Am I Going to Confuse Them?

[StillandSilent]

Both of my dogs are allowed on the furniture, provided there is a throw down for them to lay on. Both of them are very good about not getting on the furniture if the throw is not there. Now my mother wants new furniture for another room. She does not want the dogs on in at all. Should I ban them from all furniture, or are they going to be able to tell the difference? Of course, I expect a few mistakes in the beginning, but if we are consistant, will they learn that some furniture is OK and some is not, or should we just keep a policy of no dogs on furniture period?

 

[Doberluv]

If you're good and consistant, show them what you mean, reinforce them when they do the way you want, they're capable of learning which furniture they can be on. Sometimes showing a direct contrast helps. Say they get on he "no no" furniture. Give them a no reward marker....like, "nope" and right away take them to the furniture they are allowed on and reinforce. If everyone watches that they never get to be on the good furniture, keep the room blocked when you're not around, they should learn. Once they get on the good furniture, they've already been reinforced for it so try to prevent it in the first place by interrupting them when they're just thinking about jumping up on it. Good luck.

My dogs know that when we're at my Mom's house, they're not allowed on any furniture. It wasn't a big deal to teach them...just a few times showing them....."nope....off" was all it took. They know which houses we visit where they are allowed; my daughters, my ex's. But not my Mom's. LOL.

 

[squirtsmom]

Yes, just be consistent, and they will get it.

 

[Charliesmommy]

Charlie knows that he is only allowed on furniture when invited. He used to just jump up and I ALWAYS made him get down and wait until I said "UP!" and patted the cair, and only then could he get up there and lie down. Now he just sits patiently in front of the chair and looks at it until I tell him he can get "UP!"

 

[Doberluv]

What do they do when you're not home Charliesmommy? Are they crated? I can just see them sitting in front of the couch for hours, waiting for you to come home. LOL. Just kidding. That is a nice way to have them be....good manners to say, "please." My spoiled rottens can get up whenever the notion strikes them.

 

[Charliesmommy]

What do they do when you're not home Charliesmommy? Are they crated? I can just see them sitting in front of the couch for hours, waiting for you to come home. LOL. Just kidding. That is a nice way to have them be....good manners to say, "please." My spoiled rottens can get up whenever the notion strikes them.

LOL! I'm sure Charlie probably sneaks a hop onto the couch every once in a while when I'm not paying attention, but I've never seen any evidence of such. He stays outside when I'm not home if it's nice out. If it's not nice out, he goes to doggie daycare now.

 

[girlbuffalo1]

Wrigley and honey are the same--absolutely not allowed on furniture except for on command--if they ever try to get one without permission they are promptly taken off. Ours are crated during the day though.

 

[Rosefern]

Flicka and Pepe are allowed on the furniture, all the time...they're not crated during the day.

When I took Flicka and Pepe to my aunt's house for a visit (we were there six days), it took them only one day to realize that they can't be on the furniture there...

Even though everywhere else (my Dads, my best friend/dogsitter) they are allowed on the furniture...

And when they got home, they jumped right up on the couch again...

-Rosefern

 

[Doberluv]

Doggie daycare! That's great Charliesmom. I bet they have fun there.

Yeah....it doesn't make any difference to me whether they get on the furniture without asking. I don't care about that. But it's cute...several times before I'd go to bed, I'd be fixing the blanket on top of my bed that Lyric has to be on so he doesn't get my silk comforter dirty. And he learned to wait till it was all straightened out. So, now, even if it's already fixed and I go in my room and am getting ready for bed, he stands there and waits until I get in first, then jumps up. He just decided, it's better to wait till I get settled. I didn't tell him anything at all. He just uses his noggin sometimes.

 

[little liz]

For the first few months Minnie was not allowed on the furniture but my partner invited her up on the settee with him one evening and although I did try to keep the 'not on the furniture rule' for a while. It was very hard to stop her after that and I gave in LOL. It is nice to have snuggle time with her on the settee instead of on the floor though!

 

[Sweet72947]

We have certain furniture Benji can get on, and some he can't. He pretty much knows the difference. Although the stuff he's allowed on has a lot more of our scent on it since its the stuff we sit on the most frequently, so I think he likes that better anyway.

(Daisy never gets on furniture. She never really tried to, even as a puppy. I don't think she finds it comfortable. Daisy likes her pillows and blankets on the floor.)