Teaching Your Dog To Get On The Furniture

[NeylasMom]

So Zuri is a pretty bright boy most of the time, but in some ways he's perhaps not the sharpest tool in the shed. He's always been reticent of jumping into or onto things, or going between things. It took me ages to get him to jump into the car on his own and to learn to jump over fallen trees on hikes. In flyball, his biggest challenge was walking between those 2 scary pieces of PVC pipe holding up the hurdles. Now that he can do them, he's great, but it was a struggle.

 

So now that Neyla is gone, I'm thinking it would be okay to let him start getting on the furniture with me, but he has absolutely no concept of it. While he's gotten into bed with me on a rare occasion when we've been camping, he's never tried at home. So the other night, I got out Neyla's step that I built for her to get on the couch when she was dx'ed figuring it would be easier for him to learn to use the step than just jump up. I called him and got him to put his front paws on it - lots of praise and neck scritches. Called him to come further. He got off the step, went right onto his dog bed, laid down and stared at my out of the corner of his eye iwth his head hanging low.

 

Basically, if he's nervous about something and you try to coax it, it becomes ten million times more terrifying. So, I know I could use shaping to get him doing it, but that seems like a whole heck of a lot of work to teach him something that's ultimately for his enjoyment. So I need an easy fix. Any ideas? I'm wondering if just lifting him onto the couch would work. Maybe he'd start laying down, realize how great it is, then *want* to get up on his own. But my guess is he'd probably just jump right back down the second I let go of him.

 

The best part? My mattress is currently on the floor of my bedroom, no boxspring even (also for Neyla). When I layed the futon mattress on the living room floor briefly, he thought that was the best dog bed he'd ever seen in his life! But the mattress in my bedroom - no interest.

 

Does anyone have a freak of nature like this and how did you overcome it? (I mean freak of nature in the most endearing way - he's my quirky silly goofy boy and I love him ).

Edited January 21, 2011 by NeylasMom

[TheFullHouse]

Well of all of mine, Valentino, Saint, and Heart are the only ones that will not get on the furniture under any circumstances. I've tried a million times. I've put their front paws on the bed and lifted them up and they stood there like they were waiting for the world to collapse under them. I would try and get them to lay down and they would immediately jump down and lay on a dog bed. I've been trying with those 3 for years and it hasn't worked. They won't even jump up for treats so I gave up and figured if they were happier on dog beds on the floor, so be it. They won.

[Guest Lovemyhound]

Hi Jen,

 

My quirky little blue girl Violet is like this. It makes me very happy though because I prefer the "No Dogs on the Furniture!" rule.

 

She has very rarely jumped up on my bed in the bedroom and stayed for a short visit (looking rather unsure of herself the whole time) And ONE TIME when my son tossed me my keys as I was sitting on the couch, she got SO excited she literally leaped up onto the couch right into my lap!! (sound of keys jingling = fun car ride in my house) Once she realized she was up there, she stood there trembling from head to toe as though she were perched upon the highest, scariest tight rope without a net below!! Of course I was laughing hysterically calling my husband to come see this "freak of nature" standing over me (also said of course in the most endearing way!!).

 

She's never jumped up again, and as much coaxing as I try, no way in "you know what" does she look remotely interested in joining me on the couch. She too simply walks away to curl up on her ever so comfy Kirkland bed, lays her head down and just looks at me.

 

So, Sorry, I guess I have no advice for you but just thought I'd share my story with you.

Edited January 7, 2011 by Lovemyhound

[BootsyCollins]

Jen, Bootsy absolutely refuses to get on the furniture. It stresses him out to no end. He won't even follow a treat into the back of our SUV, and you know how much he loves food.

 

My point - I don't know.

[NeylasMom]

Jen, Bootsy absolutely refuses to get on the furniture. It stresses him out to no end. He won't even follow a treat into the back of our SUV, and you know how much he loves food.

 

My point - I don't know.

Yes, I seem to remember a very drunk Beth lifting the poor stressed mess of a dog onto the hotel bed at GIG.

 

 

You guys are all cracking me up with your descriptions - they're so apt. Not helpful at all though!

[Guest Nytingale]

My girl Ripley was like this for a while.

 

She saw furniture as they height of scary quicksand. I would put her up there myself sometimes, but as mentioned by several thus far she would stand there looking as awkward as awkward could be before she'd jump back down and go lay on her bed.

At the time we had other dogs in the house who would happily jump on furniture, and then one day, out of the blue she hopped up on her own, looked awkward, jumped back down. We would praise her for jumping up though until finally she jumped up one day, laid down and stayed there.

 

Be really sure it's what you want, she hasn't left since and kicks me and DBF out of bed every night by "stretching" to full length so we have mere slivers of bed and blanket. Once they're up... they're up for good.

[NeylasMom]

Be really sure it's what you want, she hasn't left since and kicks me and DBF out of bed every night by "stretching" to full length so we have mere slivers of bed and blanket. Once they're up... they're up for good.

Yeah, I know that experience all too well. The first time I decided to let Neyla sleep in bed with me, that was the treatment I got. So for a while I gave up on it. But in her older age, she got more snuggly so I gradually started letting her in bed with more more often until it became a nightly ritual (when she was cold enough to grace me with her presence that is). For a while, I would try not to move all night because I was afraid it would wake her and she'd jump down, but over time we both got to the point where we could sleep comfortably all night together. She would usually curl up in the crook of my legs.

 

But yeah, Zuri is a big boy, I'm probably asking for trouble. The couch though, the couch would be nice. It's just us and the cat so there's plenty of room.

Edited January 7, 2011 by NeylasMom

[seeh2o]

I'm in the same boat w/Claire. Except...she will get on Ed's furniture! When we were in Solvang she got up on Lauren's bed, but she wouldn't get up on mine!

[Guest 2dogs4cats]

My pup was like this when I first got her and I was actually happy not to have dogs on the furniture. Then I babysat a friend's dog (non-grey) and he was all over the furniture. My pup decided it looked like a good idea too and from then on jumped onto the furniture all the time and haven't been able to break the habit since. That was many years ago. Maybe you could get a friend's dog to show your's how comfy the furniture is....I think dogs teach each other these habits. Just a thought...

[Guest mcsheltie]

Sorry for the hijack... but Zuri does flyball????? I am having a hard time picturing a GH bouncing off the ball box!

[kamsmom]

Jen, Bootsy absolutely refuses to get on the furniture. It stresses him out to no end. He won't even follow a treat into the back of our SUV, and you know how much he loves food.

 

My point - I don't know.

Yes, I seem to remember a very drunk Beth lifting the poor stressed mess of a dog onto the hotel bed at GIG.

 

 

You guys are all cracking me up with your descriptions - they're so apt. Not helpful at all though!

 

I vaguely remember this... didn't I drop him? (not far but we both fell to the ground)

[Hubcitypam]

Buck would never have anything to do with furniture.

[inugrey]

I'll join the not helpful crowd by saying Bitey has never tried to get on the furniture. The concept of his front feet leaving the ground seems to distress him. Not that I want him anywhere near me on the couch

 

I'm sorry I missed the Beth/Bootsy show.

Edited January 7, 2011 by inugrey

[kamsmom]

[NeylasMom]

Sorry for the hijack... but Zuri does flyball????? I am having a hard time picturing a GH bouncing off the ball box!

We used to take classes. We never got past the beginning level class. They meet on Saturday nights, just not a good time for us so I decided to enroll in advanced obedience/shaping instead. We start on Feb 2! Anyway, since we didn't go enough to get past basic, we never worked on a working box, just a ramp in the shape of the box. I'm pretty sure that when he stepped on a working box for the first time and it depressed, he would have ** himself. I do recall a person or two on here who has done it at some point though.

 

Jen, Bootsy absolutely refuses to get on the furniture. It stresses him out to no end. He won't even follow a treat into the back of our SUV, and you know how much he loves food.

 

My point - I don't know.

Yes, I seem to remember a very drunk Beth lifting the poor stressed mess of a dog onto the hotel bed at GIG.

 

 

You guys are all cracking me up with your descriptions - they're so apt. Not helpful at all though!

 

I vaguely remember this... didn't I drop him? (not far but we both fell to the ground)

You pretty much dropped him.

[Guest mcsheltie]

I started to write that I just can't picture any GH doing flyball. But... we have a foster who probably would enjoy it. Cara is a Boarder Collie in a greyhound suit. I would love to see pictures of a GH doing FB!

 

You'll love the clicker class. I've taken three of my four thru the Greyhound Only class at Trainer's Academy in Detroit. It is the best to watch them problem solve.

 

You know, you can use the clicker to shape getting on the couch ( I got my post back on topic!)

[krissn333]

Jen, I haven't read the responses yet, but Zuri sounds SO much like Pinky. Things that are outside of the realm of her "normal" world become something to be almost leery of, I guess. I wouldn't consider her a spooky dog...she's just...different. Like, in a Rainman sort of way

 

When I first brought her home, she never showed any interest in the couch. Ace and Fritz have always had couch privileges, so I wanted Pinky to be able to enjoy the couch as well - she just had no idea how

 

Ultimately I just picked her up and put her up there - the first time I boo-boo'ed though and put her up there on her feet. She was so unsure of the squishy couch that it freaked her out and she jumped down right away. Then I picked her up and plopped her down on the couch on her side and immediately sat down with her, between her front legs and her back legs. I just sat there petting her for a while and she seemed to relax a little bit. I just had to do it a few more times and then she figured it out. It was pretty hilarious to watch her get up there by herself the first few times, but now she's a champion couch potato.

 

Out of necessity I had to get her to jump onto the couch on command (had to re-direct her enthusiasm a little - she becomes SO focused when there are cookies or peanut butter to be had that she doesn't pay attention when she's backing up) so she wouldn't run Sutra over in a rush to get her cookie before I'd leave the house. Now that's just her routine - instead of going to her crate like she used to, and instead of going to the spot where her crate was (which is where I moved Sutra's bed to when he was diagnosed), she now hops up onto the end of the couch that's directly next to that bed

[krissn333]

Also wanted to add that I never pushed Sutra to get on the couch, because he was so frail when I first got him. After he was here for a couple of weeks I would come home to find him on the loveseat though. I'm sure he figured it out by watching the others. I have a suspicion that he was not allowed on furniture in his previous two homes though, because he would hop down as soon as I'd say anything to him After a while he became more comfortable using the furniture, but for the most part he preferred the dog beds if we were in the living room. The bed was a whole 'nother can of worms though...I would always lift him up there because he acted like he couldn't jump. Well, he most certainly COULD jump, when he wanted to! After he figured out he could get up there on his own, that's where he always went He would push through the babygate so he'd be first into the bedroom to claim his spot

 

He was kind of a bed hog, but it never bothered me. So, as long as you think you'll be okay with big Zuri sprawling out in your bed, I say go for it

 

I think it's funny that he won't get on the bed with you even though it's not really much of a jump...when Mark and I first got together I bought an air mattress for Melanee to sleep on in the living room (she now has a real bed in the spare room) - the dogs think that is the most exciting thing EVER, because all they have to do is step up onto it!

[NeylasMom]

I started to write that I just can't picture any GH doing flyball. But... we have a foster who probably would enjoy it. Cara is a Boarder Collie in a greyhound suit. I would love to see pictures of a GH doing FB!

 

You'll love the clicker class. I've taken three of my four thru the Greyhound Only class at Trainer's Academy in Detroit. It is the best to watch them problem solve.

 

You know, you can use the clicker to shape getting on the couch ( I got my post back on topic!)

I call Zuri my lab in a greyhound suit all of the time.

 

And did you miss the part of my OP where I said I could shape the behavior, but I'm too lazy to?

 

Like, in a Rainman sort of way

 

Yep, that also sounds like Zuri.

[Guest mcsheltie]

And did you miss the part of my OP where I said I could shape the behavior, but I'm too lazy to?

Obviously. I was too geeked out thinking about Zuri doing flyball.

[greysandmollie]

I'll join the not helpful crowd by saying Bitey has never tried to get on the furniture. The concept of his front feet leaving the ground seems to distress him. Not that I want him anywhere near me on the couch

 

I'm sorry I missed the Beth/Bootsy show.

 

Are you sure you weren't there perched in the window?

 

Jen....

 

No significant help but maybe with some time he will choose to do it. Dylan will only get on furniture when we travel but I don't encourage it. Maybe leave some treats on the couch and get him comfortable with putting his front feet up??

[Guest krystolla]

Well, what if he isn't sitting on the furniture and instead sitting on you. Will he sit on your lap on the floor? Maybe you could give a command for sit-on-my-lap, and then transition it to when you are sitting on the couch. Of course, you could end up squashed under your dog, but that was the plan, right?

 

I guess you could also teach that by moving one of his dog beds onto your bed or couch.

[krissn333]

Out of curiosity, how much does Zuri weigh?

[NeylasMom]

Out of curiosity, how much does Zuri weigh?

Probably 75 lbs

[krissn333]

For whatever reason, I've always envisioned him as a small male, like Fritz (who weighs probably 62 lbs)...but it sounds like he's pretty average sized for a male. Don't hurt yourself if you lift him up onto the couch!