Stubborn streak emerging

[tritonx]

My SC Fraser is now 9 months and becoming a stubborn little velcro dog. He got some extra loving after being neutered recently and has decided the sofa is for him. We're now involved in a war of wills as every time I leave the room, he jumps up and velcros himself to the cushions against any attempts to move him. 10-20 times a day I find him curled up, eyes challenging me to move him. And after walkies, he's very damp. Then it's me trying to look like a tower of authority pointing toward his bed and ordering him off the sofa. Big spaniel eyes with a glint of steel. He practically waves a placard, I will, I will, I will not be moved. I have to pull out the big guns--clapping my hands loudly while ordering him off--to get him finally to move. I don't mind him being up though he wants to be more or less on top of me, a nuisance when I'm trying to work on my laptop with my elbow up in the air, resting on his head and his muzzle on the keyboard. But I want it on my terms, only when I invite him. Heheh, didn't expect to see quite this level of stubborn from the amenable pup he's been to this point. Quite funny really. Is this an especial cocker trait?

[Joules]

Hmmmm, sounds like your boy has become a teenager.      

[johndoran]

To be honest I will have to say that Bonnie Boo won the battle of wills when it came to my reclining chair. In fact she is curled up on it as I type on the uncomfortable sofa

[Karma]

You say he had some extra loving after his op - did this include being allowed up on the sofa whenever he wanted?
If so, you can't expect him to understand why the rules have suddenly changed..... 

He's not "challenging your authority" he's discovered that the sofa is very comfortable, thank you very much, and doesn't see why he should move - there's nothing in it for him to move off the sofa!!
Rather than getting cross and confrontational with him (which runs the risk that he will start protecting his comfy spot!), train a reliable "off" that way you can ask him to get off the sofa whenever you need him to be off - however if you don't want him to get up there when you are not there the sofa has to be 100% out of bounds... dogs can't understand complex rules. 
He is probably hitting adolecense, so will be pushing the boundaries you set, but it is very important that those boundaries are clear and consistent! 

We knew we would never succeed at being consistent enough to keep Honey off the sofa, so she can get up as she likes.  Though to come up near us, she waits for an invite, and she will get off if we ask her to - empty sofas are fair game, though, and any recently emptied spot is the best place to be (we do a countdown to see how quickly the "seat thief" strikes!!!).

[luckypenny]

Hmmmmm- glad to hear it's not just Penny (who's 10 months). Our problem isn't the sofas, as she's allowed up when she wants, but getting her to come in from outside or our freezing cold extension if she doesn't want to. She just stands and gives a really defiant look. It's quite hard to keep saying "in you come" in a bright and cheery voice whilst the freezing air whips round your ankles.

[waggytails]

Hmmmmm- glad to hear it's not just Penny (who's 10 months). Our problem isn't the sofas, as she's allowed up when she wants, but getting her to come in from outside or our freezing cold extension if she doesn't want to. She just stands and gives a really defiant look. It's quite hard to keep saying "in you come" in a bright and cheery voice whilst the freezing air whips round your ankles.

Yep i also have a stubburn one, she will be 2yrs old in April and as always been like it.  She also stands at the back door and sometimes puts one foot over the step so you cant shut the door.  To be honest i have gotten used to her doing it, sometimes i shake the biscuit box and when i am totally fed up i shut the door for a few seconds and then usually she comes in.

[Rats and Dogs]

Karma is spot on.

I have a teenager too, but have always allowed him on the sofa anyway, and to be honest, he seems to prefer the floor or his bed, but comes up just for cuddles. Tia will always lie on the sofa, either across me or curled into a ball beside me.

I use my laptop at the table, less chance of dropping and breaking it!

[rwasinski]

We are relaxed about the sofa thing and are accustomed to having to wedge in between two fluff-monsters sprawled over the sofa, heads on keyboards, elbows in the air, mud all over our cream sofas   

If either ignore us when we command or ask, we just walk away (and they follow us) or shut the door (in which case, they are straight at the door scratching to be let in). Llewelyn used to be difficult to move (at a very young age, he didn't like it or being interefered with if he was comfy or into a chew) but using these techniques as an alternative to just jumping in and moving him suddenly (sort of avoiding the tower of authority thing) we avoid any conflict from him and he is relaxed, happy and trusting.

I had very good advice on here and I have had to look at my own behaviour towards them both, and I have relaxed a lot. Two books I found really helpful to think about developing a positive relationship with your dog are 'On talking terms with Dogs: Calming Signals' by Turid Rugaas and The Complete Idiots Guide to Positive Dog Training by Pamela Dennison. Just reading these made me realise the importance of responding positively not negatively to your dog, instead of saying no, command your dog with something it will respond to and reward it. If it is doing something you don't want, command it to do something you know it will respond positively to to distract it, and reward it. Instead of saying no, no, no all the time, it feels so much better to be praising and rewarding them  And remember your role, not as a leader, but as a parent to your pup. That has always stayed with me.

[Ben's mum]

Ben was stubborn and it looks like Harry is just the same - definately a cocker trait!
They are allowed to get on the sofa when the want, but occasionally if they are especially muddy or wet I ask them to get off.  Harry also jumps on the bed, which is a no no for me, but he has obviously been allowed where he lived before.

instead of getting into a battle of wills, in which a cocker will always beat you hands down  I have always found fake excitement works better    if I say in a silly high voice something like 'what have I got here' then walk away, both will follow immediately, just in case they are likely to miss out on something good!  Sometimes I do reward for getting off, other times I just make a fuss of them.  Works a treat every time.  Sometimes for Harry i just have to do a sharp intake of breath and he thinks something exciting is going to happen and he leaps off the sofa like a nutter 

[tritonx]

Oh, I see I didn't get the tone quite right on my 'Fraser on the sofa' post. I'm not bothered and actually think the whole scenario is quite funny. He's so determined to be up there, but aware I have opinions on the matter and has such a look on his face when I come through and find him ensconced in full glory. He's knows exactly what Off means and I'm mostly just amused to find this teenager resistance showing up. He's such a good young fellow in the house that this is minor stuff. Right after his op, I used to lift him up (no jumping allowed b/c of stitches) and he obviously came to a whole new appreciation for the location and decided to be proactive about it. I'll continue to work him through this new found independence in relation to house rules as I don't want him to assume he can come up whenever he wants. He's damp so much of the time and he has a nice comfy bed right by the fire, so no need to be impregnating the furniture with wet dog smell. Still, I've come to count on the perspective and advice here as I'm finding my way through bringing up my boy. Finding this board has been a godsend.

[rwasinski]

Sometimes for Harry i just have to do a sharp intake of breath and he thinks something exciting is going to happen and he leaps off the sofa like a nutter 

  This works in this house too! 

[tritonx]

Oh dear, I just startled Fraser by clapping loudly when Canada scored a second goal against the US in the hockey final. I can now see the disadvantage of using clapping to get his attention when he is slow to respond to Off command.

[Mudmagnets]

I really had to larf when reading this thread, as here I am sitting on one chair with Smudge at the back of me snorring his head off and Katie spread full length along the couch hoping I think she is asleep so I don't move her.

Tis very true that once you allow a behaviour for whatever reason - if it is to the critters advantage they see no reason to change the rules 

[tritonx]

Indeed. After his brief startle, he's curled up beside me on the sofa with his head on my thigh and getting the occasional head rub. Not such a bad life and Canada still one up with 1.17 to go in the game. My heart might not stand this.

[PennyB]

didn't expect to see quite this level of stubborn from the amenable pup he's been to this point. Quite funny really. Is this an especial cocker trait?

Yes - cockers can be very strong-willed and stubborn - that's why they can be very challenging - mine can still be strong-willed but that's their charm and the challenge of trying to outwit them and why I love them.