question about dogs...help Suzanne and anyone else...

question about dogs...help Suzanne and anyone else...

OK, I have two dogs who I adore but drive me nuts. We are trying to fix up the apartment and we have bought our entertainment center, curio cabinet, and end tables. I really need a couch! But I am holding off cause I know that my dogs are going to ruin it!!!!!!!! They are so used to being on the stupid piece of crap we have now and I have no idea on how to train them to stay off the new one. I leave them both out when we go to work and I just know that even if I train them not to go up there, I know that they will when we arent here. I need advice quick, I am home for the summer (teacher) and I want to be able to relax in my living room...any advice would be sooooooooo greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Re: question about dogs...help Suzanne and anyone else...

I heard that if you put aluminium foil on the couch, they will not go on it, since the noise of the crinkling aluminum foil bothers them.

Re: question about dogs...help Suzanne and anyone else...

You need to train them to not go on the couch you have now for it to work in enough time.. every time they go to jump on the couch take them off and say NO with a stern voice, dont let them roam the living room when your not home, if you have to buy crates for them to be in during the day.. dont be put off by the crate thing, they actually love the crate once they get used to it..give them certain treats that they can have ONLY when they are in there...i have the same problem, and this is what the trainer told me to do, but im a ****er and love to lay with them on the couch.. so i couldnt do it.. the thing they said is most important is consitency you ALWAYS need to keep them off the couch, it wont work if you let them up sometimes..if all else fails and u just CANT get them off the couch my advise would be to get sure fit slip covers for it, and when company comes over take them offf... they are great and machine washable and you can put them in the dryer...

Re: question about dogs...help Suzanne and anyone else...

I was in the same situtaion as you with the dogs and the couch thing. My dogs actually destoryed our old couch, they ate a hole in it!

However, they are crated whenever we go out, and they sleep together in a large crate. They love it!!! We say 'Do you want a biscuit?'...and they instantly run into their crate (we call it the snuggle shack ). So, they only get treats when they are in the crate, so they learned that the crate is a good thing.

Next, and this is strange, we bought ALL new furniture, for the entire house, and it cost a lot...surprisingly, the dogs HATE the new furniture and won't go near it! What we did was we left them 2 OLD dining room chairs in the corner of the living room, so that when FI and I are sitting on the couch watching TV, the dogs sit on their own chairs. They guard those things with their lives!

Even when we think they're up to no good, I turn the corner and there they are, on their chairs.

Suzanne is correct, you cannot EVER let them on the coach again, that's the only way to train them. Always say no when the jump on it, and immediately remove them.

If the no thing doesn't work (when we were training our dogs to stop jumping on people, our trainer had this advice), use a spray bottle filled with water. Whenever the dog jumps on the couch, give them a little squirt, and they hate it. After a few times, all you have to do is have that spray bottle near you, and they know not to do it.

I wish you luck in your quest!!!!

Re: question about dogs...help Suzanne and anyone else...

I had heard that rubbing the couch with dryer sheets gets dogs off...but i maybe confusing thing...

Re: question about dogs...help Suzanne and anyone else...

Becareful with the dryer sheets, cause if your dogs have ANY allergies like mine do, they will get a skin rash from them .,and this its $$$$$$$$ at the vet!

Re: question about dogs...help Suzanne and anyone else...