Allowing your dog on the sofa depends firstly on there being no behavioural issues, and secondly on your preferences!
Many articles you read on the internet will advise against having your dog join you on the sofa of an evening in case this creates ‘dominance’.
On the other hand, some individuals feel not allowing your dog on the sofa is cruel!
As ever, the answer is in the balance between the two.
Our dogs are allowed on the sofa providing they are clean, and this is on an invite-only basis. This is our preference though – read on to learn how to decide what’s best for you.
Should I let my dog on the sofa?
This is an easy one to answer.
Does your dog have any of the following issues?
• guarding the sofa or refusing to come off
• hyper-dependency/an inability to be alone for whatever reason
I like to ensure a dog can settle on its own bed/in a crate *with me around* before allowing them on my furniture too
Additionally, I don’t allow excitable dogs on the sofa around visitors in case a hot drink is spilled or the person doesn’t like dogs
If none of the above is a problem, it’s entirely up to you whether your dog is allowed on the sofa or not!
Dog training can be so hard – furniture privileges are refreshingly easy to understand 👆🏻👇🏻
Basically, if there aren’t any problem behaviours, have your dog on the sofa as much as you want.
