Furniture: To dog or not to dog?  That is the question.  

It’s a common misconception that allowing dogs on the furniture will “ruin” their temperament.   There is no magic respect switch that is flipped in a dog’s brain when they are not allowed on the furniture, and we’ve seen thousands of dogs maintain perfectly sweet and polite dispositions while enjoying the couch and bed with their people.  No use depriving them just because that episode of the Dog Whisperer said so. Instead, think of it as a personal decision.

Mo is no dummy: The couch is the most comfortable seat in the house...especially when his favorite neck pillow is available.

Some people don’t mind furring up the couch for a little extra snuggle time with their pets, while others prefer dogs stay off of their nice furniture and remain on the floor.  There is no right or wrong to this.  If approached properly, most dogs will see furniture as nothing more than what it is:  a comfortable place to cuddle with their family or a zone in the house that is simply off limits to them.

If you wish to share the couch or bed with your dog, that’s ok!  Just keep in mind that, like all other rewards, couches and beds are a privilege best controlled by the humans in the house.  Here are some simple tips and guidelines on how to do just that:

Puppies & New Dogs:

Keep puppies off of the furniture until they are about 1 year old and no longer chewing destructively or having accidents in the house.  Your couch will thank you for it later.

For mature dogs that are new to a house, we recommend 3 to 6 months without furniture access.  If other behavioral issues are being worked on, it may be best to wait a full year before allowing this privilege, or until those issues have been worked through with success.   The goal is to raise a dog that knows that furniture access can be taken away without causing any emotional distress to the dog or undoing any valuable training.

If you want to share your bed with your dog, first teach them to sleep separately on a dog bed or in a kennel for at least 6 months (possibly a full year or more  – especially for destructive and hyper puppies).  This teaches healthy independence as your dog learns that they can sleep alone – an essential lesson for young puppies as they build confidence.   It also helps maintain your freedom to sleep without your dog when you want, and prevents unhealthy dependencies that may contribute to separation anxiety.  Dogs who are allowed to sleep in bed from the time they arrive home often experience strong emotional distress when their human families travel and must be away from them for any period of time.

The On and Off of Things:

All dogs allowed on furniture should be taught an “off” cue so they can be asked to move politely when needed.  This is simple to teach and makes it easy for your dog to understand that just because they are allowed up on things, doesn’t mean they own them.

To earn access to the couch or bed, ask for a simple sit first.  After a nice sit, invite your dog up as the treat !  After a brief snuggle on the couch, then you have the perfect opportunity to practice off.  Get a treat and hold it to your dog’s nose.  Say “off” and guide them off the couch.  When four land on the floor, give them the treat and praise with “good dog!”

The Benefits:

There are benefits to allowing your pets on the furniture.  Not only do you get bonus snuggle time with your dog, but you are more likely to catch any health issues early on.  For example: a client of ours recently found a small lump on her dog’s belly that she swears she would have missed if it weren’t for her nightly couch snuggle time with her dog.  And things like smelly ears and halitosis are classic signs of infection or digestive issues that may be missed if you aren’t accustomed to being so up close and personal with your dog.

Furthermore, this is one more place you get to practice polite habits and boundaries.  A dog who is never allowed on the couch may not understand the “off” cue as clearly – something that comes in handy in a number of other situations other than furniture manners. We view it as a great sign of respect when our dogs happily remove themselves from a warm, soft seat so that we can enjoy the spot.

When furniture is not OK:

A small percentage of high status-seeking personalities may identify having furniture access as a status symbol, and may become territorial of the furniture as a result.  In severe cases the dogs will behave this way toward humans in the house.   It is more commonly seen in multi-dog homes where the pack structure is unstable and the dogs are competing with each other.   One dog will guard an area from another, which can cause some serious conflict.  This is usually not limited to just furniture though.  We’ve seen dogs guard entire sections of a house from other dogs in the family – and sometimes other human family members as well.  The couch or the bed are just one more zone that a dog on a power trip can guard, but limiting access to these spots alone is not a magic fix as it is not the root of the problem.  This behavior is a sign of imbalance, and that more boundaries, training, guidance, and exercise are needed with the dogs.  In the worst cases we’ve seen, the dogs typically have no daily structure, no feeding routine, no prior training, and therefore no real respect.  It’s typically doggie chaos that causes these problems, not the magic height of the couch.    In other words, if you see signs of furniture guarding (or any guarding) in your home, chances are the humans need to step it up on their dog duties before someone gets hurt.

Any dog who displays this type of behavior should have their furniture privileges revoked immediately to remove at least one catalyst for doggie disagreements.   This is a sure sign that further behavioral troubles are on the horizon with your dog (if they aren’t already rearing their ugly head), so contact a professional to further explore the reasons as to why your dog feels they can control things like furniture access in your home.   It’s not hard to address these problems, and the sooner you work to fix them, the easier they are to fix.