How to Keep Your Dog Off Your Furniture

Often the cute things our dogs do when they are puppies are the very things that drive us crazy in years to come. For example, as nice as it may be to cuddle with your puppy on your furniture, the wear and tear your adult dog will cause to the furniture over the years is not so cute. Training your dog not to jump on your furniture can be difficult, but it will save you the money and frustration of having to replace your furniture.

Things You'll Need

· Buckle dog collar or harness

· 5- to 10-foot dog leash or clothesline

Step 1

Place a buckle collar or harness attached to a 5- to 10-foot dog leash or clothesline on your dog anytime she is in the area of your furniture. Hold the other end of the leash or remain close enough to it at all times so that you can grab it when necessary.

Step 2

Say "No" firmly, and guide him gently off of the furniture by either gesturing or very gently pulling on the leash whenever your dog tries to jump on your furniture. Be careful not to pull on the leash roughly, so as not to injure your dog. Also, do not push your dog with your hand or pick him up. You may have to repeat this procedure many times over and over at first, each time you and your dog are near your furniture. That's normal, so don't get angry with your dog, which will slow the learning process.

Over time, your dog should try to jump on your furniture less and less. After about a month, your dog will routinely avoid jumping on your furniture altogether. Once you reach that point, you're ready to move on to the next step.

Step 3

Allow your dog near your furniture without placing a leash on her. If your dog tries to jump on the furniture, say, "No," and your dog should get down. If your dog does not obey, immediately walk over to your dog and gesture for her to get down. You may have to do this multiple times. When your dog stops trying to jump on your furniture even without a leash on, you're ready to move on to the next step.

Step 4

Allow your dog to be near your furniture when he thinks you are not around to test the success of your training. Be sure to spy on your dog from close by. If your dog gets on your furniture, walk over immediately and say, "No." This will teach your dog that even if he thinks you're not around, you might still be watching so he had better behave.

Step 5

Be consistent. Never, ever allow your dog to jump on your furniture again. This is the most important step of all. If you allow your dog on your furniture again, even just once, you will likely have to go all the way back to the beginning of the training steps.

Tips

· During any part of the training, it's important for you not to say "No" over and over again to your dog without giving her any consequences. If your dog doesn't obey the first time you say "No," for any reason, then you have more training to do. What you don't want is for your dog to come to think that you don't really mean "No" until you've said it 10 or 15 times.

Warnings

· Never have your dog attached to a leash, long clothesline or the like when you are not supervising him, due to safety concerns.

· If at any point during the training your dog vigorously protests, growls, snaps or the like, you should stop this process immediately and seek one-on-one help with a professional. It doesn't mean your dog is mean or aggressive; you just want to be sure you are using a good technique so that neither one of you accidently gets injured.