Best Way To Teach Dogs To Stay Off The Couch?

[colliemad]

if your wife is allergic to the dogs , then you must be the one that walks them and feeds and grooms them , does your wife really want the dogs ,

my dogs are allowed on the furniture , they have the run of the downstairs area of the house, they are happy and content, i hoover twice a day as they moult constantly, at night they either sleep on the sofa or a double sized quilt in the kitchen. :p

[Poodle wrangler]

Haven't you posted about a pup with arthritis? Jumping on-off a lounge is no good for their joints.

My breeder advised no jumping on-off lounges, beds etc. while pup less than about 14 months old as too hard on their growing bones. He has no signs of arthritis, either.

The arthritic one will appreciate a mat. "On your mat!" . Mat you can put outside and shake hair off for the benefit of your allergic wife.

Did wife or dogs come first? Labs for someone with allergies? What were you thinking? I'm surprised she allows them in the house at all :p .

[morphjk]

There own space , is a bed or mat etc.

Something that is theres no matter which rooom you place it in.

It's an instant thing, go to your bed or mat etc.

Buy hey if your going to give them a main room and ensuite, who wants a mat anyway

They do have their own mats. They will be in the rumpus room downstairs when we move in. But they like being upstairs with us.

Does your wife touch the dogs at all ? What was the agreement between you when you decided to get dogs, did you discuss how the dogs would integrate into your daily life ?

Yes she does touch the dogs. She had some drops which assist with the allergies but that doesn't mean she isn't a bit sensitive to them when she is touched somewhere like her neck when they accidentally touch her there.

She knew that they would be inside dogs and she is happy with that. She would just prefer to keep them off the couch. The main time these days when they hop onto the couch is when they get up with me at 5am when I am on day shift and it is only the oldest one who does and she waits until I go to have a shower.

I don't bring their mats up at that time as I don't want to make lots of noise and wake my wife up.

if your wife is allergic to the dogs , then you must be the one that walks them and feeds and grooms them , does your wife really want the dogs ,

my dogs are allowed on the furniture , they have the run of the downstairs area of the house, they are happy and content, i hoover twice a day as they moult constantly, at night they either sleep on the sofa or a double sized quilt in the kitchen. :p

No. We both share duties as I work a 24 hour shift work roster and if it was just me that did it then they would miss out a lot and my wife is happy to do this but for some reason she prefers me to walk them during winter (might be because of the cold)

Yes she does want them and if you asked her that to her face you would get a mouthful of abuse just for suggesting that she doesn't.

Haven't you posted about a pup with arthritis? Jumping on-off a lounge is no good for their joints.

My breeder advised no jumping on-off lounges, beds etc. while pup less than about 14 months old as too hard on their growing bones. He has no signs of arthritis, either.

The arthritic one will appreciate a mat. "On your mat!" . Mat you can put outside and shake hair off for the benefit of your allergic wife.

Did wife or dogs come first? Labs for someone with allergies? What were you thinking? I'm surprised she allows them in the house at all .

Yes I have and he isn't the issue. He doesn't get up and I provide him with a mat to sleep on and the older one as well. The issue is that Kaasha doesn't like getting up early when I am on day shift and isn't ready to get up but she won't stay in bed if I am up. She gets onto the couch when I go and have a shower. When I come back out there she is asleep on the couch.

My wife isn't a bitch like everyone must be thinking. She loves the dogs to bits and loves spending time with them. She is even happy to bath them. She would just like to keep them off her new couch.

Maybe when we move into our house it will be easier as I will just lock them downstairs when I go and have a shower rather than leave them in the room. I mean the shower I will be using will be downstairs (as I won't use the ensuite one when I am on early starts so as not to wake the better half) near the rumpus room where they will be sleeping of a night anyway so I will just shut the gates to the stairs to stop them going up stairs and then they will go back to their bed in the rumpus room or can lie in the bath room while I shower. I'd have to make sure the shower door is shut or they would join me though.

[Kavik]

What about putting them in a different room while you shower? Or outside? Then they can't get on the couch while you aren't there.

[morphjk]

What about putting them in a different room while you shower? Or outside? Then they can't get on the couch while you aren't there.

That does sound like it is going to be the best way. I will have to put them in another area so that they can't get on the couch.

[Monah]

Hi. I was just wondering what you mean by your dad going away for 3 weeks, so a good time to get dogs off couch? Is it him that allows them up there? Also, why is it up to you to keep them off and not your wife also. Responsiblity for animals behaviour lies with the whole family. Everyone saying and doing the same thing. Otherwise the dogs will be very confused. Like the others, I agree with doggie mats etc. My dogs have always been on the couch but one got a bit aggressive about it so I had to retrain (myself too!!!) to keep them off. I achieved this surprisingly quickly with a stern OFF, made sure they knew what I meant, and then ON your rug. Then praise. Repeat, repeat repeat. Our dog rugs (3) are the washable sheepskin looking ones, I think quite nice, although in winter we end up with blankies and rugs everywhere (4 cats too).

Now they automatically go to their rugs.Is your wife more worried about the new couch or her allergies? Very difficult having 2 labs when you are allergic. Also difficult having a 'nice' home. Ours is very animal orientated, it's just very hard work cleaning and hoovering daily, sometimes twice a day. The price you pay.

I wish you lots of luck and am sure you will be ok.xxx