Stop Dog Jumping on Furniture

Stop Dog Jumping On Furniture

A dog jumping on furniture is a major problem. A dog knows that the furniture is there for you and the human members of your family. A dog judges his position in his family pack based on the things he can or cannot do. You do not want him to get an inflated view of his authority within your family household. You need to be the boss of your household and he needs to know that you are the boss. Teaching your dog to stop dog jumping on furniture teaches proper respect and establishes your dominance as alpha dog.

Furniture within your home will change. Today's worn out furniture will not remain. For this reason alone we must stop dog jumping on furniture.

A dog that is allowed to jump freely onto a sofa, arm chair or bed will believe he has a right to be on your furniture. He knows that the furniture is for humans. His getting up on the furniture raises him to at least an equal with others in your family. Plus you will be fighting for possession to sit where you please. Your dog should be trained to stop dog jumping on furniture even old furniture.

Your dog cannot tell the difference between an expensive new chair and the old chair that was once there. If you plan to purchase a new sofa in the future you need to set limits today. Your failure to do so will only cause future problems. The time to stop dog jumping is today.

Be Consistent

The main rule is be consistent, be consistent, be consistent. You cannot afford not to be consistent. Your dog must always understand his role and position in the hierarchy of your household. Any confusion on dog jumping rules will cause problems down the road. No one in the family can be allowed to counteract this decision. Changing the rules here and there to meet family dictates is not fair for your dog. All members of your household need to abide by the same established dog limits. A confused dog is an unhappy dog. Everyone in the family must go along with the established limits to stop dog jumping.

Enforcing - Stop Dog Jumping on Furniture

When your dog jumps onto a piece of furniture you need to tell him "NO, OFF". You must do it in a stern unemotional fashion. Provide the dog with a nice doggy bed where he can rest and enjoy the presence of being near family members. If the doggy bed has comfy pillows or padding there is no reason to feel guilty for ordering him off the sofa. If he does not respond immediately to your command, do not repeat it but continue to stare at him and intensifying your expression pointing for him to get down. Continue this action for at least 30 seconds.

Using Physical Encouragement - Stop Dog Jumping

You can now resort to physical encouragement. There is no need to actively drag the dog off the sofa. To drag him off gives him a position of authority that you do not want him to have. All you need to do is slide your hand down under his rear lifting it up. This will make it uncomfortable. Continue moving your forearm forward until he voluntarily moves. Your dogs voluntary action to move has increased your position as alpha dog leader. Resorting to pulling your dog off your sofa would have allowed your dog to show you disrespect as alpha dog leader. If your dog had physically resisted he would have increased, in his eyes, the future possibility of his becoming the alpha dog. You must be consistent in word, action, and body language.

Recap

Establish rules with the future in mind. It is important to train you dog to stop dog jumping on furniture. It is likely in the future you will be acquiring new furniture that you do not want your dog jumping up on.