How do i keep my big dog off the couch, when we leave home?

Question

This dog is a big dog and i dont really like him to lye on the furniture. He still jumps on the couch when we leave home. Also i like for him to stay in the laundry rom while the family eats but he just doesn't listen. Our other two dogs listen but this one just doesn't listen!!! HELP! please.

Answer 1

scold him don't give him food or make him jealous

Answer 2

Have you tried obedience training yet? I would think that would at least start getting them to pay attention to you, and eventually solve the problem. It sounds like they don't think you are the boss. You could pay for group classes but it sounds like the cost may be an issue, so try a really good book or DVD from the library or from a freecycle group, or ask for help from a friend who's good with dogs. Have you tried just leaving some balloons on the couch? My dog was scared of balloons, and would not go near them. They certainly won't harm the dogs (unless your dogs are likely to try to eat them when they deflate) but also if they popped one when they got on the couch, that might scare them off.. In the long run, the investment of time in training will help the most.. If you have other family members, they must be consistent and never let these dogs on the couch.

Answer 3

He sounds stubborn. With the problem about him staying in the laundry room while the family eats, I think you just have to be persistant and keep sending him back in until he learns. The problem with the couch when no one is home is much more difficult. Our dog did that and even at nite when we were all in bed he would sleep on the couch and sneak off when he heard us get up. He stopped it when he got about 12 years old. We never won on the couch situation. Good luck to you, dogs are great. You have to love them.

Answer 4

Lots of options. One is to turn the cushions upright so it's uncomfortable for him to lay there. Another is to sprinkle the cushions with cayenne pepper (though I would advise against laying down on the couch yourself until it's been vacuumed). There are also some commercial devices you can use that literally spring up or at the dog when the furniture is disturbed.

As far as keeping the dog out of the kitchen when the family eats, my kitchen tile borders on the living room carpet. I trained my dog that "out" means to be on the carpet and lying down. I would take a treat, tell him "out," then lead him onto the carpet and into the down position. This took a few days of practice, but now whenever we're eating, I tell him "out" and he goes to the carpet and lays down.

Answer 5

If you go to a pet store then get a BIG crate or you can get a baby guard and keep him in another room besides the room with the couch in it.If your laundry room is big then get the leash and lead him in to the laundry room.If the laundry room isn't big then don't put all three dogs in there.You can probably put one dog by itself and two dogs together.Like you could put the two dogs that listen together and the other dog in another room.

Answer 6

sounds like your dog has issues in general you don't know how to deal with. i would reccomend a training class for both you and the dog, so you can learn how to get him to respect you. are the other dogs allowed on the couch, because if they are, it will be hard for big dog to understand why he can't. putting something on the couch like chairs or empty laundry baskets are good ideas, i would try those until you can start a training class, then you can work with the trainer on what they reccomend.

Answer 7

There's a product that you can get at Petsmart called Sofa Scram which will train dogs to stay off furniture by emitting a noise. You might get a doggie gate to get him to stay in the laundry room while you're eating.

Answer 8

Buy him a crate. He'll end up liking that as his retreat. Make it just big enough for him to lie down in. Dogs have wolf mentalities and he'll treat him as his "cave". Don't yell at him, just take him to the crate every time you leave the house, even if it's to the store for 30 minutes. He'll get used to the new routine, and you'll end up salvaging your furniture.

Answer 9

My grandma taped together a huge piece of cardboard, you can mold it to fit up onto the couch as well. Make it collapsable and put it under the couch when you're not using it. He may chew it up, I don't know the personality of your dog, but I do know this worked well for my g-ma.

Answer 10

We put empty laundry baskets upside down on the couch so the dogs can't get on it. Just put anything large like that on there so there is no space for them to get past them and they will stop. It worked for our two bull headed pits.

Answer 11

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Since it is obvious that you do not have a clue about obedience training, your services should be for free. You cannot train even an adult dog for 8 hours a day. About the most that can be done at any one time is 10 - 20 minutes and that is with an adult dog and not a puppy. The attention span on this baby is extremely short and training session should be no more than 10 minutes and twice a day. Additionally, there isn t going to be much learned if you will only be training for 5 days. Obedience training is cumulative and is done over a much longer period of at least several weeks to several months.
What you can charge is determined by your experience, reputation, and accomplishments and in a case like this, should also include guaranteed expectations. Just working with dogs over several years, is not the experience that is necessary to be a dog trainer. There are too many people who are putting that title to their name and fleecing the public. Don t be one of them.