) he would still wander and we both had felt it was an accident waiting to happen. 

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Permalink Reply by Priss, Charlie & Kaylee (PK) on February 12, 2014 at 1:49pm

Kaylee started getting up on the sofa when she was about 6 months old. My husband and I got a spell of simultaneous food poisoning and she wanted to be closer to us. Until she was about a year old, I tried to help her when she got off. If you do decide to allow Kenny up on your sofa, I highly suggest a washable cover or blankets. 

That said, I would definitely deal with the growling and lunging issue before you give him any more rewards, like being able to join you on the sofa. The sofa allows him to be closer to you and your level, so I would consider it like a treat and refuse him if he doesn't behave. I would talk to your trainer about the behavior. I assume that it is more than just playful biting and therefore it's definitely something you want to start dealing with.  

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Permalink Reply by Leslie Ross on February 12, 2014 at 3:03pm

yes

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Permalink Reply by Beth on February 12, 2014 at 3:08pm

Yes I allow mine on the couch. However, I would not allow a dog who growls when asked to move onto the furniture.

Please don't pick him up by the scruff when he growls. Teach him the command "off" and reward it. When a dog growls he is warning you he's uncomfortable. The thing to do is to back up and teach the desired behavior in smaller steps until he is comfortable with it, rather than punishing him for telling you he's uncomfortable. Dogs who are punished for growling too often turn into dogs who learn to bite first without any warning.

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Permalink Reply by Beth on February 12, 2014 at 3:11pm

One other thing: If he is growling when being removed from blankets, then don't allow him access to blankets. Do teach him to move when asked but do so with lower-value items and gradually work your way up to higher-value items.

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Permalink Reply by Jane on February 12, 2014 at 3:49pm

I do allow mine on the couch. However, since you're having some troubles with guarding I would not let him up just yet.

I also agree with Beth, don't scruff him for growling. You really shouldn't hold a dog up by the scruff anyway I would imagine...and you're not going to be able to do that once he's a bit older. Teach him the "off" command using treats. It kind of sounds to me like his breeder didn't really teach him to trust people very well...

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Permalink Reply by Erin on February 12, 2014 at 5:03pm

Thank you guys. My brain wasn't thinking of the off command until you guys mentioned it. See this is why I need you guys lol.

As for the couch he will get it whenever his manners are better. He has been getting better though! :)

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Permalink Reply by Marcie on February 12, 2014 at 7:02pm

Becca has couch privileges, but with rules. She resource guards from the cat. If she is on the couch and lifts her lip and growls at the cat, she must get off. If the cat is on the couch first, Becca will share. When she is on the couch first she usually will guard. The cat has figure out when Becca is made to get down. She will set Becca up so she can gain my lap.

I also keep a slip proof rug in front of the couch. It makes a better landing strip than the wood floors.

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Permalink Reply by Linda on February 13, 2014 at 8:16am

Ours are allowed on the chairs in the sunroom where we watch TV and on the bed.  No to the living room furniture...I'm sure that ticks them off because the cats sleep on the LR stuff.  Max has always had issues with jumping and he needs help getting up and down on anything, Katie just launches herself.  Max hasn't wanted up on the chair or bed in some time.  Besides getting help up he needs to be lifted down because of his neck and I don't think he likes being picked up at all but he will campout on my feet while watching TV.

I also agree with Beth about the growling and not picking him up by the scruff.

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Permalink Reply by Denis J. on February 13, 2014 at 12:03pm

I would be more worried at the instinct to jump down when he's so small and hurting himself.  Either on the couch or anywhere else, I would certainly address the behaviors where he lunges at your hand if you try to remove him or take something away from him.

Wally has jumped once on the couch by himself but it was from a running start to get a toy.   I guess he doesn't have the grip on the hardwood to lunch himself up.   But we do bring him with us by picking him up and he has to be on either one of us.   So I recline the chair and he lays on the sofa arm (half his body) and we have a TV relaxing moment.

But he does not get to sleep on the couch, only the one in the basement, which is a sectional we he has to be on a blanket when we're with him.

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Permalink Reply by Julia on February 13, 2014 at 9:55pm

The plan with my first dog was no furniture. While at a cabin up north I let the puppy on the couch there. My three boys and I were playing Scrabble, and I played "sofapup." They challenged it, I said it meant "furniture dog" which was what the puppy wanted to be. I lost. But, sofapup has been my online name ever since. So there, kids!

Now it's all dogs on all chairs and beds, but no tables. No picnic tables either. I'm such a tough mom. We bought leather furniture when we needed new, there's a beach towel on my side of the bed, and all dogs learned the command "scoot."

My latest rescue, who lived outside for his first five years, had a hard time learning how furniture worked. He fell off a lot, especially when he tried to sit in corgi-sized places (not too bright.) We actually have to sit on him to make him move, since he hasn't learned the command.

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Permalink Reply by Chris Payerl on February 16, 2014 at 9:42am

We let Sophie (and our dear, departed Asta) up on the couch and bed once we were sure they were reliably potty trained. Sophie hurt her back/neck somehow awhile back, so we got little steps for her for the couch. She'll stay on the bed all night once we lift her up. She's allowed to stay on the couch as long as she is sitting/lying nicely and not climbing all over everyone. Now that she's older, that isn't much of an issue anymore, but when she was younger we were her "jungle gym" when she'd get up on the couch. We taught her "sit like a lady" and 'off" if she wouldn't sit still.

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