How to Get Your Dog to Stop Jumping on the Couch

Contributor

By Melissa Osborn
eHow Contributing Writer

Article Rating: (3 Ratings)

If you want to keep your pet off the couch, it is important to be consistent when training him. Whether you want to protect your furniture and clothes from dog hair—or you are concerned that allowing your dog on the couch could lead to aggression, it is possible to stop your dog from jumping onto the couch in a few simple steps.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Treats
Dog bed
Aluminum foil

Step 1

When you catch the dog on the couch, firmly tell her “no.” Then, make her get off the couch.
Step 2

If you catch your dog about to jump on the couch, stop him by using a loud sound or scolding. Then give him a treat when he avoids jumping on the couch. He should associate being on the couch with being scolded and not being on the couch with a reward.
Step 3

Put a material on the couch, such as aluminum foil or a carpet protector. Both materials will be uncomfortable for your pet, without hurting her.
Step 4

Provide a dog bed that is comfortable and warm. Keep it near the couch so your dog can still spend quality time with the family.
Step 5

When you go out, limit your dog’s access to the couch. If that’s not possible, remove the cushions from the couch.

Tips & Warnings

Be consistent. Teach your dog not to jump on the furniture as a puppy. It is much easier to train this way from the beginning, than to get your dog to unlearn this behavior.
When training your pet, make sure to give her plenty of exercise before the training. It may be harder to train your pet when she is bursting with energy.
Make sure everyone in the household keeps the dog off the furniture. Be consistent so your dog doesn’t receive mixed messages.

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Comments

southernemma said

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on 3/23/2009 Not sure I agree with you on the "no" and scolding part of this. I think removing the dog from the couch and then rewarding with a treat is a more positive method ,and in my experience, takes less time for the dog to learn to stay off the couch. To scold and then reward is counterproductive and usually causes confusion to the dog.