How to keep a dog off the furniture?

Question

We recently acquired a very large dog (Great Dane) from a local shelter. He is a very nice dog and very well behaved, but at his old homes he was allowed to sleep and lay on the couches. We, on the other hand, do not approve of such a large animal taking over all our furniture. What training methods should we use to discourage him?

Answer 1

If none of the other peoples methods work try the spray from the pet stores to keep animals off furniture etc. You spray the furniture, they don't like the smell and stay away.

Answer 2

Beat his ***. make a loud noise every time he gets on the furniture and reward him.

Answer 3

Show him who's boss.  Every time he jumps on the couch spray him with a little water and push him off slightly. After a few times he should get the message. However this doesn't work with all dogs. If your dog is still stubborn, you might want to consider this:

http://www.petplanet.co.uk/product_group...

Good Luck!

Answer 4

I agree with the spraying of a bit of water, keep using the same comand over + over again ( off ) Dogs like to be with you so make a nice bed in room where you mainly sit + keep showing him that to lie in every time you tell him to get off. Good boy + good attention, maybe a bone to chew on when he does as he is told. It may take a while but dogs need you to stick to the comand and learn by repetition.

Answer 5

everytime he tries to lay or jump on the furniture get his nose point it to the furniture get a news paper [or some kind of paper] role it up and lightly hit it on his nose. or a spray bottle

after the dog starts to get the point.. start rewarding the dog with a treat or something

hope this help=]

Answer 6

Try getting a spray bottle, of water. If he jumps on the couch, spray him with the water. He will soon learn, that this is not good to jump on the couch.

Good Luck

Answer 7

Reward the dog when he stays off. Keep pushing him off and tell him who's boss.

After a few weeks, he'll get the message.

If this really doesn't work, get a dog trainer. Yahoo Answers won't be able to solve your problem....

Answer 8

Well to start he's going to go up there when you're not around.. so kenneling him or keeping him in a contained area while you're gone is a good start.

Also make sure he has a lot of nice big comfey dog beds.  Danes don't have a lot of body fat so laying just on the floor or even on the carpet is hard on their joints and not comfortable, so he'll be on the sofa every chance he gets.

Thirdly you should teach him an "off" command. When he gets on the sofa, tell him "NO!", then tell him his "off" command and praise him for obeying it.  It's like "sit". Commands aren't punishment, they're commands that get praised upon obeying.

Be consistent, even if he does it 50 times in a row, you can't give in.

Also to add, don't "put" him off the sofa, make him get off of his own power... he has to learn that "off" means "i get off now", not "mom shoves/puts me on the floor".

Be super super consistent, and he'll get the picture.

ADD: Don't use the command "down", since I'm sure you're using that command for "lay down on the ground".  If you use the word "down" when the dog is on the sofa, you're telling him to "lay down on the sofa", which you're then going to tell him is incorrect... So pick a specific "get off the furniture command".

Answer 9

When he's on the furniture, lure him to the floor with a treat and use a keyword like "off" or "down" or "floor."

When he jumps down to get the treat, praise him and repeat the keyword.

Keep doing this until he learns the keyword. Anytime he tries to jump up on the furniture just command him to get back to the floor.

Basically, you have to train him to learn how to get off on command.

Alternatively, buy him a nice doggie bed and train him to lay on the bed and praise him with a treat until he learns to go to the doggie bed on command.

Answer 10

When I first got my first two dogs, I let them sleep in bed with me.  After I got married, my husband didn't want them in there anymore (plus there was no room anymore).  We just started telling them "No" and "Down".  Dogs DO learn if you just keep reinforcing.  It didn't take long at all to get them off the bed after we started telling them that they weren't allowed up there and this was after I'd been doing it for two years.  Good luck to you!!!

Answer 11

You can put things on your furniture when no one is home. Also maybe to create him during the day. Is not mean to do. Will be hard work for you and your family go say no to the dog?If the great dan tries to jump up you need to push him off the bed and furniture. Also you can buy from Wal mart or pet store is a pillow for dogs. It worked for my sister.Go for walks with your dog and make him very tired or play with him. Get your dog alot of toys. Is like a child and will pay off in the long run. Good luck.