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I was wondering what the right way is to go about keeping a dog off a certain couch. She just loves it too much. She has her own couch and bed..she will go in if we are taking up the couch or something, and sometimes she will just be tired of laying on the couch and move to the floor on her own. Anyway, how do I get her to start lying on the floor or sitting next to us on the floor? also to go into a different room when we are eating so she doesnt beg?

>>I was wondering what the right way is to go about keeping a dog off a certain couch. She just loves it too much. She has her own couch and bed..she will go in if we are taking up the couch or something, and sometimes she will just be tired of laying on the couch and move to the floor on her own. Anyway, how do I get her to start lying on the floor or sitting next to us on the floor? also to go into a different room when we are eating so she doesnt beg?

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You just tell her in a positive way what you want her to do and then praise and reward her for doing it. Not only do you praise and reward when she first goes to that spot, but you go to her in that spot and give her treats and praise for being there. Continue to do that from time to time, forever, so that she always knows you like her being there.

Also, give her a padded bed on the floor. Those heavy dogs can really feel pain and have damage from lying on hard surfaces.
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Kathy Diamond Davis, author, "Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others," 2nd edition, and the free Canine Behavior Series articles at http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=SRC&S=1&SourceID=47

I don't know if there is a "right" way to teach this and each dog is different, teaching an "off" command and a "go lay down" command can be very helpful.

You can start training "off" by going up to the dog and taking the collar and moving him gently "off" of where you don't want him. Crowd him with your own body language and it's even more effective. Be consistent and he'll learn. If you don't want him EVER on the sofa, just do this every time he gets up on that sofa. If you want it only when you want it, just say "off" and crowd him. He'll respond.

"go lay down" is easy if you teach your dog to target one area- I use a dog bed. I just bring my dog to the bed and tell him "go lay down" and reward lavishly on the bed. It will take a tiny bit of time for them to stay on the bed and you can work on that and you can make it very formal by requiring a "stay" on the bed. It's all up to you. If you use a "stay" make sure you use a release word as well. Quite honestly though, if you have a dog begging at the table, someone has given the dogs treats from the table and made it a positive experience. That behavior of that individual HAS to stop of you can not effectively train this new behavior.

Hope that helps a bit.
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PHReign
Email me: HReign@pethobbyist.com" target="_blank">PHReign@pethobbyist.com
Dear dog,
I can not buy anything larger than a king sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think that I will continue to sleep on the couch to ensure your comfort. Look at videos of dogs sleeping, they can actually curl up in a ball. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other stretched out to your fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straigt out and having tongues hanging out the other end to maximize space used is nothing more than doggy sarcasm.

I agree with the methods suggested by PHReign. An "off" command coupled with crowding has worked for me.

I would add to this, though, by making an observation. Your dog seems to prefer your sofa to his. I would attribute this to the comfort and security he feels being in your space. He knows that is your sofa and being on it and smelling your scent on it makes him feel safe and close to you.

Would it be practical to provide him with something that "reminds" him of you that you can place on his sofa. I was once changing the bedding on our bed and when I do, I usually strip the bedding off and pile it on the floor while I prepare the new bedding. When I turned around, my dog was there, right in the middle of the pile. In fact, she takes every possible opportunity to bury herself in anything that has our scent in it. I've even used worn t-shirts to train my dog to lie in her own bed. Perhaps you can reinforce the "off" command and crowding by placing something with your scent on his sofa so that he feels just as safe and comfortable on his sofa as he does on yours
Dog Training Secrets

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