How to Teach a Dog to Stay Off the Couch, Bed, and Furniture

Keeping your dog “off” the couch could mean not seeing your dog standing or lying down on your comfy sofa, or it could mean any of the following:

He is off-limits to it, regardless if you or any other family members are around.
He can come up to the couch only when he or she is invited and can be told “off” at any time.

These are two of the “off” couch situations that your dog has to remember when it comes to your furniture. In this guide, we will be taking steps to be able to train your dog to do any one of them. We recommend that you choose from any one of the two scenarios above to achieve the desired behavior of your pet not getting on the couch while not confusing him in the process.

Why Is It Important?

Some people are happy doing cuddle sessions with their dog on the couch while others are not too keen about sharing their favorite lounge with their pets. In addition to that, another member of the family may be allergic to pet fur, so that doesn’t leave them much of a choice. With these scenarios in mind, it’s really up to you, the owner to make that decision of whether or not to let your dog on the couch.

In any case, here are some of the other benefits if you decide to keep your dog off the couch:

You won’t experience the hassle of having to remove pet hair from your couch
You will have more space on the couch for other members of the family
You’ll have a cleaner couch
·Your couch won’t smell too much of doggo (unless you are okay with it)

Again, this guide will only serve to help you train your dog according to your preference. If it’s just you and your dog in the house and pet fur on the furniture doesn’t bother you at all, by all means. There’s nothing wrong with sharing a comfortable TV night with your pet.

One important thing is resource guarding. This is a trait common to most animals. When a dog suddenly growls at you for making his move over or getting him off the couch, or when he becomes surly or inadvertently snaps at you for telling him off, he is showing a behavior called resource guarding. This reaction is common to animals who get angry when their food is being stolen from them by other animals.

It’s important to know that your dog is not getting personal with you and it’s just nature. However, you must have to get your dog off the couch for good. And let him know that he is no longer allowed on it.

Resource-guarding behavior is natural and progressive, you cannot eliminate it but can only reduce it to manageable levels. Hence, if couch surfing was one of the perks of being your dog, unfortunately, it has to end immediately to avoid further problems.

Don’t get angry with him just make him just try to understand that it’s important to make him feel he is not being punished. Ending his couch perks is necessary and permanent.

Commands, hand signals, and equipment you’ll need

There are 4 ways you can train your dog on how to stay off your couch. Note that you will have to consider the first three which are Prevention, “Off”, “Place”, and “Out” methods as required, and use the “Up” method as optional depending on your preference. Teach “Up” only if you are looking to allow your dog on the couch with permission.

Basic Commands and equipment

“Off”: You can give this verbal cue to your dog whenever you catch him standing or lying on the couch and want him to get down from it. It may come with a hand signal with a finger pointing to an area on the floor where you want him to go instead.
“Out”: It means to leave the area and keep away for about 5 feet. It also comes with a hand signal with your index finger pointing to where you want your dog to be other than being on the couch.
“Up”: This verbal cue is given when your dog is called to get up on the couch with you, and with your permission. It may come with a hand signal with your palm facing down, tapping the area on the couch where you want him to come up.
“Place”: This verbal signal points your dog to go and stay in his designated place in the living room. It is his alternative place to relax if he is not allowed on the couch. Your index finger pointing to his dog bed.
“Good boy” or “good girl”: Verbal praise is given as a reward that can include tactile rewards too such as rubbing your dog’s neck or giving him a pat on the head.

A Dog Bed or a Square Rug: This is the first and probably permanent equipment that you will need when teaching your dog to not get on the couch. Even if he is allowed to it is important to have an alternative place for him to lie down. You can purchase one from any pet store or you can improvise by using a square mat. Something warm and comfortable to protect your dog from the cold floor.
A collar and a leash (3-5 feet long): This line will only be used to put your dog in training mode. It can also be used as a gentle guide to pull off your untrained dog or puppy from the couch. Do not jerk.
Treats and a treat bag: It can be your dog’s favorite dry treats as well as a waist pouch that you will have easy access to when training your dog.
Clicker (optional): A device used to make a clicking sound to mark the desired behavior.

1- The Prevention Method

Keeping your dog off the couch when you are not home will take a little bit of ingenuity when sourcing materials. You can try and improvise on the materials that you are going to use. These are preventive measures that you need to do before you leave the house. The process can be done either before or after you do the “off” and “out” training. Either way, you must do this so you won’t have to resort to scolding your dog and being angry about soiled sofas when you are away.

This method is about 1 or 2 steps ahead of the actual training that your dog or puppy might be getting. This is in the likelihood that your dog will discover that the couch is a great place to relax too. For this guide, however, it would be safe to say that prevention is better than correction.

Step 1: Avoid Spending Time with Your Puppy on the Couch or Bed

This scenario can become a sticky situation when your puppy realizes that he can’t get up on the couch anymore, not without your permission. When he starts to whimper and make little crying noises, that’s when the problem starts and your little heart melts.

Try not to give in, and see to it that if you play with your pup do it on the floor. You can even reward him when you catch him relaxing on the floor and not on the couch. Most importantly, be consistent. If it’s an “off” for you, so should it be for other family members as well.

Step 2: Block Access with Your Legs and say “Out”

For this step, prepare some treats, although this may not be the training proper, this is in preparation for it.

Whenever your dog attempts to jump on the couch, block the area with your legs and say “Out”. Gently guide your dog about 5 feet away from the area. Reward him with a treat and tell him he is a good dog. Repeat the exercise when your dog tries to get on again.

Step 3: Block Your Dog’s Access with Family

Get the other members of the family to participate whenever everyone is in the living room watching TV. At the very moment when your dog seems to be looking to join by getting up on the couch, block him by taking up as much space as you can along with other members of the family.

Step 4: Confine Your Dog

You can use this prevention method when you are not at home. Confine your dog in an area by putting things in between him and his access to the couch. There are a few things you can use to prevent your dog from getting on the couch when you are not home.

Dog Crate
Baby gate
Books and other things you can put right on top of the couch

Dog Crate Training

Crate training is altogether a more comprehensive process of teaching your dog to respect space. With crate training depending on how you do it, he will either learn to stay on it and consider it his little house, or he will learn to hate it like a bird in a cage. But for this guide, we will provide the basics of crate training about your dog’s furniture behavior. Doing this is in the assumption that you have reviewed the ins and outs of crate training. ( if you haven’t, you can skip this part.)

The one standing rule of what not to do when crate training is to use it for punishment. That is one surefire way to lose your dog’s trust and turn him into an anxious heap. Never leave him in a closed crate for more than 5 hours at a time. The idea is, that you will have somewhere to keep your dog whenever you are going out assuming that your dog can’t still be trusted with the furniture.

Basic Crate training

Lure your dog inside the crate with a treat and give him a verbal command like “crate”
Add a physical signal like pointing to the crate while giving the command.
When he enters the crate reward your dog and praise him for getting inside.
Close the crate and sit beside your dog for about 5-10 minutes then go out of the room for a few minutes.
Upon coming back release your dog or puppy by letting him out.
Repeat the exercise and gradually keep him in it for longer periods.
Over-reward him from time to time to emphasize the importance of staying inside the crate without trouble.
Limit his time inside the crate to 5 hours or less. Till then, you can leave the house without worrying about your furniture.

Set Up a Baby Gate

Once your dog is already comfortable with the crate and is no longer a threat to your furniture (other than the couch). You can graduate him or her to a baby gate. You can set up the gate to directly surround the couch, or you can block the doorway to the living room using the gate. This way your dog won’t even have to be tempted to get to the couch when you are not at home.

Other Items You Can Put Right on the Couch to Block Your Dog

Laundry Baskets: Put the baskets on their side or maybe place them inverted right on the couch. They are lightweight, easy to reach for, and easy to return to their place. If your dog knocks them over (which is unlikely) fill them up with books or some other heavy items on hand.

Boxes or Large Plastic Containers: Make sure they are clean and dry before placing them on your couch. The same thing with the laundry baskets, allow the items to take up all the spaces to make it difficult for your dog to push them aside, especially when they are inverted.

Aluminum Foil: Make tents out of pieces of aluminum foil and place them on top of the couch. The noise it makes when stepped on and the shiny strange color will be enough for your dog to stay away from the couch.

Couch Defender: This device is a tunnel made out of fabric and wire. They are wedged in between the handrests of your couch covering the whole area while snapping into place from end to end. It virtually makes it almost impossible for your dog to remove it.

2 – The”Place” Training

“Place” refers to the area for your dog to lie down and may also be called “bed” (choose one). It could mean a lot of things for your dog. It will be a place where your dog can relax on his own and be calm. This will be his immediate go-to place for any other instances where he needs to get “out” from an area.

Although “Place” is almost the same as “bed” or “go to bed”, we are going to do basics on this guide for place training only because it will have a different meaning to your dog. His mat or bed can now become more than a place that he sleeps on, but will also become his permanent place in the living room as well.

So, in this guide, we will teach him to use his bed not only for sleeping but also to be his place to relax and be with family. And most importantly it will be his very own “couch”. Take note that we are going to do the very basics only at this point just to touch on Place training in connection with “off”.

Step 1: Choose a Location for His “Bed”

Take your dog with you to a chosen location in the living room which could be about a few feet away from your couch. Lay down the rug, mat, or dog bed that you have prepared for him. Allow him to get familiar with it.

Step 2: Lure Your Dog On to the Mat

Take some treats in your hand and lure your dog onto the dog bed. Once he has all his four paws in it. Reward him with the treat and give him or her some verbal praise.

Step 3: Allow your dog to relax on the Bed

By using the capture method, just sit right beside your dog on his mat and observe him. Whenever he exhibits movements or positions of relaxation, mark it with a clicker or “yes”. Then reward him with a treat. Remember to be patient as you won’t immediately get your dog to be in a relaxed position unless he is tired.

Step 4: Add The “Place” Command

As your dog becomes familiar with the mat or bed. You can now add the “place” command as a cue for him to get on it. First, use some treats to lure him back on the mat, while adding the cue “place” as you do it. Repeat, mark, then reward.

Step 5: Repeat Exercise

Continue repeating the exercise while slowly fading out the treats. Again, the goal is to make your dog remember his mat as his couch. Later, this “place” cue will be added in the “Off” training as an added command whenever necessary.

3 – The “Off” Method

Moving on to the actual training of your dog, this method will be in tandem with the prevention measures you will be doing in the beginning. This is the direct version of teaching your dog to stay away from your couch.

Later, the “place” command will be added. We recommend that before training your dog to get off the couch immediately provide him with an alternative to avoid any confusion. It will always do well for you and your dog that he knows what to do next when he is being corrected. After saying “Off” he would automatically go to his bed if he had one.

If you may already have put in the preventive measures that we discussed in the earlier part of this guide you can expect your dog to almost have an idea that he is not allowed on the couch when you are not around the house. What about when you are inside the house? This is when you are going to choose whether you would like him to come up on the couch with your permission, or not at all.

Teaching “off” at this point is to make sure that your dog never gets on the couch, at all times. We will take on the “up” command later as a supplement command in case you would like to give your dog permission sometimes. In the meantime, we are going to teach him not to get on the couch.

Step 1: Prepare Treats and Your Couch, or Some Other Low Furniture

Take your dog to a place where there is an elevated structure like a ledge in a patio that is about 1 or 2 feet high from the ground. Or you can use a low table, a crate, and so forth. Make sure your dog can easily jump onto it depending on its height.

Step 2: Lure Your Dog Down from the Low Table Using “Off”

Put the leash on your dog and use it to lead him on top of the low table. Once he is on top of the table, allow a few moments before asking him to get off. Give the cue “Off” while pointing at the floor.

Step 3: Reward Your Dog

Once he jumps off back to the floor, immediately reward your dog with the treat and verbal praise. As he remains down on the floor (maybe in a lying down position) be generous with more than one or two treats to make him remember what he got when he obeyed the command.

Step 4: Repeat the Exercise From the Floor onto the Couch

Lead your dog on the couch with the leash then do the “off” exercise. In the beginning, you can have him take the treats off your hand, and as he becomes better at it, start tossing the treats down on the floor instead. Don’t forget to give him verbal praise every time he does the desired behavior.

Step 5: Add the Command “Place”

With your dog mastering the “off” command, it is now time to add the “place” command to the exercise. With your dog on the couch, say “off’ then point to his bed then say “place”. When he gets to his bed, mark it with a clicker or say “yes”, then reward him with a treat and verbal praise. Make sure to reward him when is already in his bed. Add a few more treats if he willingly stays on the bed by lying or sitting down on it.

Step 6: Gradually Fade Out the Treats

It may take about a few days of practice for your dog to retain the commands and the two-step behavior. Slowly fade out the treats as you do this while maintaining the verbal praise. Later, relaxing on his bed will soon become the subsequent reward.

4 – The “Out” Method

You can use this method to prevent your dog from getting on the couch even when he is still thinking about it. You can also use this in a variety of other situations. You can teach “out” right after the prevention method and just before the “off” method when you catch your dog already on the couch.

We will be taking up the basics for this command as far as we can just so that it works with the intended purpose of this guide.

Step 1: Use Treats to Guide Your Dog Out of the Area

Call your dog over and show the treat in your hand. Toss the treat about 5 to 8 feet away, and as it lands on the ground, point at it with your index finger. Allow your dog to go and get his reward and release him by saying okay so he can come back to you.

Step 2: Add the ‘Out” Command to the Exercise

Repeat the same exercise while pointing and saying “out” to your dog. As he gets to the spot where the treats are tossed say the verbal praise as he eats the treats, after that, say “okay” to release him.

Step 3: Repeat Exercise

Repeat the exercise while gradually fading out the treats. Do this until your dog responds to the verbal cue and the finger pointing to the spot without the treats. The “out” command we discussed here is just the basics.

Extra: The “Up” Method

Photo by **Samson Katt** from **Pexels**

This method will apply only when you decide to allow your dog up the couch with your permission.

Step 1: Call your Dog to the Couch

With you seated on the couch, call your dog by name and say “up”. Simultaneously tap on the couch to invite your dog to come up.

Step 2: Receive your Dog

No need to use treats as the comfy sofa and sitting beside you will be your dog’s reward.

Step 3: Ask your Dog to Step Down

You can use the “off” command to let him down.

The do’s and don’ts of off-couch dog training

Don’t Confuse Your Dog: Be consistent, know what you want from your dog, and stick to it. Decide on whether you will or will not allow him on the couch or not.
Don’t Forget to Tell Other Family Members: Enroll the participation of other family members so that they will also know what to do and be consistent with it.
In training, avoid rewarding your dog when he’s up on the couch.

Read also: How to Teach Your Dog “No!”

How Long Does It Take to Train a Dog to Stay Off the Furniture?

Adult Dog

Depending on the time and effort you are willing to put out for your dog’s training, it would be wise to set aside about 2-3 weeks of training period. This is so that your dog will have enough time to master the skill that you want it to learn. Then again, it depends on how quickly your dog can learn as you can always move on to the next step according to his pace.

On average, you can do 2-3 times a week, at 3 sessions a day, with about 15 minutes per session. You will train until your dog can do the behavior almost naturally, less the treats.

Puppy

You can start training your puppy within 7-8 weeks of age. Train him or her 3 times a week with 2-3 sessions per day at 5 minutes per session. Teaching your puppy will require a little bit more patience due to their short attention span. These are shorter sessions with likely an extended overall training period.

Older Dog

Your senior dog will also go through training as a regular adult dog 3 times a week with the same frequency. The difference is that you may encounter some resistance since it may already have old habits that need to be broken before it can absorb the new skill. No added special training is needed just be prepared to add more patience and effort. And yes, probably a little bit more of your time.

How Do I Train My Dog to Stay Off the Couch Without Treats?

We recommend that you want to use treats at the beginning of the training as it will make it easier for you and your dog. Using treats is part of a positive reinforcement process that is more effective as its effects last longer than punishment. All you have to do is gradually fade the treats until your dog learns to respond to the command with verbal praises only.

If you do not have the time to train your dog, you can resort to deterrents like snappy trainer or scat mat. These devices work to either scare or lightly correct your dog using static current (it won’t hurt them though). This is especially useful for persistent dogs. Other than that, a mutual agreement between you and your pet will make life easier for both of you.

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