Jumping onto couches, chairs, etc.


snjeung

New Member
I currently have a mini dachshund who is constantly jumping onto the couch, even when we're not watching him (We usually let him free downstairs after he has gone out to potty).

I know that it's not good for dachshunds to be jumping onto things and going up the stairs, which we've blocked with a small fence. So I've tried clicker training him by giving him a treat every time he goes off the couch, which kinda failed.. And he still jumps onto it when we're not looking.

Was curious how other owners have dealt with this. Thanks
 
Ramps Ramps Ramps, everywhere in our house, ramps. With training they prefer the ramps, although when there is a strange noise outside or the doorbell rings all bets are off.

I build simple little ramps, with triangle shaped plywood for the sides, a 1X6 covered with carpet for the runway, and 1X1's for bracing and support. Really cheap & easy to put together.

We've got ramps for couches and the bed. When we travel in our 5th wheel I'll take a ramp for the couch in the trailer. I've got a carpeted board that we carry and make the dogs use to get into or out of the trailer, laying it down on one side of the doorway, leaving humans room to use the steps.

For furniture that we simply don't want them on, we try to keep something on the seat to block them. Pushing the dinning room chairs all the way up to the table is the only way to keep them off of the table, although I sometimes spot Frank circling the table on the chair seats, looking for a way up.

We live in an older Pier & Beam house that sits about 4' off the ground. I hired someone to build a ramp for me from the doggy door to the ground. It is carpeted with astroturf, and I put up a bit of plastic railing to keep them from jumping onto or off of it too soon. They love the ramp, and usually race up and down it to go in or out.

Even with all of our ramps and training, we lost Henry last year after his back went out for the second time. After grief and guilt, I've decided all we can do is the best we can do.

The rest is up to God and Dog.
 
Oh yeah, we also use gates for stairs.

We used to use baby gates until we got Frank. Frank thought it was a ladder and just motored right over the gate, falling/jumping to the other side once he got to the top. Not a good thing.

Now we use a Doggie Gate, which has no horizontal crossbars to be used as ladder steps. It works much better.
 

Penny

New Member
We have one step stools with a cushioned cover for them to use up and down the couch. The coffee table makes it inconvenient to try to jump down from the middle of the couch because it's in the way of their landing. We've used baby gates to keep them from stairs too.
 
We made a ramp with triangle sides and carpet, like Wandering Man. There is a seller on Ebay who makes carpeted ramps at a very reasonable cost. They don't have sides so could be slipped under a bed or whatever for storage.

I notice you don't say that it's OK with you to have the dog on the couch at all. If that's the case I don't know how to advise you. When we first saw Milo it was obvious that he was meant join the family on the sofa.
 
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