Claire and Matt own Max, a 2-year-old Cocker Spaniel. Claire insists that one of the house rules is that Max is not allowed on the couch. Unfortunately Max doesn’t seem to appreciate this rule. They have an open plan home, so it’s hard to keep Max off the furniture. What makes this more frustrating for Claire is that she sometimes finds Matt and Max together on the couch.
Ideally, one of the first things you should do when you have a dog is decide and agree on house rules such as, ‘Are you going to allow your dog on the furniture?’ If so, what furniture and where. You may want a dog that sits on the couch and watches TV with you, but isn’t allowed on the bed, or as in Claire’s case, you may think your dog’s place is on the floor. Either is fine as long as everyone in the house is consistent.
The first thing Claire and Matt had to do was make a final decision on whether or not Max was allowed on their couch. You both need to agree and then stick to that agreement, otherwise Max will get confused.
The next step in changing Max’s behavior is to teach him what ‘off’ means. When Max was on the sofa they gently pushed him away, giving a clear ‘out’. Max was lured in with food when needed and rewarded for being on the ground.
If Max showed signs of aggression when being moved, Claire and Matt would wear a house line attached to his collar. They then used the house line to gently move him off the couch, with no risk of being bitten. Claire and Matt need to be firm but calm when giving the ‘off’ command. Max soon learned what ‘off’ means, without having to move it.
Max has been given an alternate comfortable place to rest when he’s in the room, so the couch isn’t as inviting anymore.
Claire and Matt followed this plan. They were surprised at how quickly Max accepted that he should stay on the ground. Max now lies happily in his bed next to the sofa.