How do you train "Don't do it in the first place"?

[Moe]

Our doodle is a puppy, just 4 months old. We have been clicker training her since we got her at 8 weeks. She seems to learn the commands pretty quickly. Right now she is really good with "Off". If she puts her paws on the couch we say 'off' and she immediately gets off, which is great but... I don't want her to jump on the couch in the first place. It is the same with 'leave it', she loves to eat shoes. If one of the kids leaves their shoes around she will tear the insoles out. If I say 'leave it' she will drop it but I don't want her to touch shoes in the first place. Is there a point when they just figure it out and don't do the behavior or is there some type of step that I'm missing?

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

Well, I was a clicker trainer failure so I don't have much advise to give you! HOWEVER I DID find this video on YouTube that might answer your question about the couch.

[Adina P]

I'm curious how this would train the dog to NEVER try to be on the couch at all for any reason? 

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

I have the same question. To me it appears that you are teaching the dog to get OFF the couch as opposed to not getting ON the couch. 

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

The other dog doesn't get on the couch though (At least not in this video). Assuming it was trained in the same manner at some point I guess they get it.

[Adina P]

Rosco and Boca were easy peasy to train...just told 'em a few times and they quit.  Rosco, well, he never really WANTED to be on the couch so I can't even call him 'trained' to stay off...he just had no interest.  Thule took some more work and blocking off the couch with STUFF but eventually she just got it and quit trying.

[Moe]

I should have clarified, she does not jump up on the couch. She just put her paws on it when we are sitting on the couch. It is when she wants to snuggle with us. We usually tell her to sit then pick her up. I don't mind her sitting on someone's lap but I would freak out if she jumped on the couch like the dog in the video. I'm not sure she could get on the couch, she is still pretty small. I want to try to have this resolved before she is able to jump on the couch.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

We were able to teach our dogs that they can come up on our bed (that's the only furniture they are allowed on) ONLY when we invite them.  It took some time, because it's more difficult for them to know what is expected when things are not "clear cut".  Whenever the got up there uninvited, I verbally corrected and got them right down.  Also, I never allowed them up if they were "begging".  Now Murph will come into the bedroom and give me a "look"....I'll either say "okay, up" or "no bed".  He now totally knows what that means.  Guinness has to wait until I put up his "stairs" since he can't jump up....so that one is easy.  It can be done, but it takes a little time and consistency.

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

Here is an earlier discussion following Sue's successful attempt to teach Bella "leave it" with socks. You could use this same process with Charlie. However, with all of Charlie's training right now keep in mind that she is basically just an infant mentally and it is going to take lots of repetition before her little puppy brain "gets it".

http://www.doodlekisses.com/forum/topics/socks-do-get-stuck-warning...

[Moe]

I usually don't let Charlie upstairs where the laundry room is but if I do she is a sock ninja also.

[Suzann, Rosey & Bandit]

I think over time she will leave shoes alone, just make sure she has enough of her own toys to chew on. As for the couch, no advice as we are honorary members of the doodle couch potato group,LOL!

[Adina P]

Since you're using clicker training and that is generally correction-free this might not be for you, but for what its worth:

She is young and when pups are young they forget and have to be reminded lots.  So what you're doing now is fine and can set the ground work for holding her accountable to the rules in a short while.  Right now you are giving her an instructive reprimand to get off the couch.  I think soon (up to you HOW soon) you can stop reminding her and just MAKE her do it.  I would keep a leash on her when she is supervised in the house and immediately after (almost simultaneously but not) you say 'OFF' give a quick tug on the leash that will pull her off the couch.  After a while, drop the reminder and just use the firm tug on the leash to get her off the couch. 

With our dog Thule, once she was free in the house, we'd also cover our couches with stuff: duffel bags, tv tray tables on their sides, etc.  This created a physical blockade to getting on the couch.  That got old of course and it looked ugly, but eventually along with corrections and making her get off the couch she quit trying to climb up.

We also found out that one of her main reasons to get ON the couch was to look out the window.  So we moved our small couch that was against our large window a few inches to one side and she could look out the window without climbing up.

[Adina P]

You might lose some nice shoes in the meantime, so I would do my best to keep them unavailable or make her unavailable to the shoes.  Before letting her free in the house, do a clean sweep.  I have to do this with Boca right now because of baby and toddler SOCKS.  I do a cursory scan of our rooms, close some doors, and THEN let Boca out of her crate.  Even so she finds SOMETHING (usually a chunk of paper, a tag, or something paper-like that I didn't notice amid the kid stuff that is always strewn about).  Then just do NOT let her out of your sight.

The other day I noticed Boca moving her mouth in a chewing motion.  I stared at her.  She stopped.  Looked away and noticed again out of the corner of my eye. Looked at her, NOTHING.  Looked away again chewing.  I grabbed her snout and opened her mouth and retrieved part of a church bulletin from the roof of her mouth.  She is SO quick!