Am I harming pup's training?

[Top Barks]

Bayley sleeps on the bed all night, Douglas and Ollie and our houseguest Lucy all jump on around five in the morning for a snuggle.

I do not have dogs trying to take over my house because of it.
Problems can arise if your dog decides to guard the space or refuse to get off but this can be dealt with through training.
Like every one else has said, there is no definite right or wrong way to live with a dog, just the way you choose.

[SkyeSue]

Chloe has always been allowed on the furniture and the bed, but my regret is that I didn't teach her to get on "when invited". So she's always on the furniture and this can be a problem when guests come. (Chloe is quite happy to share the settee or chairs, but not everyone wants to sit quite so close to her  )It also means its harder to keep her off other people's furniture who prefer that she doesn't jump on it, but its not impossible.

[bibathediva]

Chloe has always been allowed on the furniture and the bed, but my regret is that I didn't teach her to get on "when invited". So she's always on the furniture and this can be a problem when guests come. (Chloe is quite happy to share the settee or chairs, but not everyone wants to sit quite so close to her  )It also means its harder to keep her off other people's furniture who prefer that she doesn't jump on it, but its not impossible.

its not to late to train her to do that  both mine are allowed on sofas and beds although when we got lola i did have to train Biba to only come up when invited..she had always got up when she felt like it  as it was causing some jostling and guarding with them both...they are both now quite happy to share a sofa  dont think either of mine want to be *pack leader* its too much like hard work for them 
do what ever is best for you 

[Mittens]

Thanks guys - sometimes you feel a bit like you are the only one who lets them do these things (eg my mother-in-law thinks its 'appalling' he gets on the sofa and in the bed and does have that view that he will 'run riot' because of it  ) - he can't actually get on or off the bed without help as he's too small, but stretches his two front paws up to the side of my face and breathes on me until i notice!  I then lift him up - does that constitute being "invited"? 

[Karma]

A friend of OH's family expressed (mock)-disgust that Honey was allowed on furniture - he owns several springers (all of which he works).  (I don't like some of his training methods, but his dogs definately adore him!)
Anyway, last year it was FIL's birthday and they had a big party, which included a hog roast... about 50-100 people there.... and he was the only person who gave Honey any tit-bits (and he didn't even ask for a sit for them!!) - apparently it was ok, as it wasn't from the table!!!    OH reckons it was cos he was impressed with how well behaved she was generally.... 

[SkyeSue]

Bayley sleeps on the bed all night, Dou and Ollie and our houseguest Lucy all jump on around five in the morning for a snuggle.

Aww ...where does Alfie sleep 

[Top Barks]

Bayley sleeps on the bed all night, Dou and Ollie and our houseguest Lucy all jump on around five in the morning for a snuggle.

Aww ...where does Alfie sleep 

On my head if he had the chance
Alfie has a crate at the bottom of the bed which he absolutley adores.
He will not settle at night if he does not get his bed time biccky in his den

[laurianna]

I don't care what anyone says, I've had many different dogs over the  years and I had a dominant male that definitely thought he was boss,and we were young enough and inexperienced enough not to know what to do about it. I uphold the family  hierarchy  as its always worked for me.

However, IMO, where your dog sleeps is personal preference. Ours is allowed anywhere she wants but I dont like her to sleep on the bed when at night times. That's MY preference because black doggie and cream bedding do not mix LOL

When she was a pup i used the rule "Always or Never" she can either always do it or never do it. None of this, oh she can come on the sofa its a special occassion etc. How the hell can a dog make sense of that. Therfore she can always go on the sofa in the conservatory but never on the leather lounge sofa. And guess what?  She knows and she doesnt. Its amazing.

Whatever happens, you have to train them to do as they are told. If she goes on the sofa fine, as long as when you want her off, she gets off. LOL

[minimoo]

mine sleep on the bed, though ive had to stop kiz because she jumps off and im afraid she will hurt her spine again , ella sleeps under the duvet with her head on the pillow with me in the winter  and bruno sleeps on the bed when he wants to, ella will climb up on my shoulder on the sofa, she will stand on me wagging her bottom like crazy but theres absolutley no dominance, they all lie on the 3 seater sofa but have learnt not to lie on the 2 seater, as thats where guests sit , it sounds like you are doing a great job with your pup, so dont worry too much     laurianna the dominant male thing is a whole different issue 

[debrand]

Ali and Milly are allowed on the furniture but they don't sleep on the beds. Both are really good girls 
My sisters two dogs sleep on the bed with her and her OH and they are the most obedient dogs I have ever seen.  She and her OH never have a lead on them and they would never dream of leaving their side until they have been told they can. 
We are trying not to let Finn on the furniture though- he is just going to be too big (Newfie X St Bernard) to be practical.

[carol b]

Maya is allowed on the sofa but only when I have put 'the blanket' on it for her.  So she stands and stares at me and waits and knows she can't get on until the blanket is there.  I can say in your bed and not put the blanket on and she will quite happily go and sleep in her bed.  Dusty (seventeen weeks old, Mayas puppy) on the other hand, at the moment (haha) just jumps on when and where she thinks she will so a bit more to do with her yet!!

[HeatherFeather]

This is a fascinating thread to follow.  I love dogs on the couch.  That's why I want a  dog.  I want to snuggle while I read and watch movies.  On the other hand I don't want the dog on other people's couches or on the "Royal Cat's" chair.

I have a neighbor who is convinced that allowing a dog on the couch is the end of a good relationship with your dog- I take it with a grain of salt, she has a berner and a dane. hmmm. may be a different story when you dog is the size of the couch!

[pamela]

I thought Ben wasn't ever allowed on the bed or couch until I came home early one day and found him and my son snuggled up on his bed, son admitted Ben usually heard me and jumped off before I noticed 
He was never on the couch (i think) but I really think it is personal preference, and as long as they will get down for visitors to actually have a seat, I don't see any harm in it at all.

[Birdie Wife]

Dog trainers who train their animals for TV work will allow the animals on the sofa/bed etc but have  a command to tell them to get off - if they had a dog that needed to get on a sofa for an advert or soemthing and the dog hadn't been allowed to do it before, that would be a very confused dog!  And TV dogs are some of the best trained, balanced dogs ever IMO, they need to be.

[*Theresa*]

Glen and Sally are allowed on our bed for snuggles before crate time although up until this year they slept on the bed all night and it was because I got sick of fighting for space that they got crated.

We did have to ban Glen from the bed for a while because he started being a nip when we tried to move him so we could get in and grumbling at us but that has stopped now and peace reigns again. I have not seen any difference in the amount of respect (ie none  ) my two give me since they started sleeping in a crate as opposed to on my pillow.

Sally is a little angel while Glen has a devilish streak about a mile long...it is down to their personality and not their sleeping/loafing on the couch habits