Claire and Matt own Max a 2 year old Cocker Spaniel.
Claire is adamant that one of the house rules is that Max is not allowed on the sofa.
Unfortunately Max does not seem to appreciate this rule.
They have an open plan house and so keeping Max away from the furniture is difficult.
What makes this more frustrating for Claire is that she sometimes finds Matt and Max on the sofa together.
Ideally one of the first things to do when you get a dog is to decide and agree on the house rules such as, 'are you going to allow your dog on the furniture?' If so, what furniture and where.
You may want a dog that sits on the sofa and watches television with you but he is not allowed on the bed, or as in Claire's case you may think your dogs place is on the floor.
Either is OK as long as everyone in the house is consistent.
The first thing that Claire and Matt needed to do was to make a final decision about whether Max is or is not allowed on their sofa.
Both need to agree and then stick to that agreement, otherwise Max will become confused.
The next stage in changing Max's behaviour is to teach him what 'off' means.
When Max was on the sofa they moved him gently off, giving a clear 'off'.
Max was lured off with food when necessary and rewarded for being on the floor.
If Max showed signs of being aggressive at being moved, Claire and Matt used a houseline attached to his collar.
They then used the houseline to gently move him off the sofa, without risk of being bitten.
Claire and Matt need to be firm but calm when giving the 'off' command.
Max soon learned what 'off' means, without you having to move him.
Max was provided with an alternative comfortable place to rest when he is in the room, so the sofa is no longer so appealing.
Claire and Matt followed this plan.
They were surprised how quickly Max accepted he should stay on the floor.
Max now happily lies in his bed next to the sofa.