10/05/2022
Love this 🙌🏼 so true and so we’ll written.
IS IT OK FOR DOGS TO BE ON THE COUCH?
It depends.
YES if:
✅ Your dog is calm while on it.
✅ Your dog doesn’t display aggression towards you.
✅ Your dog doesn’t resource guard.
✅ Your dog isn’t destructive.
✅ Your dog gets along well with their housemates.
NO if:
🚫 Your dog treats it like a jungle gym.
🚫 Your dog displays aggression towards you.
🚫 Your dog resource guards.
🚫 Your dog is destructive.
🚫 Your dog fights with their housemates.
The couch is a privilege, not a right. And while this privilege doesn’t have anything to do with most training topics (ex: it doesn’t have anything to do with being “alpha” or how well your dog listens to you) it is an important factor to consider in these certain situations listed.
To clarify… If you have a puppy, or an active adolescent who is playbiting excessively, jumping on top of your head while on the couch, or running across your face while you’re lying down … it’s not safe to have them on the couch. You or someone else will get hurt (inadvertently). It’s better to wait until they are older, more mature, and have learned how to settle before getting access to the couch. If your dog displays aggression towards you as the owner, your dog should never be at eye level or above you for safety reasons. If your dog resource guards, elevated surfaces can increase the value of coveted items and therefore could increase the likelihood of displaying aggression. If your dog is destructive, it will be tempting for them to scratch/bite/tear cushions and pillows. In that case it’s better to wait until they learn to have their needs met in more appropriate ways before being allowed access to the couch. And if your dog fights with other dogs/cats in the home, any elevated surface can potentially be seen as competition, so removing access can limit opportunities for fights as well.
It all depends.
