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How to Train Your Dog to Stay Off the Couch When You're Not Home

How to Train Your Dog to Stay Off the Couch When You're Not Home
Easy difficulty iconEasy
Time icon2-8 Weeks
Behavior training category iconBehavior

Introduction

So, you can keep your dog off the couch when you are at home, but every time you go out you come home to a couch covered in hair and a dog with a really sheepish look on his face. Not all of us want our pup to take over the couch and call it his favorite napping spot. The one thing you need to know is that you don't have to feel as though you are being mean by teaching your dog to stay off the couch.

While your pup is a member of your family, this doesn't mean that he has the right to use the furniture whether you are at home or not. Of course, your dog hops up on the couch because he loved to be comfortable. Yet the reality is, that as long as you give him his own comfy bed to lie on, there is no reason why he needs to get on the couch. 

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Defining Tasks

Simply put, dogs tend to do things because they get some kind of reward out it. For example, they eat because the reward is a full stomach, they play fetch because they get to play with you and are rewarded with plenty of praise. Likewise, they get on your couch because it's nice and comfy.

Your dog needs to learn that sleeping somewhere other than the couch can be rewarding and that sneaking onto the couch is not. As for a command to use, the only ones you should need to teach your dog are "No!", "Get down!", and "Stay down!" The best way to keep your dog from getting up on the couch is to start when he is a puppy and never let him get used to being on the couch in the first place.

This training takes the help of your entire family. You need to make sure they all understand that at no time should anyone ever allow the dog on the couch or pick him up and put him in their lap while sitting on the couch. But, if he is already getting on the couch, you will need to teach him that this behavior is not acceptable. 

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Getting Started

If your dog has already started hopping up on the couch, it is going to take a little time to teach him to stay on the floor and use his bed. The one thing you don't want to do is punish your dog by scolding him or, worse yet, smacking him. This may only make the problem worse and many cause other behavioral problems. Depending on the training method you choose, you may need a few supplies.

  • Treats: Treats are always an important part of training.
  • Laundry baskets: To block access to the couch.
  • Boxes: Can also be used to block off the couch.
  • Noisemakers: Place pebbles in a tin can and tape it closed to make an effective rattle.
  • Deterrent mat: A device that makes noise when your dog gets on the couch.

The rest is time and patience. It may take your dog a few weeks to get to the point at which he will no longer get on the couch. After that, you should be able to put that lint roller away for good. 

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The Laundry Basket Method

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1

Gather your supplies

Gather up enough laundry baskets to cover all of the cushions on your couch.

2

Cover up

Cover the couch with the baskets each time you get ready to go out. If your pup comes over to sniff at them, tell him "no" and make him go lie down on his bed. If he complies immediately, give him a treat.

3

Do this over and over

Keep doing this each time you go out, reinforcing the idea that he is not allowed on the couch.

4

If you come home to a mess

If you come home to laundry baskets on the floor and dog hair on the couch, make some tin can rattles and place them in the baskets.

5

Too much noise

The next time your pup knocks the laundry baskets down, the rattles will make an awful noise that will startle him. After a few of these events, your pup will start to put two and two together and stop trying to get on the couch.

The Pyramid Method

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1

Gather up your noisemakers

For this method you will need several tin can rattles, enough to build a small pyramid on your couch.

2

Build your pyramid

Using the rattle cans, build a pyramid on a spot of your couch that guarantees they will fall when your dog attempts to get on the couch.

3

Show your dog

Bring your dog into the room and show him the pyramid, say "stay down" and send him to lie down on his bed.

4

Go out for the afternoon

Go out and enjoy the afternoon shopping, catch a movie, grab a meal. In others words, have some fun.

5

If the cans are up

If he is waiting for you by the door as usual with the pyramid intact, praise him and give him a handful of his favorite treats.

6

If the cans are down

If the cans are all knocked down, your dog was probably very startled by the noise. This is a good thing, as it will only take a few of these episodes before he stops. The hardest part is remaining consistent and letting your dog figure out when he has had enough.

The Shrieker Mat Method

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1

Try the block method first

Before resorting to using a shrieker mat, try using laundry baskets, boxes, or tin can rattles to block your pup's access to the couch when you are not home.

2

Give these methods time

It can take some dogs longer than others to get the idea, and some never do. But give these methods a few weeks to work.

3

Go shopping

Go to your local pet shop and look for a shrieking alarm mat. This is a special pad that goes across the cushions on your couch. An alarm will sound if the mat is disturbed--such as by a sneaky dog looking for a spot to snooze.

4

Install the mat

The next time you go out, put the mat on the couch.

5

Go out for a while

Go out for a while and leave your pup in the house. When you come home, you will know if he tried to jump up on the couch. The mat will probably all messed up and your dog will not go anywhere near it. You may have to do this for a few weeks, but in time your pup will no longer even think of getting on the couch. Mission accomplished.

Written by PB Getz

Veterinary reviewed by:

Published: 12/01/2017, edited: 01/08/2021

Training Questions

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Training Questions and Answers

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Storm

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Shih Tzu mix

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1 Year

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Question

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My dog keeps going on my couch when I’m not home. I know because it’s a lot my dog fur on the couch and also when I come home she runs in her crate and hid when she hears me open the door

Dec. 29, 2020

Storm's Owner

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Alisha Smith - Alisha S., Dog Trainer

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257 Dog owners recommended

Hello! Below are some steps to help with keeping your dog off the couch. 1. Make sure everyone in the house is on the same page, and not letting the dog up onto the couch. Ever. 2.Anytime your dog gets on the furniture, or puts her paws up on the furniture, ask her to get “off”, and lure her off the furniture with a treat or toss a few treats on the ground. You can also reward her with a treat if she happens to jump off. If your dog won’t budge, you may have to help them get down by picking them up or nudging them (you don’t have to push, throw, or shove your dog). 3. Train her to go to her “bed”. Your dog wants to be on the couch to be near you and because it’s super comfortable, so if you aren’t going to let her on the couch, give her a comfortable second option. Put the bed near the couch, and train her to go to it. Start by tossing some treats on the bed or rewarding her for putting her feet on the bed when you point to it. Then move to asking your dog to sit or lay down on the bed, pairing it with “go to bed”. When your dog jumps on the couch, ask her to go to her bed instead. 4. Use a “positive interrupter” to get him off the couch. A positive interrupter is a noise that distracts your dog without scaring or upsetting him. When your dog jumps on the couch, you make a noise, and then when he jumps off, you click and reward. This video by Pam’s Dog Academy does a great job of explaining this concept. 5. Manage your dog when you aren’t home. You don’t want your dog to sneak in and lounge on the couch when you aren’t home, so block off the room, crate your dog, or keep your dog in another room while you aren’t home. 6. Make it impossible for him to get on the couch in the first place. Put chairs on the couch when you aren’t sitting on it, or upside down laundry baskets. There is even something called the Couch Defender that looks like a tunnel that you can put on your couch/chair.

Dec. 29, 2020

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ziggy

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Yorkie

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2 Years

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how can i get my dog to stay off my couches when i am not home?

Sept. 25, 2020

ziggy's Owner

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Caitlin Crittenden - Dog Trainer

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1133 Dog owners recommended

Hello Aliisha, Check out Part 3 of the article linked below. https://www.petful.com/behaviors/how-train-dog-stay-off-couch/ Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Sept. 28, 2020


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