Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 4: Offer alternatives
• Method 2 of 4: Make furniture less attractive
• Method 3 of 4: Teach the command off
• Method 4 of 4: Finding alternative strategies
• Tips
• Warnings

Pets are wonderful companions that can make a home out of any place. Sometimes, however, pets can become territorial about furniture items, or leave a trail of lost hair all over a clean couch or bed. When these kinds of inconveniences arise, it is important to teach your pet to stay off the furniture. By learning how to break these bad habits, you can teach your pets to stay off furniture for good.

To step

Method 1 of 4: Offer alternatives

1. Give your pet a comfortable place to sleep. Before you can train your dog or cat to stop sleeping on the couch or bed, you will need to provide your pet with a comfortable alternative. You probably won't be very successful in trying to keep your pet off the furniture if you don't offer an alternative. Additionally, some pets are better off sleeping on soft furnishings because of arthritic pain or discomfort from sleeping on the floor. A dog or cat bed can provide your pet with a comfortable place to sleep without bothering you.
2. Give your cat a climbing pole. If your cat keeps climbing on furniture and it causes you problems, one of the best alternatives you can offer your cat is a climbing pole. Cat climbing poles are multi-tiered structures that cats can climb, jump and sleep in Rooms or on one of the platforms. These indoor structures give your cat its own place to sleep, while also climbing and exercising.
3. Reserve one piece of furniture for pets. If your pet is not satisfied with sleeping in a basket, consider reserving one piece of furniture as a pet-friendly place. That could be an old armchair or a bench that you don't really use anymore - something your pet is attached to. But then it is important that you emphasize to your pet that he should not climb on other furniture.
   • Some animals, especially at first, may find it difficult to understand why one piece of furniture is allowed but not others. The keyword is consistency. Anytime your pet tries to sit on a piece of furniture, that only for humans distract him from that piece of furniture and to his reserved seat.
4. Use candies as a reward. Once you have provided your pet with an alternative pet friendly piece of furniture, then you can train your pet to use only that piece of furniture instead of the human-only furniture pieces. Rewards can be very effective at this. Place treats on the dog / cat basket, in the climbing pole, or on the pet-friendly furniture so that these areas are very attractive to your pet. Anytime your pet tries to sit on a human-only piece of furniture, have him come off and put a treat in a place that's meant for him.
5. Put your pet in a crate or other enclosed area at night. If your dog or cat keeps trying to crawl into your bed at night, consider placing it in a crate or in another room when you go to sleep. Even just closing your door and keeping it out of your room can be effective, provided you provide your pet with a comfortable bed or blanket to sleep on in the crate or the room you keep it in.
6. Restrict your pet's access from the start. If you've recently brought a new pet home, or are planning to get one soon, it's better to teach your pet to stay off furniture from day one if that's a problem for you. It will be much more difficult (but not impossible) to break this habit once your pet has learned that it is accepted to sit on the sofa / chair / bed, so unlearning this behavior from an early age is crucial.

Method 2 of 4: Make furniture less attractive

1. Keep food away from the furniture. It is possible that your dog will jump on the couch knowing that you are snacking there and that there may be crumbs in the pillows. Or maybe your cat is jumping on the counter because she knows you put her food bowl there every now and then. Regardless of which piece of furniture your pet jumps on, there is a chance he will associate that spot with food. Keep food away from the furniture you don't want your pet on, and immediately clean up any dirt you leave on or near the furniture.
2. Use double-sided tape. One way to teach your pet not to jump on the furniture (and to keep him off it when you are not at home) is to make the furniture less comfortable. Buy some cheap place mats and cover one side of them with double-sided tape. These sticky mats can then be placed sticky side on top of the counter or sofa cushions that will attract your pet. Or you can apply the double-sided tape directly to the furniture. The sticky experience will be extremely uncomfortable, but it won't hurt your pet, and if you use placemats, it won't damage your furniture either.
3. Use aluminum foil. Aluminum foil is another simple means of keeping them out of the furniture, as they make the furniture noisy and uncomfortable and therefore unattractive, without damaging your pet or your furniture. Simply put pieces of aluminum foil over couches, chairs and the counter. You can also place a plastic carpet runner upside down over the cushions of your sofa and chair.
4. Block access to the furniture. An easy way to keep pets off your cushions and railings is to place other furniture, such as folding chairs, over the cushions. This will take away all the temptation by making the furniture completely out of reach for your pet, while still being easy enough for you to remove when you want to sit on the sofa or chair yourself.
5. Make a friendly trap. One way to teach your pet not to jump on the furniture, especially when you are away from home, is to create a friendly trap. A good example of a harmless (but effective) pitfall is to build a tower of empty soda cans on the furniture. Make sure the empty cans are rinsed well to prevent sticky residue from getting on your furniture. You can build a small pyramid, either on a sofa cushion or on the back of an armchair, and if your pet tries to climb up, the collapsing cans will scare him off your furniture. Over time, it can startle him enough to stay off the furniture altogether.
6. Buy a repellent device. If you don't want to make your own furniture repellants, there are a number of repellent devices on the market. The Snappy Trainer consists of a large flap attached to a sensitive trigger, which can sense when an animal has climbed onto the sofa or chair and send the whole device up into the air. The SSSCAT, another motion-activated device, blows air at your pet as it passes the motion detector while climbing on your furniture. The Sofa Saver is a device that you place over the sofa, and when a pet climbs on it, the device triggers a noisy alarm that will scare your pet away. Each of these devices can be particularly effective as they startle your pet without hurting them, and they can be used even when you are away from home.

Method 3 of 4: Teach the command off

1. Watch out if your pet jumps on the couch. The down command, which is very effective, requires you to be present and see your pet jumping on the forbidden furniture. This technique works better in dogs, as dogs tend to listen to verbal commands better than cats. When you see your dog jumping on a couch or chair that he is not allowed on, you better than physically remove it (which can elicit an aggressive reaction), off learn command.
2. Say off and give some treats. As soon as you see your dog jumping on the sofa or chair, say in a calm but firm voice off. Then hold a small treat in front of his nose and slowly pull the treat (with your dog's nose behind it) away from the couch or chair and back to the floor.
3. Praise your dog and repeat this. As soon as your dog gets off the furniture, verbally reward him and give him the treat you used to lure him away. Start by giving him a treat each time he comes off, then gradually build up the number of times you give him a treat at the time. off command. Ultimately, you should be able to get your dog off the furniture on command just by off to say.

Method 4 of 4: Finding alternative strategies

1. Give your pet more exercise. One possible reason your cat is jumping on the furniture is because he is not getting enough daily exercise and stimulation. If you can't give him a cat climbing post, give him a scratching post and use interactive toys to make him hunt, run, and jump. This should wear him down, reducing the need to climb, scratch, and examine furniture.
2. Use chemical repellants. Cats and dogs have a natural aversion to anything that smells or tastes like Citrus or Bitter Apple. You can use this to your advantage when training your pet to stay off the counter or furniture. Use Citrus-scented cleaning products on countertops where you don't want your cat, or spray a bit of Citrus-smelling oil or bitter apple on pillows to keep pets off. (Just make sure you don't destroy your furniture when you spray oil extracts on the cushions!) Dogs and cats are both repelled by these smells, and will stay away if you let certain environmental elements smell them.
3. Place your pet in a crate or other enclosed area. If your pet often jumps on your furniture when you are not at home (shown by a lot of hair or scratches on furniture), consider keeping your dog in a crate when you are not at home, or keeping your pet (s) in one for them designated space, such as a bathroom or kitchen. You can also use stair gates to block access to certain rooms or furniture. Just make sure your animals have access to food and fresh, clean water, and are not exposed to unpleasant temperatures no matter where you keep them.

Tips

• Reward your pet for doing what he's told.
• Be consistent in your training.
• Give your dog or cat plenty of toys to play with.

Warnings

• Double-sided tape is very effective, but be aware that it gets very dirty very quickly. You will have to change the tape regularly. Tape can also be difficult to remove from furniture, especially if your furniture is made of wood.
• Never punish your pet for jumping on furniture. Your furniture is designed to be comfortable, and your pet just wants the same comfort you want too. Yelling at your pet for wanting to sit with you on the couch will only confuse and frighten him. Providing a comfortable, animal-friendly alternative will be much more effective than yelling or punishing.