Keeping Dogs Off The Couch

Video Transcript

"Sit. So, Expert Village, this is how you keep your dog off a nice leather couch. This is my nice leather couch. One night I came in here to see that Possum was laying on it. It didn't really bother me because usually Possum is very gentle like this, watch. Possum come up here, slowly. Come. See, this is generally how she gets onto anything. She takes her time very slowly. I came in here. What she's done, some dogs like to this, they like to scratch and make the area smell just like them. They like to clean up the scent of whatever was there before and lay down their scent on top of that. Well, Possum knows better than to be up on this couch but I asked her to get on this couch for this exercise. Possum, you know better than getting up here, right? Get down. Good girl! Good girl, you did good girl, come her, come here. Are you allowed up here? No, you're not. We know better than to get up on the couch, don't we? I came here and she had scraped up the leather really bad and I was so upset. I brought her in here and I made her get up her and then I said no. Now, she doesn't get up here without permission. You might have to train your dog in this fashion over and over or with a clap of then hands that will frighten them a little bit from getting up there. They'll learn sooner or later that every time they get up there they get treated poorly. Dogs are notorious for that. Like Pavlov for instance figured that out. Every time you ding a bell at the same time everyday, the dog is going to start drooling because every time you ding the bell you feed the dog. One time you ding the bell and there's no food, but the dog still drools. This is how most all dogs learn. It takes a little repetition. They might not always learn the first time like Possum. Possum's pretty brilliant. Your dog has the same potential as any other dog to learn what is right and what is wrong, what is allowed and what is not allowed. Never let your dog get away with anything that they shouldn't, and you'll have a happy home and a happy dog and you'll be a happy owner."