# Getting Pup OFF the furniture!!



## goldhaven (Sep 3, 2009)

To house train my dogs or pups I usually leave a leash on them in the house. When they jump on the couch I grab the leash and give the off command while I give a little tug. As soon as they get off, I give a treat and praise. While doing this, even when they do what I want, I don't show excitement because it only tends to get them more excited which will make them jump back on the couch. If I am doing agility or a training of that nature, then it is alright to show excitement but not for basic commands. With the leash, as soon as they get off and they are given a treat, you can step on the end of the leash to prevent them from getting back on. The leash is also great for when guests arrive and can serve to teach them how to great people properly. 
My dogs and pups have to earn the right to be in the house without a leash just as they have to earn the right to be left un-crated when I leave.


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

Try giving her something to do while laying down next to the couch, and she only gets that chew bone or toy when she is laying down on the floor and not getting on the couch.

Keep a leash on her to direct her off when she does get on. Stand up and give her the "off" command and direct her off. Be consistent, if you allow sometimes and not others you can't expect her to know she is not allowed on the couch.


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## wmag (Mar 17, 2011)

We used a can full of pennies. Everytime she jumped on the couch we shook it and told her off.


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## MercyMom (Dec 19, 2011)

Tappster98 said:


> Hi,
> Our 3 month Golden just loves jumping up on the couch. How do you get them to stop doing that? I don't want to do anything hi-tech, just give her a command and be done. This is what I've tried...
> 1) Grab her and take her off the couch - returns, then bites and gets aggressive.
> 2) Sprayed the "Get OFF" spray - no luck.
> ...


You are not alone. My 11 week old puppy is doing something simular. She jumps on the couch and I take her off only for her to jump on it again. I will be reading the advice given on the forum and applying it to my puppy as well.


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## Wyatt's mommy (Feb 25, 2011)

I just picked Wyatt up and put him back on the floor. Redirect with a chew toy. Patience, consistency, redirect and sometimes time out in his x-pen. But if you don't want your dog on the furniture NEVER give in. They won't learn this is one day and they will push the envelope.......just like kids.


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## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

The leash is the key here. A short, drag cord is a terrific tool as previous posters mentioned. Off, praise, treat. If you are consistent, it should only take a few weeks until this phase passes and it's off to the next phase  Limit access to these rooms to whenever you can supervise 100%.


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## mayapaya (Sep 28, 2011)

Wyatt's mommy said:


> I just picked Wyatt up and put him back on the floor. Redirect with a chew toy. Patience, consistency, redirect and sometimes time out in his x-pen. But if you don't want your dog on the furniture NEVER give in. They won't learn this is one day and they will push the envelope.......just like kids.


Very good advise! I gave in after awhile with Maya, and just let her on the furniture--and I regret it now. There's a big difference between a 20 pound puppy and a 60 pound dog jumping up. And eventually, you will have a human guest sitting there who is not likely to enjoy sharing the space with your dog!!!! Now I have a real dilemma with two dogs, because I need to either retrain Maya, or let Payton join her up on the furniture, while we sit on the floor!!!!


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## Tennyson (Mar 26, 2011)

I just put a few empty beer cans filled with pennies on the furniture. When he would jump up the noise startled him and he would jump off.
Worked like a charm.


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## Walnut_the_Nut (Jan 25, 2012)

We used a clicker to do this. 

1. Get him off whatever he shouldn't be on
2. Get him hyped up by making crazy noises and movements
3. Right before he's about to jump back up, click and throw treat on the ground a little further from the couch.
4. Eventually, give command, click, treat
5. Just give command - although if done right, it will become natural behavior. 


We used the same method with jumping, and within 10-15 repetitions for 2-3 days (indoors and outdoors), it has become natural behavior to not jump.

hope that helps


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## vcm5 (Apr 20, 2011)

She is adorable! I gave up with Riley, I have to admit. He is allowed on the couches and bed. At first he wasn't allowed on couches, but he is so darn adorable and loves to cuddle so much that I just couldn't resist his face half the time and would invite him up. So it was a lack of consistency and totally my fault haha! I would suggest a two pronged approach...
1. Have a leash on her at all times so it is easy to tug on it when she tries to get onto the couch. So this would be basically prevention.
2. Make being off the couch even better than being on the couch. Lots of pets and attention and bones and treats and etc for being on the floor. This will create value for not being on the floor.

Good luck! Let us know how it goes!


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## Tappster98 (Apr 21, 2012)

Forgot about the leash method. Thanks for the reminder!!!


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## toliva (Nov 24, 2011)

It is a long difficult process - you have to be really patient, consistent, and keep your expectations low. This has been one of the more difficult things we have had to teach our pup, and the learning process is VERY slow with this one. Like someone said, they are going to keep pushing!

We started training it with a clicker, the Off command, and a treat. Pup on the couch: say off!, offer a treat, and click or use the marker word when the paws hit the floor. Treat. After awhile of that, he knew the command.... but still ignored the rule. So we gradually stopped treating, and just used "off!", and he jumps down willingly. At this point all I have to do is look at him and point to the floor and he is off in an instant. Unless he is humping the cushions (main reason he is NOT allowed up there in the first place), and then I have to distract him and get him down.

He gets on the couch less and less. He only breaks the rule when he gets overexcited or needs exercise, so I know we are getting there with him.

Your pup is young - this will be a tough one to teach. Be patient and don't get frustrated


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## Elisabeth Kazup (Aug 23, 2008)

OMG, she is beyond ADORABLE. I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to say no to that sweet baby!

I have no advice...I TAUGHT Penny how to get on the furniture. :bowl:


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## willows pack (Apr 14, 2012)

mine just started doing this the last week with gusto (4 months now) Is running around playing and then she'll jump up with her front paws on the couch with whatever toy is in her mouth - she knows she isn't supposed to - we give a firm 'Off' as that's the word for anything we don't want her on or for jumping up on, and she gets down herself or has to be guided down - but she's still doing it - knows for sure it's not acceptable but it's turned into a bit of a game/challenge - I'm hoping with repeated 'offs' she'll eventually get bored of this particular new twist - but since she's gotten taller she's seeing everything above as more desirable - counters, desks, etc - and she also wants the pillows


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## MurrayPup (Apr 10, 2012)

Willowspack - same thing here! 4 month old who runs around with toys then takes flying leaps onto couches. We try "OFF!" but he too thinks it's a game. No matter how angry we sound he gets more excited! I tried Bitter Apple and being stern but he doesn't care. He too has gotten big enough that he jumps on everything... maybe try obedience class? Murray is starting this weekend. It's frustrating! Murray is fine until he's left for about 1 second then he leaps on a couch when we're not looking (mainly me, my boyfriend works a lot). I don't think I'd mind too much if he didn't seem to equate soft things with "time to go to potty!" He can go upstairs without a problem until he settles on my late Father's quilt. So I feel your pain (and advice would be welcome)!


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## debra1704 (Feb 22, 2012)

We tell her OFF & she jumps off....but still sneaks back on when we're not looking. We let her have one of the kid's chairs, which she won't fit in for long, but this satisfies







her for now.


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## willows pack (Apr 14, 2012)

That pic in the chair is hilarious..your dog is really cute...wondering if that is what ours will look like as she is very light,parents were a mix of English and american

The couch obsession continues the morning..I am sitting on one right now to keep an eye...She was going wild ten minu
tes ago...too bad we don't have a kiddy chair to offer


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## vcm5 (Apr 20, 2011)

Haha too funny! How can she be comfortable???


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## Karin Wise (Mar 23, 2012)

When we got Levi a year ago, we had so many good intentions and "rules" that we wanted to implement with our first new pup... Most of it has flew right out the window..!!! not that we have unruly dogs, they behave very well most of the times! And Gabby just followed and copied her "big brother".. (I say this regarding the getting on the couch and bed, and referring to my Signature photo...) LOL! These were one of our "rules" that didn't materialize at all!


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## mooselips (Dec 4, 2011)

Same problem with Bridget, she thinks , we sit on the couch...therefore so should she!

Repetition repetition..repetition....over and over....
She's beginning to get it......I think.........

I generally remove her from the front room when she couch jumps......

But when she zooms, she actually bounces from the recliner to the couch to the recliner.....


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## willows pack (Apr 14, 2012)

My last dog was on the couch but unfortunately we got white leather couches this time around and we're obviously not thinking dog at the time of purchase...your two look great together! Wish ours had a mentor


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## klke (Apr 24, 2009)

Keep reinforcing the command to make her get off. We never had a problem with our dogs trying to jump on the furniture. We spent a lot of time on the floor with them so they didn't have a need to go on the furniture.


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## MikaTallulah (Jul 19, 2006)

My Yorkies are allowed on the furniture but my Goldens never have been. When I rescued Buddy (Golden) I would remove him from the furiture and tell him "No". I kept doing it over and over again- It was a lot. The hardest part is keeping your patiences and not getting frustrated. Keep with it.


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