Cant Train My Dog To Not Sleep On The Couch

[pepperfoot]

so i have a 4 year old labrador dog - her name is whisky. she is a real cuty...mostly well trained...but there is one thing i cant get done...im trying to teach her not to sit on the couch at night...when me and my partner are at home she will never dare jump on...but at night or when we are out she jumps on and leaves hair all over...please help me to train her not to do that even when she is alone. thanks

 

[Mutt]

I wouldn't bother and just let her sleep on the couch personally (I think it is cozy) as it takes a lot of time.
You could put a blanket on the couch and only let her lie on the blanket.
But that is no what you asked for
How to stop it:
Every night you'll have to barricade the couch so put something on it so she can't sleep on the couch (upturned chairs/folded chairs/high pillows etc). First it is mainly to break the habbit (and this will take time) after that you can try it gain without the barricades.

 

[DaniG]

In addition to barricading the couch, make sure you offer her a comfortable alternative :-)

 

[ackerleynelson]

so i have a 4 year old labrador dog - her name is whisky. she is a real cuty...mostly well trained...but there is one thing i cant get done...im trying to teach her not to sit on the couch at night...when me and my partner are at home she will never dare jump on...but at night or when we are out she jumps on and leaves hair all over...please help me to train her not to do that even when she is alone. thanks

You could take the help of a good trainer or visit: http://www.boomtowne.com/.
May it help you.
All the best

 

[brody_smom]

If it's really important to you to keep her off the sofa when you are not around, maybe you should use a crate or keep her in a different room with the door closed. It is too tempting, just like leaving food or garbage where they can get at it easily. If you are not there to correct the behavior, it's going to happen, guaranteed.

 

[jackienmutts]

I did it years ago with one of my dogs exactly as Mutt suggested - barridaded the couch nightly with "stuff" - pillows, boxes, etc - just loaded it up, until the habit was broken. And every time I saw him walking over to the couch and looking like hmm, maybe ... I directed him over to his bed. He finally got it. It's just breaking a habit and not as hard as it sounds. (Of course right now - I have one big girl laying on the couch next to me, and a blanket thrown over the couch, so there ya go).

 

[brody_smom]

But, unless you set up video cameras, can you be 100% sure they aren't doing it when you are sleeping, or out of the house? Our last dog rarely went on the sofa when we were home, and she never went on our bed, ever. We didn't teach her this, she came that way. But I spied on her through the front window when we were coming home one time, and there she was, on the living room sofa. And she left the bed covers a little rumpled too, so I know she was on the bed as well!

 

[jackienmutts]

Oh, dog hair is the biggest tell-tale. Nope - he quit, unless he was dragging the vacuum out and cleaning up after himself -in which case, you think I'd stop that?

I now keep a blanket on the sofa, and a sheet thrown over my bed, so no big deal. Yeah - it's their house, I just live in it.

 

[Linda A]

I don't even cover my sofa any more. I have found that a damp sponge takes all the hair up very nicely. LOL!