I have a lab mix and he always likes to lie on my sofa. I am in the process of buying a new sofa and I don't want him to sleep on my new sofa. He has his own bed, during the night he jumps on the sofa and sleeps there. Please let me know how I can get rid of this habbit.Thanks.
I agree with Gail H. The first question you have to ask yourself is does your dog see you as the alpha? Sometimes when a dog does not see the owner as alpha, he just gets on everywhere he likes...because in his mind, it's his territory, not yours. There are lots of books outside telling you whether you are alpha or not and how to establish that status. If your dog is the zulu dog of the family, I nicknamed my dog this because he needs to know he is below everyone...from the cleaning lady, to kids, to everybody in the family, it's an easy fix. My trainer is the Dir of Training of puppy people, she said when the dog gets on the sofa..don't give verbal...because verbal is a reward too to dogs...all they hear is blahblahblah. Best solution is give your presence and the look, look at the dog (pretends your kids just smash your favourite lipstick) and point to the floor. If he refuses to move, just hold his collar and take him down. When he is all four on the floor and remains calm, say yes and reward. My guess is given he is so used to the old sofa, I will do this when your new sofa comes.
It's hard to break old habits in dogs. I guess you should wait until you get a new sofa to start training him because it will smell and look different so he won't feel as confused about you not wanting him up there. Think about it from his perspective and you'll understand. Start by getting him a new, fluffy and cozy bed at the same time you get the new sofa. Throw in an old blanket or worn sweater that smells like you (kind of like the old sofa). Lure him to his bed and when he takes a nap there, give him a treat and praise him. Every time he tries to go up on the sofa, tell him off or no using a stern voice. When he gives up, praise and treat. He might learn quickly. Now if you really do not want him to sleep there when you're not around or when you're asleep, you may have to confine him to certain areas of the house with his new bed, at least until he learns. Good luck!
You need to retrain him. Everytime he gets on the sofa, order him off. If he refuses to budge, hold him by the collar and say off. Be calm and use a firm authorative voice, be consistant. He will soon learn that his place is on the floor. If you see him going for the sofa a firm Hey Off should do it. It is always better to correct before he actually gets up on the couch. It's not hard to train your dog, it just takes consistancy. I have taught many dogs, who have been on the furniture for years. to stay off. You can break habits and teach old dogs new tricks. Using aluminum foil or runners is not training. You want your dog to listen, to obey, to respect. Although I would use these tools when not home, I would use basic training to correct this behavior. Who wants to keep this stuff on the couch all the time? Where would you sit, it would render your sofa unusable and you would have to continually take it off and then put it back on.
Honestly, if you;ve let him on the sofa for so long this may be a hard habit to break. Start by removing him from the sofa and using the command off. Eventually he'll start getting off on his own. That said, I have a friend who tired this, but the dog still sleeps on the sofa when she's not there or asleep.
My flat coated retriever LOVES to make himself at home on the sofa. So I went to Home Depot and purchased those plastic carpet runners with the spiky things on the bottom side. You can purchase basically the same thing in several dog supply catalogs for much, much more. When I leave for the day, I lay these across the sofa, 3 across, draped front to back (otherwise he just pulls it off). Works like a charm! Kris
