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How to Train Your Dog to Stay off the Furniture

September 8, 2017 by Mary Telesz

pets on furnitureYou’ve been away at work all day. Your partner works full time too. You arrive home first to a livingroom adorned with piles of fluff or foam. You look over in the corner and examine what’s left of a couch. The misshapen thing that remains is lumpy and chewed all over.

Taking a deep breath, you go and look for the culprit, who looks up at you with those puppy dog eyes then looks down miserably. You try to stop the smile from appearing on the corners of your mouth and point your finger sternly with your eyebrows in super angry mode. Your dog looks down and blinks. They look as if they’re about to cry.

As cute as this scenario is, replacing furniture is costly and stressful; particularly if you have to do it every other week! Unless you’re a millionaire, chances are that you don’t have thousands of dollars to spare every month just to cater for your dog’s furniture chewing whims. Even if your dog is well-behaved and eating microfiber isn’t their thing, you still have to deal with vacuuming the couch six times a week to remove the stubborn hairs from the twill pattern.

Life is too short for having to obsessively clean or browse furniture stores every weekend. All of this stress can be avoided by simply learning how to train your dog to stay off the furniture:

Train Your Dog to Stay off the Furniture

If you’ve owned a dog for years and have simply given up on disciplining him or her when they jump up on the couch, you won’t want to hear this first tip:

Never Allow Them on the Furniture as Puppies

pets on furnitureI’m sure you’re slapping your forehead at this insightful piece of advice. Unfortunately, the best way of training your dog to stay off the furniture is to never let them on it to begin with! It can be extremely difficult to reprimand an adorable puppy just for trying to be near you on the couch, but early behavior quickly develops into lifelong habits. Training them out of bad behavior is much more difficult than teaching them good behavior, and the foundations are laid during your pup’s first few months in the house. If the time for puppy training has passed, don’t fear! All is not lost. You can still train them out of their furniture-mounting antics by simply following these next easy tips:

Obstruction

If you and your partner are out of the house regularly and don’t expect to be around during the day to discipline your dog every time they jump on the furniture, there is still a genius way to train them out of it. Obstruction is the key. Simply block the furniture in some way so they can’t get on it!

Now, it’s not realistic to expect you to have to rearrange your living room every morning before you go to work. Luckily, there’s a much easier way. All you have to do is select an object that is light enough for you to put on the furniture easily every day. A great example is a laundry basket, especially the lightweight plastic ones. When you obstruct their path to comfort, they’ll soon learn it’s not a feasible option and will give up on trying to get onto the furniture.

Caught in the Act

Any opportunity you get to actually catch your dog in the act is a thousand times more effective at training your dog than simply arriving after the fact. So, even though it’s a Saturday evening and you’re curled up on the couch, don’t let the dog up. When you’re lounging around on the weekends and want to snuggle with your furry friend, you can’t expect them to suddenly want to lie down on the floor when you’re at work. With regards to any type of dog training, consistency is key.

Be a Good Dog Owner

pets on furnitureIf you want to know how to be a good dog owner, remember these three words: care, affection, and discipline. Any good dog owner has a well-rounded balance of these three things with regards to how they look after their dog. The care aspect has everything to do with the dog’s overall health and comfort: taking them to the vets for a check-up, getting their nails clipped, grooming them, and dosing appropriate medication correctly.

Affection represents how much you show your dog you love them. A good dog owner will shower them with love and treat them like a family member. A neglectful dog owner will do things like leave them on a chain outside all day, or leave them to get cold and wet out in the rain even if they don’t have a kennel. It’s funny, because we’re discussing how to train your dog to stay off the furniture, but some pet owners are so obsessed with keeping their house immaculate their dog suffers.

If you’re so consumed with trying to keep your dog off the furniture that you never let them in the house, for example, you need to work on the affection aspect of your dog ownership.

Discipline is often the most difficult aspect of training, but is also the most rewarding. If you don’t discipline your dog they never learn to heed your commands and will not learn acceptable behavior. As long as discipline is balanced with the other two aspects, you will have a happy and obedient canine. If you exercise discipline but neglect care or affection, you will own a very skittish and nervous dog who does not have a good quality of life.

So remember: training your dog to stay off the furniture might be important to you, but don’t neglect the other aspects of being a good dog owner.

Other Easy Tricks and Skills to Teach

You know the saying ‘a one trick pony’? No one wants a one trick pony, and you sure don’t want a one trick dog either. Here are some other tricks and skills you can teach your dog:

Crate Train a Puppy

Crate training a puppy is where it all begins. Crating should never be used as a punishment, however. Here at Pawpals we believe in positive reinforcement training techniques. Making a crate comfortable and filled with their favorite toys and blankets will guide you on your way to crate training a puppy.

Walking on a Leash

Learning how to walk your dog on a leash can be a challenge for many dog owners. This is particularly true if you own an energetic breed that loves to rush ahead and pull you along with them. Rewarding your dog when they obey your command and using the same walking gear consistently will make walks a pleasure.

Stay

Teaching your dog to stay is one of the trickier commands, because one-on-one time makes them really happy and playful and it can be difficult to stay in serious mode. Have you ever tried to teach your dog to stay and just want to explode in laughter when you see their tail wagging furiously? Emotional resilience and consistent rewards for good behavior will help you teach your dog this command.

Heel

Teaching a dog to heel is useful in a number of situations. For example, if you’re out walking your dog and it becomes necessary to cross a busy road, telling them to heel while you assess the traffic will make crossing much safer. The heel command also comes in handy when you encounter other dogs or people on your walk and you are not sure how your dog will react. Your dog reads your vibes, so if you’re a nervous person your anxiety can rub off on them in social situations. The best way to teach a dog to heel is to be confident and authoritative. Your dog wants to obey you, but they learn best from an owner who isn’t a bundle of nerves.

Filed Under: Pet Training

Contact Paw Pals for More Information

Paw Pals specializes in professional dog walking, dog sitting, and pet sitting services. One of our reliable, adult staff members will keep your pet safe, while providing your pet the love and care they need when you are away. Contact us to learn more!

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Paw Pals Pet Sitting, LLC
14001-C Saint Germain Drive #213
Centreville, VA 20121
(703) 345-1695

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Centreville – 20120, 20121
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Paw Pals Pet Sitting
Paw Pals Pet Sitting
4.9
Taylor Smith
Taylor Smith
21:22 03 Oct 21
I never worry when Mary and team take care of my dog!
Michæl Silva
Michæl Silva
21:38 01 Jul 22
Mary at Paw Pals Pet Sitting is the greatest! She has helped me train my pooch Chico how play nice with other dogs and for that I am extremely grateful! A+A+A+A+A+A
Kwi Kim
Kwi Kim
22:37 17 Jun 22
I hired Paw Pals based on my sister’s referral. Meet & greet was very thorough and detailed. I was surprised that my finicky cat came to check the sitter out. Subsequently, a sitter watched my cat over several separate visits, and it was clear through the visit reports that my cat loved the sitter. All the visits were completed having followed my directions & with professionalism.I would highly recommend Paw Pals to anyone who’s looking for a dependable, personable, & professional sitter.
Joseph Walter
Joseph Walter
19:55 13 Jun 22
Paw Pals provided a large number of photos of our pets along with a personalized message on how our pets were doing with every single visit. I would highly recommend using Paw Pals, we'll be continuing to use them whenever we go on vacation.
Ashley Manning
Ashley Manning
09:50 11 Jun 22
Highly recommend as pet sitters!Initially, a sitter from the company will visit the house to meet the pets and learn where everything is. Tatiana took careful notes and we got her some spare keys.While we are away, Paw Pals sends sitters to come and look after our boys. They feed them, scoop litter, bring in mail and packages, and they will even manage trash, recycling, blinds and lights so that everything is comfortable for our kitties. Each time they check in, we receive an email message with updates and pictures, which is so comforting when we are on the road.Also, if you don’t let Paw Pals know when you are home, they assume something has happened and will continue to care for your babies. If something were to happen, I know they would be okay.Five stars for Paw Pals!
Brian Wood
Brian Wood
04:08 22 May 22
We have used Paw Pals for a number of years now and would highly recommend to anyone looking for help with their pets. Great communication from owner Mary and flexibility to make adjustments in schedule as life changes over time. Have had a consistent set of walkers who have gotten to know our pup and the various walking routes around our neighborhood quite well.
Lesley Bush
Lesley Bush
13:58 18 Mar 22
We can't rave enough about Paw Pals. They took care of our 18 year old Cat and 20 year old Chinchilla while we were away and when our flight got cancelled, they were so accommodating and available last minute for an extra day. We worked with Jen to coordinate visits from Miko and Danny. I loved the pictures and updates on how our Lil geriatric guys were doing. Thanks a million, Paw Pals!! Our special pets were so well cared for.
Sebastian Barnes
Sebastian Barnes
01:06 17 Jan 22
I have used Paw Pals for several trips over the last few months, and they have been phenomenal every time! Mary is extremely kind and responsive, and she makes sure that my cat and dog have the care that they need every time I am out of town. All of the pet sitters that I've had have been incredibly sweet to my pets, and they treat them like their own! Will gladly continue using Paw Pals every time I need a sitter.
Julie Shildt
Julie Shildt
17:45 14 Nov 21
It has been a pleasure doing business with paw pals. We have used this company for several trips we have taken over the past 6 months. They have been wonderful caretakers for our 2 cats. Anytime there is ever a question they don't hesitate to give us a call and they leave the best notes and pictures in the emailed report of each visit. We are so glad have found such a great company.
Andrea Hall
Andrea Hall
22:45 03 Oct 20
I wasn't sure about hiring a new doggie walker service... after all they are our kiddos... my babies were in great hands and I felt relaxed having them in their care. Thank you for everything!
Katie McCune
Katie McCune
19:19 15 Jul 21
I honestly cannot recommend Mary and her whole crew enough! We started using Mary originally about 7 years ago to stop by occasionally when our Aussie Lana was younger. Over the next couple years Lana stayed with Mary and her family for a couple weekends when we went on vacation. When we moved to our new house in Manassas, Lana stayed with Sam, who lives in Manassas, overnight for moving day, and did great. Right before the pandemic, we adopted our second Aussie, Goose, and Mary recommended a fantastic trainer for him.We now have weekly walks for the dogs, and they love all of their walkers! Trevor, Paul, Hazel, Sofie, and probably a couple others have helped Goose get used to more people, and have helped my husband and me when our schedules are crazy.Paw Pals is our go-to for any help with our dogs, so I highly recommend them!
Alexandra Hill
Alexandra Hill
22:43 23 May 21
I was a nervous mommy to leave my cats with a sitter service for the first time. Paw Pals went above and beyond to care for my cats and ease a nervous mommy. I already made a reservation to use them again!
Cindy Welgoss
Cindy Welgoss
13:12 27 Nov 20
We have been using Paw Pals for several years, and through a variety of pets that we have loved. Mary and her team have always been *exceptional* in every way. They are professional, courteous, and truly love our fur family! Mary herself is an organized and stellar administrator of her pet care business, keeping detailed records of our pet’s needs, scheduled pet visits, payments, and balance due easy to keep track of as the pet owner. The pet caretaking team is reliable and trustworthy. When our dogs see any of their Paw Pal friends, they get SO excited to see them! Follow up comments are left via text to keep the pet owner informed of the visit and how the pets are faring. Paw Pals has allowed our family the peace of mind to leave our pets at home, for work, weekend getaways and longer times away when necessary, where they are the most comfortable and familiar. We are grateful to Mary and her team for giving us the ability to enjoy pet ownership without feeling tied down. The responsibility of having pets comes with the need to keep them safe and comfortable at all times, and Mary and her team affords us this when our family has to be away.
Dr Tammy Cashion
Dr Tammy Cashion
21:11 12 Mar 19
We have used Paw pals pet sitting on multiple occasions for our bunnies while we are away. Many pet sitters are not interested in small pets however; Mary and her team, are amazing and we trust her implicitly! We are very happy with the outstanding service we have received from her team including texts and photos of our pets when we are out of town. They always go the extra mile and we highly recommend them!
Kristin Conrad
Kristin Conrad
16:00 16 Nov 19
We are so grateful we found Mary and her team at Paw Pals. They are exceptionally responsive, amazingly organized and detail-oriented.We have such peace of mind when we travel knowing our home and pets are so well cared for. Paw Pals is the best pet sitting service we’ve used, and we’re so happy we found them.
Katie Russell
Katie Russell
15:01 17 May 20
Paw Pals is fantastic! I have had a great experience with Mary! Compassionate, professional, responsive, and prompt! Thank you!
Phillip Evans
Phillip Evans
14:38 11 Jul 20
When we adopted our new dog in January, Paw Pals agreed to walk her and give her some outside time so she wasn't in the crate all day. She loved her dog walker and you could see her excitement every time the walker showed up. We moved out of the area but would recommend Paw Pals to anyone needing someone to care for their pets.
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