Our dog sneaks onto the sofa to sleep at night. He looks guilty as hell when discovered. How to stop this?

Question

He used to do this, so we set up a fabulous high cushioned dogbed, complete with flokati rug next to the sofa. He stopped the sofa sleeping straight away. He has begun again to sofa sleep, and the poor quite new sofa is beginning to look dreadful. Max does currently have a serious flea infestation, which is being treated. Is the sofa behaviour some kind of message about his bed and the fleas or is he having an identity crisis and needing to affirm himself at the top of the pack? He is a chunky feral kind of poodle, a bit indulged but also getting a bit old (he's 9 and definately slowing down). When caught, middle of night or early morning, I growl at him in a dog kind of way, and he leaps straight off, but he does look very guilty and knows he has done wrong.He's pretty smart, so he learns quickly. Any ideas on how to stop this behaviour? Theres no way to keep him out of the living room, no doors..

Answer 1

Actually, the current thinking in dog psychology is that they do not actually distinguish 'right' from 'wrong' and therefore do not feel guilt, or shame, although of course most owners will swear blind they see that 'guilty' look on their dog. What you're actually seeing is a bit of fear - your dog knows the consequences of his actions, but obviously isn't bothered enough to make the connection and stop sleeping on the sofa!!

Personally I would just put things on the sofa so he can't get on it. This is what a vet friend of mine does to keep her great dane off the sofas, she puts the heavyish boxes with her kids toys on them. It works.

I would not think the sleeping on the sofa and the fleas have any connection whatsoever. It's not uncommon for a dog to refuse the most glamorous of dog beds in favour of their own choice of bed!

The whole 'top of the pack' thing is a bit dubious. I use to subscribe to the whole 'wolf pack' behaviour theory too, but now I'm not so sure. Dogs are separated from wolves by thousands of years of evolution after all - and the domestic kind tended to evolve from solitary rather than pack wolves, so I'm not sure to what extent the wolf pack theory has relevance. If you want to assert your dominance however, do just that - you could try the whole eating first, going through door(ways) first thing, not giving him any scraps at all from the table etc. Teach him he's the dog, you're the owner. Reward him for good behaviour i.e NOT being on the sofa when you come downstairs - give him lots of praise and attention when he does the right thing, and growl at him when he does the wrong thing!!

Chalice

Answer 2

Find what motivates your dog. Some dogs do anything for food. Some dogs do anything for Toys. Some do anything for a good petting. Some do anything for only one type of food, like cheese, or hotdog. Some only have interest in training for 5 minutes at a time, and others can go for an hour. Figure out what your dog is willing to work for, and then work with her in sessions that are no longer than she can tolerate. How to train your dog properly https://tr.im/am6Cw

Sign up for a dog obedience training class. It will not train your dog. It will give you training on how you can train your dog. Most people understand the idea of training, but there is a right and a wrong way to do it, and there is good and bad technique. Timing and consistency is very important, and it helps to have feedback of someone watching you who can help you improve your technique to get more efficient results with your dog.

However, she may be somewhat anxious around other dogs, sort of like the shy kid on the playground. She will benefit from continuing what you are doing as far as asking her to sit before entering, but there are more things along those lines that will help her to calmly go in and out of the dog park. She may also benefit from going in short bursts, or only when fewer dogs are present, or avoiding times when other dogs that make her nervous are present. Maybe she just plays loud - my brother's dog is this way - or maybe she is a dogpark bully - sorry it is possible. But more likely she is just a little anxious around new dogs and she wants to play but just doesn't quite know how to do that and still feel comfortable. Don't be surprised if your dog does not actually like the dog park, and maybe she would get more enjoyment and less stress out of simply going for a good walk somewhere else.

A wagging tail does not mean that your dog is happy or even comfortable with the situation. It means your dog is emotionally aroused. This could be a happy arousal, or it could be a nervous arousal, or it could be an aggressive arousal. Go youtube it, there are plenty of videos of 'vicious' dogs who are throwing a very aggressive fit of barking and snarling while their tail is wagging vigorously. Even police dogs who are not let off the leash to chase down a suspect can be lunging and barking and snarling, and their tails are still going.

Answer 3

My only answer to keeping the pets off the taboo furniture was to close off the room. They will then find another target and probably one just to annoy you for the imposed limitations. That is the loving animal way. I can laugh as my last animal of many is an 18 year old cat which can no longer climb up on to the sofa.

Answer 4

If you are that determined to keep him off the couch, invest in a scat mat. Wash his bed and everything he comes into contact with at least once a week to help with the fleas. You can also set up a flea trap or spread D.E. under his bed to help prevent re infestation.

Answer 5

www.fleatreat.com Get him some flea treats and get rid of the fleas. Then take the poor baby to bed with you so he won't have to sleep on the sofa!

Answer 6

Do you allow him to lie next to you on the couch when you're there? Is he allowed on other furniture in the house?

If so, he's having a tough time understanding why it's not OK on his time, or that he dosn't know a couch from a chair. There are scents you can spray on them, but leaving a sheet of tin foil overnight for a few nights might help him to knock it off. Most of all, don't confuse him, he's either allowed on furniture, or he's not.

Answer 7

Scat mats are great items!! I have one that I have used to do all kinds of training with both my dogs and my cats.
I would suggest that the poodle may be avoiding their bed because if it has any flea larve or adults, they bite and area annoying. If they come to view their bed as a source of pain or annoyance they will avoid, opting for your nice clean couch.
Good luck!

**edit**
my scat mat does not shock my kiddos..it makes a horrific high pitch noise that they *HATE*...I could never shock my babies.

Answer 8

Will your dog sleep in a crate at night? If not you could maybe put something on your couch at night so he can not sleep on it (boxes, pillows....)

They have these mats that you put on your couch that give the dog a slight "shock" when they jump on furniture. I don't think that is the best option though.

If nothing else works maybe try a slip cover?

Answer 9

ccccuuuuuuuuurrrreeeeeeee the fleas and make max feel happy then train him to obey you and it will slowly end my dog did stuff like that to just without fleas\