On or off the couch?

[Sandy]

In the last day, Toby has figured out he is big enough to get on the couch. He did it once yesterday, while my son and his girlfriend were sitting there. They shooed him down. Then this morning, it was dark, and I couldn't find the dog. Looked around....saw a dark blob on the couch. Upon further inspection I discovered it was Toby, quite happily curled up on the couch!

Now - I know different dog trainers say to maintain the proper order of things, no dogs on the furniture. And I am aware that sometimes I might have people over who wouldn't appreciate a dog on the couch. But...he looked really cute and comfy up there! :) So the question of the day is....doodles on or off the couch?

[Doris]

On the couch! Bodi is in a crate all day, so we spoil him rotten when we all get home from school. We have plenty of snow lately, but we are sure to get dry feet and a dry belly before he leaves the kitchen. His favorite spot, however, is on my lap on the recliner! Constant petting is a must!

[Tamara & Giada]

Our dogs can only be on a blanket on the furnitre, and only after asking permission first (they come to our feet and sit and wait for the okay). My older dogs knows this very well, and Giada is still getting the hang of it.

[Deena Womack]

We let Cali on the couch, she looks so comfortable and snuggles with us. We put a small blanket down and she knows to lay on the blanket. She also sleeps in our bed. When we first brought her home, she would not jump up on anything, my husband had to help her up on the bed. She's got the hang of it now and has no hesitation to get up on the couch or bed.

[Sandy]

So far we have decided that Toby can come up, but only if he stays calm and lays down. Any horseplay and he's off. When we put him down he stays off, so that's good.

[Danielle]

Koda follows me like a shadow - it would be impossible to keep him off the couch. I never had an issue with dogs on the couch. They keep your feet warm when it's cold out - which is always a good thing! :)

[Holly Paterniti]

I think it is up to you and your family. I will tell you my hubby at first said absolutely no couch for Bear, but we have since changed. Bear is about 70 pounds and he is allowed to be on any chair or couch, but if the kids or us do not want him up there with us we tell him "off" and he will go.

[Denice Caouette]

Hi,
My 2 are definitely couch potatoes, and bed, and recliner chairs!! I do keep my couches covered especially when they are in the pool all the time in the summer. It was also very easy to train them the "off" command. My 2 know when I say off they are not allowed back up until I give them permission. But unless I tell them off, they usually are cuddled up on the bed or the couch. I bought a light weight blanket which I keep over my bed comforter, that way the hair is just on the blanket and I toss that in the wash once a week... I agree with everyone else... There is nothing better than to "kanoodle" with the 2 of them, where else do you get that kind of unconditional love!!!

[Nicole Wayne]

Mazie just made a total liar out of me! I added my 2 cents to this post yesterday (or the day before?) and TODAY Mazie climbed up on the couch (well, she climbed onto me, and I was on the couch.) She hasn't done this since she was a puppy! She must have somehow sensed that I just told all my DK pals that she never gets on the couch! Mazie, don't make a liar out of Mummy!

[Leslie and Halas]

Sitting ON YOU technically doesn't count as sitting on the couch. Halas loves to sit on me. Or stand on me if I'm laying on the floor. But not lay down. Just sit on my lap staring at (and blocking) the TV, or stand on my belly and stare at my face.

And just to weigh in on the topic, I do let Halas on the couch. Otherwise I would probably spend all of my time on the floor with him, and that was getting old when he was a puppy, so I knew there was no way I could continue it.

[Janie]

Mine are allowed on the couch but not my chairs...they love laying on the couch.

[Sandi, Jeff & Mickey]

Mickey has the living room leather couch and love seat almost to himself. It is older furniture and I really don't care that he is on it. Our family room also has a leather couch and he has a spot between Jeff and me and the other end to himself. He doesn't care to go on the family room couch unless we're on it. He has not been asked, nor has he been allowed to stay, on our bed or any bed in the house. He jumped up a couple of times in his wild puppy zooms, but that's about it. Our sofas are wiped down weekly, so they're clean. We are lucky as we were just about to buy new furniture for the living room. We have waited and will wait for a bit longer, until he is completely through his puppy phase. As you can see by his photo, he really gets comfy! At one point he buried his face in the pillows. This was actually a sofa at a timeshare that we were in over the holidays.

[Cathy, Wally and Peaches]

We let Wally on our couch at a very young age because we thought it was unfair to ban him from it when our little Havanese was allowed on it. Now, that he's 17 mos old and huge (60 lbs) we are having second thoughts. He rules the sofa and it is beginning to get sooooooo stinky. I'm expecting my family for a visit later this week and dh wants me to buy a new couch - how ridiculous is this? If he gets his way, should I go for leather or microsuede?