There are two things that homeowners love but those two things do not seem to go well together.
These two things are furniture and pets.
Your furniture is an investment, a part of your home that improves aesthetics and functionality. Your dog, on the other hand, is your companion that makes your living place livelier. All your dog wants is your love and attention.
However, there comes a time when you see your dog scratching your sofa in frenzy. That is not fun. Apart from that, a heap of animal hair will build up when you leave your dog lounging on your sofa. That is not easy to clean. Also, dogs do not bathe daily and they walk on the ground with bare paws. Certainly, you do not want all that dirt transferred to your sofa. Fortunately, dogs are intelligent beings. You can teach them how to stay off your furniture.
Tip 1: Spray a dog repellent on the furniture.
There are several dog repellent products sold in your favorite pet store, you can certainly get one on a measly price. Ask the store personnel which product is created from organic substances. You do not want to risk your health and your dog’s health so choose a product that is natural. This is also useful if you are going away and nobody can keep an eye on your dog and the furniture.
Tip 2: If your dog is small, use a baby gate.
Block all the entrances to the room where you do not want to let your dog in because of the furniture. If your dog is big, it can easily jump over the gate, making the gate useless. Instead, prepare a bed for your dog. They love soft and warm places. Giving your dog its own place will prevent it from climbing up to your sofa. Setting up a place so your dog has its own place is a good idea.
Tip 3: If your dog insists on lounging on the sofa, you can tell it to go down and stay on the floor.
Give it a reward for being obedient. Always keep an eye on your dog so that you can tell it to stop or make an obvious noise whenever it attempts to jump on the furniture. Tell the dog to come to you and give it a treat. This way, you can reinforce learning and keep your furniture clean.
Tip 4: If you do not want to use a dog repellent and your dog is new, cover the furniture with plastic.
For sure, you do not like sitting on a sofa that is covered with plastic. Your dog wouldn’t like it, too. You will notice that your dog will ignore the sofa once it has experienced it covered with plastic. That is because it will associate the furniture with discomfort. Instead, it will stay on the carpet or on the floor. You can take the plastic off then.
Tip 5: Spray water on your dog whenever it attempts to jump on the furniture.
Prepare a small spray bottle and leave it on the small table beside the furniture. When you lounge, your dog will follow you and attempt to jump on the sofa. Make sure to spray water on the dog’s face as it attempts to jump into the sofa. While you spray the water, say “No.” Your “no” will eventually get embedded to your dog and will take it as a sign of disapproval for its unacceptable behavior.
Tip 6: You can also spray a dog repellent on the entrances of the room where you do not want your dog to go in.
This can be reinforced by using a clicker. Every time you enter that room, tell your dog to stay. Give it a reward for staying. If it attempts to enter, tell it again to stay and pitch it some reward. Most of the time, training a dog to stay off the furniture is as simple as saying “stay.”
Do not lose patience when you are training your dog. Eventually, it will do what you want it to do. Some dogs learn faster than the others depending on their breed. Some dogs are stubborn and tenacious. Always keep in mind that you are its master and there is no reason for your dog not to obey you. There is no reason for your dog not to be trained to get off the furniture.