dog on furniture and beds

well i read you're not supposed to let your dog on the furniture or bed. but the problem is, i WANT my dog to sit with me on the couch or sleep in the bed. is it a bad idea? will it turn into some "dominance isuue"?

Both my dogs go on my bed and My couch

NO dominance issues in this house!!

I dont belive the dominance theory AT ALL

proper training is all you need

There's no problem with that. I don't let the dogs on the bed because it's already too small with the cats, and it's a 'safe' spot for the cats, but if people want to have to share their space with a 80lb dog, why not?

well mine will be at the max. 8 lbs. LOL

Ours are allowed on beds and the furniture.Rosco sleeps under the covers with me.Sasha gets too hot so she starts on the bed and will go on the floor once she gets hot.

There are no problems with letting your dogs on the couch or on your bed. What matters is the rules in the house and the fact that your dog obeys you when you ask them to get off. This is where the NIFIL policy comes in handy. All my dogs get on the couch and all my dogs sleep in bed...3 with my sister and 2 with me...our dogs have rules and they follow the rules. Problems begin with people who allow their dogs to do this, then the first time they ask the dog to get off the couch the dog won't get off then maybe grumbles...the owner backs off and decides the dog is having a bad day. The dog has learned a new behavior, and it learned that it can control the resources. We had a family who had to give up their Rottie as the dog was getting quite aggressive when they tried to get it off the couch. We found the dog a home with a single man who gave the dog rules...completely different dog after he was finished. It's basically like a spoiled child who won't share thier toys....the child is not dominant just spoiled and has learned that they don't have to share. Parents who teach their children to share and give them rules have children who are not going to scream and possibley take a temper tantrum when having to share.

Our 2 girls (both chi mixes) are allowed on the couch and at times in the bed. But the Puppy (boxer) isn't. 1 b/c then the girsl have a place to hide and 2 he peed on the bed (he won't be there again for a while!)
I think it can also be different for small dogs than large but either need to know rule. Like we have to have room to sit too. hehe. as little as they are the girls sometimes give me no room.

No problem with it.

But let him be there on YOUR terms. Teach him the commands on and off. And when you say ON and he get's on- that's a good boy and he gets to enjoy the comfort and your company and at the same time- he's on your terms.

Whether the dog is allowed on furniture is really up to the owner. But it has to be that if you tell the dog to get off, he gets off, because it's your furniture and what you say goes.

My dogs aren't allowed on the furniture because my Mom doesn't want fur all over everything (our floors are already covered with dog hair). Sometimes I'll let them up for a minute or two, but then they have to get off.