keeping the dog off the couch

[MunchingonHay]

ok, I know this is an up hill battle, but I need some input from the collective wise CoThers.

I am moving in with my SO in 2 months. He has nice a really nice leather couch and chair. We currently put stuff on top of said furniture (bags, the ottoman, boxes that came from amazon etc) on top of said couch and chair to keep my 65 lbs monster off when we are out of the house.

SO wanted to get slip covers, but what is the point of having lovely furniture if you are just going to cover it up.

As anyone had success with mats that deter the dog and cat from jumping onto the furniture or is it a battle that we are not going to win?

There is the scam mat which makes noise when they get on it, and there is the one that gives a bit of a ‘zap’.

He has 2 (!) beds in the house. One in the office where we work and in the bedroom which he as full access to. The bedroom bed is a tempedic-thingy one, so he has a comfy place to sleep.

[Nezzy]

sorry i have no ideas. i let all 5 of my dogs on the furniture. i don’t see a problem with it. I have heard from friends with leather furniture that it is very well made and their own dogs have never hurt it.

[2tempe]

I used the “shaker can” concept to keep my 65 lb coonhound mix off the couch back in my working days. (Coffee Can w/ 15-20 nails,) Actually might have put two on the couch. But it worked. Problem was that he proceeded to cram himself into a wing chair instead. Every day I’d come home and it would be moved about a foot, and the cushion askew. I was blaming the cat until one day I caught him, lol. I cant remember what broke him of that but it didn’t last too long, and he really didn’t fit.

THESE work well also, but cost more than the “shaker can”
http://www.safepetproducts.com/tattle-tale-vibration-alarm.html

After a few times, you probably wont have to set it.

Edited to add: I now have a leather couch, and the dogs don’t do anything except get it dirty. I’d rather they go on that than the upholstered one!

[saje]

I have a scat mat on the floor to keep the cats away from an antique grandfather clock, and all the animals, dogs included avoid it like the plague even though it’s on the lowest setting. And the zap isn’t bad, it really is just like a static shock - I forgot it was there and stood on it to wind the clock the other day, it took a few zaps before it registered with me what that unpleasant tingle & snap was LOL!

My dogs aren’t allowed on the furniture and don’t try any more. The few times I found them there I made them think the world was about to end and they are quite happy being on the floor. (Both are noise sensitive so when I need to make a point all I have to do is get very loud, a big booming voice and stomping feet is generally plenty)

[cowboymom]

We got the plastic carpet protector stuff that you see in offices or schools, plastic on the top and little teeth to grab the carpet on the bottom. Cut it into strips that fit on the couch and left it there-the dogs stayed down. We also provided plenty of dog beds and alternatives so I think it was a no-brainer for them to avoid the poky plastic and go to the beds. Make sure they have a window that they can look out of without having to jump on the couch-ours hear us pull in the driveway and want to look out and see if it’s us-if the couch is there they jump on it!

[CrowneDragon]

I doubt the dog will damage a leather couch, but if you really want him to stay off, I would offer an appropriate bed for him close to the couch, so that when you are in the living room he has options other than go top another room by himself or lay on the floor.

[emirae1091]

I’m having the same issue… Mine has 2 dog beds plus my bed (one bed is right next to the couch). She only does it when I’m not home. Last week I threatened to vacuum HER with the vacuum cleaner (just kidding!). I think it’s because she can see out the window, even though there’s nothing to see out there.

I’ve been putting things on the couch to keep her off so far, but if that fails then I’ll be trying the scat mat or shaker can ideas.

[MunchingonHay]

Just to reiterate, he does have a bed to lay on next to the couch. Two to choose from, one in the bedroom and the other we put in the living room when we leave.

We live in sunny Florida and we tend to keep the blinds drawn closed for a few reasons, heat, heat, and more heat. That and the fact that there are loads of walkers, bikers and school children that pass by (we live next to a elem. school) to keep the dog from barking all day.

I like the upside down plastic office desk chair thing idea. I may give that a go first and see how Mr. Riley likes that. If not, the scat mat is in his future.

Its my SO’s Ethan Allen leather sofa, and if it was mine…well, it would be a crappy ikea sofa with a slip cover.

Trying to keep everyone happy here.

[mscho]

[QUOTE=MunchingonHay;7529070]
Just to reiterate, he does have a bed to lay on next to the couch. Two to choose from, one in the bedroom and the other we put in the living room when we leave.

We live in sunny Florida and we tend to keep the blinds drawn closed for a few reasons, heat, heat, and more heat. That and the fact that there are loads of walkers, bikers and school children that pass by (we live next to a elem. school) to keep the dog from barking all day.

I like the upside down plastic office desk chair thing idea. I may give that a go first and see how Mr. Riley likes that. If not, the scat mat is in his future.

Its my SO’s Ethan Allen leather sofa, and if it was mine…well, it would be a crappy ikea sofa with a slip cover.

Trying to keep everyone happy here.[/QUOTE]

Mousetraps! I’ve done this to keep my food-happy lab from grabbing things off the counter. Dial down the tension a bit by playing with the spring. Set 3 or 4 along the sofa. When he jumps up, they’ll all snap at him but not hurt to bad (as long as you have the tension under control. Keeps him associating bad things with the sofa but not you, and the timing is bang on, rather than waiting for a few seconds for you to reprimand.

Othr than this, you could try a shock collar (if used humanely and correctly, work great!)

But the mouse traps REALLY worked well in my experiance.

[jherold]

Except you need to remember to remove the mouse traps when YOU want to get on the couch! I’m never used traps for furniture, but they have worked great for counters and end tables. Except for the brilliant shepherd who figured out that the traps only go off once and the goodies were worth the “snap.”

[Nezzy]

[QUOTE=mscho;7529094]
Mousetraps! I’ve done this to keep my food-happy lab from grabbing things off the counter. Dial down the tension a bit by playing with the spring. Set 3 or 4 along the sofa. When he jumps up, they’ll all snap at him but not hurt to bad (as long as you have the tension under control. Keeps him associating bad things with the sofa but not you, and the timing is bang on, rather than waiting for a few seconds for you to reprimand.

Othr than this, you could try a shock collar (if used humanely and correctly, work great!)

But the mouse traps REALLY worked well in my experiance.[/QUOTE]

OMG that is awful. what if the dog gets his paw in one? NOT a good idea IMO.

[Foxtrot_s]

Ha ha - I wasn’t going to post because somebody would jump down my throat, but we use mouse traps, too. They are positioned so the snap goes off away from the dog and we have never had a dog get caught yet. We also used them on the counters to keep our needle-nosed greyhounds from counter surfing…God rest their souls.

Note: These are new, unused traps. No old blood on them.

I try to remove the traps when company comes, because invariably someone will say, “Do you have mice on your couch?”

I also have baby gates into the front, less used room, to keep down the hair, dirt and toenail scratches on the wood floor.

[cowboymom]

Gads, it’s not a bear trap-any dog would simply brush off a mouse trap! No harm though the SNAP is freaky!

[MunchingonHay]

my first dog was trained to stay off the couch by using mouse traps. He came to us as a 4 yr old owned by an older german couple. He would not even lean against the couch. ;). (that dog knew how to behave! they moved to florida and he was a boxer that could not take the heat. My mom was his vet tech).

Shock collar will not work, because he only gets up when we are not home.

If the plastic office chair thingy does not work, the scat mat will be worth the try.

[Foxtrot_s]

Have to smile when they hear your car returning - there is a warm spot on the couch and an innocent looking doggy face smiling at you from his bed.

[Nezzy]

[QUOTE=cowboymom;7529530]
Gads, it’s not a bear trap-any dog would simply brush off a mouse trap! No harm though the SNAP is freaky![/QUOTE]

My dogs are 8-15 lbs. they would not brush it off. they might even lose a toe. i have used mousetraps and i know how badly they can snap. no way. not MY dogs.

[cowboymom]

I have an 8 lb dog and I wouldn’t lose sleep over it. But definitely YMMV!

[lovey1121]

I have a leather couch and yes, it gets scratched by my Littles (the 2 Jacks), so not all leather is the same.

Scat mats work very well IME. So does crating when you aren’t home.

Its a tough habit to break, but you have every right to want to keep your dog off the furniture. Your house, your furniture, your dogs. And those who allow access to everything can do what they like for the same reasons.

Funny story-back in the day when we had to give a daily pill for heartworm (remember that?), I had a client who had a Lab who loved to snooze on her fancy brocade LR sofa. He would knock off anything piled there-books, logs from the fireplace, chairs, everything. She mentioned that he HATED the daily HW pill, and ran away whenever he saw the yellow bottle. I suggested she place it on the sofa. Problem solved

[macmtn]

[QUOTE=Foxtrot’s;7529576]
Have to smile when they hear your car returning - there is a warm spot on the couch and an innocent looking doggy face smiling at you from his bed.[/QUOTE]
This was confirmed by many of my neighbors.
I had a coonhound who would routinely jump the fence and go walkabout as soon asI left for work. She ALWAYS knew when I would get home, and just as routinely jump Back in the fence when I was due home…then be serenely lounging on the porch when I arrived.
My neighbors thought this was a HOOT!..seeing as I was a dogcatcher for the city of New Orleans.

[mscho]

[QUOTE=Nezzy;7529274]
OMG that is awful. what if the dog gets his paw in one? NOT a good idea IMO.[/QUOTE]

I have a Lab and a Brittany, they both could walk around with a mousetrap stuck on their lip and not really notice. You CAN tweak the tension so they barely snap at all, but I have zero experience with little dogs. Although the OP did mention it was for her 65lbs mutt.