Is It Okay To Let The Dog Up On The Couch?
Resting places and proximity to the owner are fundamental elements for our pet. But it is a privilege that we must dose. It often happens that we humanize the behavior of our dogs without realizing the consequences that our actions have for them. Let’s not forget that they are a different species from us and that their needs and way of associating things, including the sofa, are also different from ours.
The influence of the animal’s personality
We often have at home dogs with anxiety problems, very attached to their owners, some kind of aggression and other similar issues. If our dog has dominant behaviors, the fact of resting in a high and privileged place in the house can aggravate these behaviors, although it doesn’t seem like it. If our friend is very attached to us and suffers from anxiety when he doesn’t have our company, being with us in that place can also make the problem worse.
If we have a balanced dog that doesn’t have any behavior problems, he can nap with us on the couch without any restrictions, as there is no problem that could get worse.
Some aspects, such as insufficient physical or mental exercise, excessive privileges, etc., can cause behavior problems in our dog. Certain rules are useful to not worsen a situation that our dog is already living or simply to prevent it from having any problem. That is why it is not advisable for the dog to join us on the sofa.
Although his climbing on the couch does not necessarily indicate behavioral problems, it can cause some problems in certain situations.
creating good habits
The reason for these precautions is that our dogs cannot understand why this feature (the sofa) is sometimes accessible but sometimes not. In their canine psychology, this diversity of permissions can cause frustration and incipient aggression in dogs.
Dogs are animals of habit and with good memories, possibly if we took them in our arms when we were puppies, we put them on the couch or in bed to pet them, it is logical that when they grow up they will understand that what was previously allowed by us remains. To avoid this habit, the best thing is that from a very young age we always show our affection on the floor, so that the dog does not associate the affection demonstrations with the sofa or bed.
It is also the case that the dogs simply climb onto the sofa because the furniture smells like us and in our absence it is very pleasant for them to be in contact with something that reminds us.
The best way to ‘suppress’ our pet
When we surprise our pet at the exact moment he is climbing on the sofa or any furniture in the house, we must repress it at that moment and never after. We should approach the animal gently, invite it to go down without violence and then forcefully say “NO”. In this way the animal will understand that it should not climb where it was and that it does not have our approval.
We will repeat this action many times, bearing in mind that patience and perseverance are the keys to success. We will reward the animal when we manage to get it to remain on the ground without climbing on anything, so that it feels rewarded and so that it understands that it is doing the right thing.
If we want to eliminate the risk of the dog climbing on the sofa or causing some disaster, it is best to close the door to the living room; if this is not possible for some reason, and if we have already tried to correct this habit in the simplest of ways, the next step is to take more extreme measures.
Elements to cover the sofa
Another very useful solution is to cover the sofa with a sheet or quilt and sprinkle it abundantly with some flavoring, cologne or any repellent that we can find in the market for dogs. Dogs generally do not like these smells and by spraying them on the room or furniture, the trail they normally leave is eliminated. If we repeat this for several days, it will stop rising.
You can also cover the sofa arms with aluminum foil or empty cans, so if the dog tries to climb, the noise will probably scare him and after several days he chooses not to climb anymore.
When we have managed to make the animal stop climbing on the couch, we will have to keep this criterion firmly and not let it climb any further, no matter what happens. If we give in, all the work done will have been for nothing.
If you do everything we say and it still doesn’t work, the solution is to seek help from a trainer.
