April 19, 2011
How can I keep my dog off the furniture when I am gone?
Full Question:
While reading the articles is very inspiring I feel the need to ask a more personal question: How do I train our dog to stay off the furniture (when we're not home & at night)? He doesn't try to get on the furniture while we're home (thus indicating that he 'knows' he's not allowed up) and when we come home he is very submissive and has the 'oops!' look on his face. We've tried the sprays that are supposed to stink the boundaries into him to no avail. What else should we do? For now we just take him to the couch and say 'No!' but he seems to understand that he rules the roost while we're gone. Any help would save him from being shut up in the laundry room and much wear & tear on the furniture.Thank you,
Kerry
Ed's Answer:
You can put Rat Traps on the couch - (under news papers).
You can also use BITTER APPLE - but this is done by soaking bitter apple in a cotton ball and put the cotton ball in his mouth and holding it closed for 1 minute, (this is not an easy thing to do). You do this 3 days in a row. By the third day it’s like trying to catch a wild horse. To be effective you must do it.
You have now created a dog that hates the smell of bitter apple worse than anything you can imagine. So take 3 or 4 drops and put it in a spray bottle full of clean water. Spray it on the couch - most dogs will not go near anything that smells like bitter apple.
The dog acts submissive, because he knows that you are going to scold him for something he does not understand. It is a mistake to take him to the couch and scold him. He may have been up there hours before and he has no idea why he is getting scolded. Dogs minds don't work like this.
If you are that upset, get a dog crate and use it. That's the way to prevent him from getting on furniture.
You can also use BITTER APPLE - but this is done by soaking bitter apple in a cotton ball and put the cotton ball in his mouth and holding it closed for 1 minute, (this is not an easy thing to do). You do this 3 days in a row. By the third day it’s like trying to catch a wild horse. To be effective you must do it.
You have now created a dog that hates the smell of bitter apple worse than anything you can imagine. So take 3 or 4 drops and put it in a spray bottle full of clean water. Spray it on the couch - most dogs will not go near anything that smells like bitter apple.
The dog acts submissive, because he knows that you are going to scold him for something he does not understand. It is a mistake to take him to the couch and scold him. He may have been up there hours before and he has no idea why he is getting scolded. Dogs minds don't work like this.
If you are that upset, get a dog crate and use it. That's the way to prevent him from getting on furniture.
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