Do you let your doodle on your furniture?

[Karen P]

Chewie was very dominant as a puppy and it took a lot of training for him to realize that HE was NOT the boss of the house.  He is 9 months now and he knows his place in the family.  I really want to start letting him up on the furniture with me, but my DH does not think it is a good idea.  Do you allow your doodle on your furniture?  If so, did you wait until a certain age?  Thanks

[Denise & Hunter!!!]

From the beginning my husband said "Hunter isn't allowed on the furniture" then it was "Hunter is only allowed on the couch or love seat when were are sitting with her" now its "Do you think Hunter needs an extra throw pillow on the couch for her head?" LOL If my company doesn't like hair on their clothes I will provide them with a lint roller when they leave :-)

[Carol and Banjo]

Oh boy.....Denise...that sounds very familiar........ Pre puppy we both agreed no dog on furniture EVER....puppy comes and we both want him to come up and sit with us...but puppy is not interested. NOW puppy (almost 6 months old) hops up on the couch one evening and we're both delighted! BUT....puppy hops up and down and up and down ... from one piece of furniture to another and we're beginning to think our first instinct was right. Honestly I embarrassed to say I'm not sure how to stop something we started. Help?! Anyone??

[Karen P]

That is too funny! Not sure if that would happen at my house!

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

We let the Doods on the couch in the den because it has a slipcover that I can just toss in the washing machine and the bed because I can also easily wash the spread. Guinness has never even tried to get on any other furniture. Murph is another story. A couple of weeks ago he decided that ALL the furniture was his. So, he was helping himself to all the sofas and chairs. After a couple of weeks of "dragging him off" of the ones that are "out of bounds" he's pretty much figured it out. Over the past couple of days he hasn't even tried.

[Janice Allocco-Ange]

I let both my doodles on the furniture right from the start, but they are both very laid back and easygoing. They are also miniatures. Some people who visit don't seem to like sitting on furniture that the dogs are allowed on, so you have to consider that, too. I let my older doodle sleep in bed with me once she was housebroken. The other (4 1/2 months) still sleeps in the crate, but probably won't for long. I just love cuddling with them! It definitely is a personal thing. If Chewie now knows his place, I don't see a problem with it.

[Karen P]

Thanks for all the advice. I am still torn about what to do!! I am tired of sitting on the floor with him in my lap, but I'm afraid he will start acting up if I allow him this freedom. If he wasn't so darn cute it would be a much easier decision! We have recently started leaving him out of his kennel for extended periods of time and he is doing really well with that, so I guess I will wait to give other freedoms. I am glad that I am not the only one that does not allow him on the furniture, I was feeling bad about it!

[Adina P]

Karen, perhaps you can devote a certain blanket to the couch JUST for his sitting on. Then perhaps he'll know that when you put that blanket on the couch and invite him up THEN and ONLY THEN he's allowed up there. Set some rules (like invitation only) and practice the 'off' command so he responds and gets off as you wish and it might work out fine.

[Karen P]

That is a good idea. I am going to run this by DH and see what he thinks. This might be a nice compromise.

[Adina P]

Hope it works!

[Laurie, Wally & Charlotte]

Adina, this is exactly what we do with Wally, who is six-years old.  For us, it has worked perfectly. Charlotte, who is still a puppy, is allowed on my lap, on one side of one couch, and only when I pick her up and put her there.  This, too, has worked.

[Karen P]

I guess I just assume that he does not get up there. He very well might?? I just know that he never tries when we are around. He will lay by our feet or on the cool tile floor. I need a nanny cam to spy on him :) because I have often wondered about that.

[Karen P]

How funny, I wonder the same thing about the cat. I have one that likes to taunt poor Chewie!