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?

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Moe, please don't be afraid of me after you read these!   I do have a much better looking, or two, couches now

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

Was the Doodle Couch replaced or is poor Spud still balancing on that stool?

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Of course

[Christine & Shelby]

Oh good.... love those blogs BTW..... they were wonderful!

[Heather & Jake]

When Jake was that age he did the same thing with the couch and it just took persistence and repetition on our part. If he tried the paws up, we'd say "off" and move down to sit on the floor with him for a few minutes and give him praise.  This accomplished two things at once: he learned it was NOT okay to be on the couch at all and that getting the attention/special snuggle time with us was his reward for getting off rather than using treats or a clicker.  This worked well for us and it only lasted a few short weeks before he got it but we continued to sit on the floor with him for a few more weeks so he didn't revert to possibly thinking he had to get the paws up in the first place for us to move down.  To this day he won't get up on the couch even if we want him to.  You physically have to pick him up and put him on then hold him there or he jumps off and looks guilty.

[Heather & Jake]

Oh and as for the socks, we got him in the winter so prime cold/runny nose time and his favorite thing to do was steal and eat used tissues. I will admit I am notorious for not carrying around a trashcan with me but leaving them all in one place to clean up at a later time when I didn't feel so crappy.  We'd of course say "no, leave it" and he would, but it also didn't stop him from stealing them off the coffee table in the first place.  I started putting toys and other goodies up there and did little training sessions of him learning not to get things in that area: it was off limits.  He did stop the tissue stealing but I'm not sure if it was because the off limits area training or he started to mature in the spring at the end of the runny nose season and just outgrew it. However, the off limits area training is great now for I can leave food on the coffee table and trust he wont steal it if I step back into the kitchen for a few seconds. Maybe if you keep all the shoes in one place like by the front door you can teach her it is an off limits area and she will stop and grow out of it... but I know this takes training the kids some too to not leave the shoes laying around which may be the harder part! :)

[Heather & Jake]

I just thought of another method to leave the shoes alone if you can't use an off limits area... use the same toys/treats method with them stuffed inside the shoes to make them super desirable and use the clicker to reward when she ignores them in short training sessions... after she starts to understand you could set up some booby traps randomly around the room when you are watching her and make sure she learns to ignore them for longer periods of time gradually fading out the toys/treats stuffed inside and leave just the shoes around until she completely ignores them at all times.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Leaping Over My Own Couch

This morning it is -1 degrees C.  Not much I can do with a dog indoors.  My argument --get them their own couch.  Here is an action shot from this mornings Agility Course. 

The boot is on the couch to photograph for another discussion.  Just ignore that.

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

Love this! Couches: Not just for sitting anymore!

[BG and Gavin]

Spud resembles a mountain goat coming over yonder hill.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

I feel like Yodeling.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Hey, where is MOE?  I think he thinks he came to the wrong place.  Poor guy was looking for advice and I have ruined the entire concept of NO COUCH.  OR, maybe he is out getting a couch?  MAYBE   :)

I promise to stop now so you can get the advice you need. My apologies.  Thanks for listening to my side of the argument.  My dogs are spoiled.