Is It Okay To Get The Dog On The Sofa?

The places used for rest and proximity to the owner are important for a pet, but it is a privilege to be measured. It often happens to humanize the behavior of our dog or not to stop to consider the meaning that our gestures have for them. We must not forget that the dog belongs to another species. His needs and his way of interpreting reality are different from ours. A good example is the sofa.

Effects on the character of the animal

Too often our dogs suffer from anxiety, are pushy, aggressive or have similar problems. If your dog has assumed a dominant behavior, resting in a high and privileged place in the house can aggravate this attitude. Or, if the pet is too attached to you and suffers from anxiety when you deprive him of your attention, giving him space on the sofa could make the problem worse.

When the dog is balanced and has no behavioral problems, we can allow him to take a nap on the sofa next to us. In this case, no problem is likely to be aggravated.

However, some bad habits, such as lack of physical and mental exercise, or an excess of privileges, can cause bad behavior in the dog.

While behavior problems are not always a direct consequence of being able to step on the sofa, this can be one of the triggers.

Set up good habits right away

The reason for these precautions is simple. Our dogs cannot understand why an object (the sofa) is sometimes accessible, sometimes not. In their canine psychology, this inconsistency can cause frustration and aggression.

The dog is an animal with a good memory. If when he was a puppy we held him in our arms on the sofa or even on the bed to pet him, it is logical that as he grows up you think that this behavior has our approval. So, let the sofa be an accessible place for him. To avoid this, the best thing is to cuddle him, already as a puppy, by leaving him on the ground, so that he does not associate the demonstration of affection with the sofa or bed.

The dog is likely to get on the sofa for the simple reason that this object smells like us. In the absence of the owner, it is very pleasant for the animal to be in contact with something that reminds him of it.

The best way to ‘scold’ the dog

When we catch him lying on the sofa or sitting on other furniture in the house, we must take him back and not let him run. We will calmly approach him, we will invite him to come down, without getting angry, but definitely saying “no”. This way, the dog will understand that it is not okay to lie down there and that it does not have our approval.

It will be necessary to repeat this operation many times: patience and perseverance are the key to success. We will reward the animal when we manage to get him down without ascending, so that he understands that this is the behavior we want from him.

To completely eliminate the risk of the dog getting on the sofa, it is best to close the door to the room. This is not possible for you and you have not been able to make him reason with good reason? The next step is to resort to some “extreme measures”.

Cover the sofa

An effective solution can be to cover the sofa with a blanket or sheet. Spray them liberally with deodorant, perfume, or other dog repellent. Generally our four-legged friends do not like perfume. In addition, by covering the sofa, you will eliminate the traces of odor that the dog has left. After repeating the operation for a few days in a row, you will see that the dog will stop climbing.

You can also cover the edges of the sofa with aluminum foil or empty cans. That way, when he tries to climb, the noise will scare him. After a few tries, he is likely to give up.