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Comment by James on July 28, 2008 at 12:39am

That is almost exactly what I am doing Katy, mabye it's going to take 200 times though.,..

Comment by James on July 22, 2008 at 12:14am

If I leave the couch when he jumps up he considers it a job well done. He mainly does it when "Frapping" and when he is tired. (and yes he has a very nice bed)

Comment by NoClaws4Alarm on July 21, 2008 at 5:00pm

I have to admit that I'm terrible about discouraging them. A corgi to snuggle for a midnight movie is a treasure. There are rules, though:

They aren't allowed up if anyone seated has food or drinks.
Have to be reasonably clean with nails clipped.
'They have to be invited and helped up. (don't want strained backs)
They have to remain calm. If they get jumpy, down they go!

For times we aren't in the room they know it's off-limits, though Sadie will sneak when we leave. We have caught her jumping down as we come in the front door.

Our cat has been a decent deterrent, in the past, as well. Neither Rolo nor Sadie like being on the couch when Loki is up there. Sadie sulks when she sees the cat on the couch with us... like we are cheating on her... and Rolo is used to being scolded for going after the cat so for the most part avoids him.

One suggestion...? What if when they jump up... you get off the couch and move to the floor? Maybe if you make it less interesting to be up there, they won't think it's such a treat? Floor equals PLAY... couch equals ALONE? ;)

Comment by Butter on July 21, 2008 at 4:24pm

Yeah, it wears me down to keep saying "no" over and over again. It would be so much easier to just let him do what he wants. They can be little weasels, that's for sure. Mine wouldn't look at me for a number of days....sort of funny. He would look to get up, I would say, "no" and he would walk by me without looking at me and settle into his bed and basically not make eye contact with me for the rest of the day. Normally we are very bonded. Mine is 9 by the way. We made a big mistake by ever letting him up.

Good luck! Maybe you could control some of your couches with a doggie gate or by shutting the door when you aren't in the rooms.

Comment by James on July 21, 2008 at 1:26pm

I dont think he will ever be able to get up on my bed. But the couch thing is certainly annoying. The only time I have ever let him up there was the first day he was home and he took a nap (I took pictures it was very cute) and then never again. It shouldnt be a habit. I have told him at least 30 times today to get down! He jumps up there and snuggles up with a pillow like it's none of my business. Oh man, what a weasel.

Comment by Butter on July 21, 2008 at 1:15pm

My advice is do whatever it takes to never let them up or you'll have a serious problem like we are having. In the beginning we didn't let Butter up....eventually we gave in, then he started wanting to sleep there at night. so we let him...then someone gave us stairs for him so it just made it all the easier. Everything was fine until he started extreme shedding (I think they call it blow out). The furniture was COVERED with hair, even though we used a sheet. We furbusted and vacuumed the dog every day as well as vacuuming the furniture and floor 1-2 times per day. We are also getting new leather furniture and didn't want it wrecked so decided to retrain him not to get onto the couch.

It has been painful. He was only on the couch for about 4 weeks. He now walks around like we have greatly injured his soul....it is really sad. Before we sold the coffee table, we would pull it up in front of the couch and he wasn't able to leap over that. Now, anytime I go anywhere or at nighttime, I cover the couch with tote bags, beachbags, and put them right at edge so he can't jump up.

I also have tried telling him no very gently' I pat each cushion and say "no, no, no". Then I take him to his bed and say "yes, and "good boy".

When I am on the couch he really wants to get up and tries to sneak up, I have to keep correcting him.

It has been a lot of work over the past 3 weeks. We wish now, that we had never allowed it...had no idea it would be so hard to undo. We have 1-2 more weeks before the leather furniture comes and I still don't trust him. Hard to know when I won't have to go through the putting of the bags of the sofa (it is hard to always remember and if you have 4 couches it is a lot of work). If you have a coffee table in front of the couch then push it right against the couch, it is the easiest way. Make sure there isn't a gap at either end though. Good luck!! PS Another thing we have done is to buy him a really comfortable bed which is right beside the couch so that he can be close to me without being up on the couch...this seems to be helping...just got it a few days ago. We actually considered buying a baby crib with a comfortable mattress and use his stairs so that he would be up higher but realized we would be starting another habit which would be hard to break. Another similar thing is the bed....do you want him on it permanently, if not I would never start taking him on the bed because it will be another hard habit to break. Joy and Buttercup

Comment by Sam Tsang on July 21, 2008 at 1:09pm

my dogs are never allowed on the couch for the very same reasons. we taught them the "off" command when they were young. next time when you catch cheezit on the couch, say "off" the gently put your hand on his hiney, use your other hand and signal a finger pointing motion to the ground, reinforce it with a treat as a reward. Like you said, it is hard when he's in the frapping mode, but it can be done :)

Comment by James on July 21, 2008 at 12:59pm

Good suggestions, I may try to pile on some stuff. Wouldnt aluminum foil be sort of a hazard? I know it breaks apart at the ends into tiny slivers usually.

Comment by FuzzyButt on July 21, 2008 at 12:18pm

Ryan says that you can put aluminum foil on the couch. Dogs don't like the feel or sound of it. Put in on when you are not using the couch, and peal it up when you are. He says that his aunt tought her dogs not to get on the couch like that.

Comment by Sam on July 21, 2008 at 12:10pm

Perhaps you can put the cushions up or put something on the couches to discourage his attempts. Once they learn they CAN get on excited pups forget the rules very quickly. Be persistant and stern with the corrections. At his age when he is in play mode he pretty much forgets all else.