Oh goodness, we allow our dogs on everything. Couches, beds,....... Ryu even jumps up on the dining room table chairs if we leave them pulled out.
But then again, we're terrible Shiba parents who would rather stay home alone with our dogs than invite people over who might have a problem with a Shiba jumping into their lap :P
As for dominant behavior, I think it encourages them to believe that they are on the same "level" as us therefore reducing our leadership role. But we haven't had dominance issues as of yet.
If I had it my way, I would allow the dogs to join me anywhere I am. Couch, bed, etc. but have had to negotiate with husband, who would rather the dogs not go on furniture because he feels they make things dirty, hairy, buggy and he might get poison ivy via the dogs. (crazy husband!). And I guess I am glad for it on one hand- there are no ticks on the People Couch or People Beds.
My dogs have the Old Couch, with their blankets on it. I even put an old round bolster bed backwards on it (the bolster is still stuffed but the round bottom is empty, so i tuck it in and voila- a nifty nest!) It poses no problems- they do not guard it and both of them are often curled up together, or if I am on the Dog Couch, they will be there with me. They can go on this anytime, but we block the surfaces of the chair and the People Couch with pillows and laying gates on it, and we put the ottoman on the chair when we are not using it. (ugly, I know but the dogs and I dont care.) If I am reading in the cozy chair, I invite Sage to join me and lay on the ottoman and across my legs- by invitation only. He likes it. Reilly never asks to go on anything but the dog couch- I think because the rules were stricter when she was growing up and she believes that dogs do not go on unsanctioned furniture.
Sage likes to be up high and lay on the back of the dog couch, or on the steamer trunk. He is ridiculously big for the back of the couch, so he looks funny- like a giant tabby cat.
I say if the dog will get off when asked nicely, its all good. A dog who is allowed to be demanding and pushy will be that way because of your overall relationship with him in all areas, not because he is allowed on the couch.
I know that Mylo was allowed on the couches when he was in foster care, but since I had read about the dominance theories, I haven't allowed him. He used to sneak up on the couches relentlessly, but since we've moved he hasn't even tried it (knock on wood). Does anyone have a rule that the dog is only allowed up if invited? Do they stick to it, or do they sneak up when you're not home?
However, he jumps on the couch because we put one of his dog beds up there. We are also able to tell him, "Off" and he will get down from the couch (click and treat). We have allowed him to climb up on our bed as of late (but not sleep), but will quickly run out of the bedroom when we say "Out". As Chrystal has said, letting a dog on the couch (or bed) can be symptoms of a lack of boundaries with your pet, but less likely the cause.
My guys are allowed on the furniture/bed and, well, we don't really mind it at all. I love being able to sit on the couch and read a book or watch tv and have one of them next to me or at least within hands reach. I haven't seen any 'dominance' with my guys, but we also routinely practice the 'off' command (if a person wants to sit on the couch, the dog must get off if there are no other open spots) which sort of lets them know that it's not their spot.
I love sleeping with a dog in the bed (and no I'm not talking about Tom), the only problem is that now that Tikaani is comfortable sleeping with us I realized that he is a really bad with sleep kicking. And poor Tetsu won't sleep with us if Tikaani is there.
I don't think that the dominance issue is really "real". That being said, I don't like dogs on furniture for the same reasons as Crystal's husband, LOL! But I definitely DO buy comfy dog beds (in multiple rooms) so that my dog does have a comfy place (just not on my couch!). At least with dog bed, the covers can more easily be removed and washed.
Jack is only allowed on "his" chair - the one non-leather piece of furniture in our house. He's simply too big and too wiggly to let on the couch if the rest of the family is home. I think the dominance thing is bunk... especially if you make sure to train them to respond to "off" or a similar command.
I too do not believe that we understand the role of dominance correctly as humans, thus I do not believe it is really "real" either... and my dogs are allowed on pretty much everything but the dining room chairs/table. I'm delighted that shibas don't have that doggy odor like some other dogs I've lived with did, it makes sharing a bed with them delightful.
I think dogs that exhibit what some would call 'dominance' do not have enough training or boundaries and therefore really push limits that humans don't normally think is proper dog etiquette. I've never had an issue with a dog because I let it on "my" furniture.
Jazz has various pillows and blankets (in every room) and she's allowed on my bed, my brother's bed, and the couch or ottoman IF the correct blanket is there. She won't jump up on the couch or ottoman if it is bare.
Yeah, before when Mylo would sneak onto the couch he would get off as soon as I said "Off!". He would sometimes talk back a little bit and grumble, but he'd always get off. He also has two super comfy beds. One in the living room, and one in the bedroom.
Every once in a while I want to call him up onto the couch to snuggle a bit, but I'm worried it might open a whole new can of worms. Is it possible for him to simply differentiate between only being allowed on the couch when I call him up?
Katsu is allowed on the couch and the bed (only with our supervision because it's still kinda high for her). This has lead her to believe that all couches and beds are hers. We had to dog sit for my mother this past weekend while she was away and Katsu claimed all the couches and the bed as hers at first. We spent most of the weekend telling her to get off the couch. If my mother saw her on there she would have flipped. My mother doesn't allow her dogs on the couches but they are allowed on the bed. We haven't really noticed any dominance issues with her. She loves her couch so much that she won't lay in her doggy bed anymore.
LOL! LJ we trained our cats to do as Jazz does. They are only allowed on "cat approved" spots on the furniture that have blankets on them. Most of the cats are very good about, 1 does try to sneak in non-approved spots, but once we see him, he moves readily to the approved areas (there are lots of them in all the rooms.
LJ - I have a friend who does the same with her Scottie Dogs! I think it is both the cutest and most amazing thing. When I get a pup, I have to get advice from you both on it.
Since most of the dogs my family had growing up were LGD and on the larger side, they were never allowed on the furniture when inside. They were a little big for it. I have to admit though, when I have dog-sat for smaller dogs, and when I got to hang out with my friend and her Scotties, I very much enjoyed their company all curled up beside me on the couch.
I don't think the dominance thing makes a lot of sense. It's true that in a dog pack, the more dominant ones will get the preferred resting spot if they want it, but if they're not using it, they don't care who's laying where. Some especially possessive and pushy dogs might, but a good, calm leader probably would not care. I don't care if my dogs jump up on the couch, but they have to get off on command and they have to move out of my way if they're in the spot I want (and no snarking - Tojo!). Also, I tell them to keep off if they're really filthy. They're good about it.
There are cases where it becomes a good tool in which to make a point, though. If you have a particularly dominant dog, it can help to put them in their place if they are never allowed the preferred spot. Also, I find that my dogs snark at the kids for moving them, but not if I do it, so I make a point of making the dogs move out of the kids' way. I think the dogs naturally view themselves dominant over the little human "puppies", so I have to reinforce the dogs' place below the kids so as to avoid conflict.
Although, I think between dogs the cozy resting spots are an issue from time to time. If one dog is on the couch and one on the floor, there's more likely to be a spat than if they're both on the floor. I haven't had too many problems, though, just if things are getting tense, I make everyone get off the couch and go do something else.
But, everyone has their preference, so I don't think it really matters what the rules are regarding furniture, as long as they're consistent and the dog never guards the furniture. I think it's fine if people don't want their dogs on the furniture. I do have to clean my couches more often than if there were no dogs on them. Well, sort of, I mean I do have kids, they're just as messy, lol. I don't really like it when they get under the blankets on the bed, though, because I don't like having fur and dirt on my sheets while I'm sleeping. Tojo's the worst for that, because he always likes to sleep with his head on the pillow and snuggled up right where a person would sleep under the blankets. If I'm lazy and don't make my bed, then Tojo always gets under the covers. I don't care enough to ban him from the bed entirely, though. I just wash my sheets a lot :-).
Kuma and Nyx get free access to the sofa (it always has a cover on the cushions). Nyx is allowed on the bed, and she never goes under the sheet, she doesn't like it at all. Kuma will sometimes come on the bed after we fall asleep, when it's cold. Even then, as soon as he warms up a bit or if we move he'll get off.
If he's on the spot of the sofa I want (and he normally is because he likes to keep close to whomever is on the sofa, although it fits 6) he'll move without a fuss and then either come close to me or go on the other end of the sofa, depending if he's feeling hot or not. He only complained once, to get off the bed, as he had sneaked on it while we got ready for bed. When I went to get in bed, I told him to move and he couldn't care less, so I started moving him myself, and he didn't like it at all, and he gave me a warning growl, to which I gave him a warning and THE stare that made him go hide behind Nat, silly dog.
My dogs are not allowed on the couches and the second floor is also forbidden (there are the bedrooms). Its mainly an issue of dirt, as they spend most of their time outside in the garden, they are not too clean all the time (only before dogshows . But they don't really try to get on the beds, guess they are used to being on the floor. Kekko is the only one who wants to come on the second floor and this is when I go there (its probably cause he was sleeping in my bedroom when he was a little puppy). Problem is that he is afraid to come down the stairs, so I have to carry him down again. Hopefully he learns it soon
My dogs run the house, they are allowed on the couches, beds, chairs, everything. Actually at night I usually have a very small area to sleep because I have two shibas and a cat taking up my side of the bed.
We have never had "dominance" problems, and both Miso and Sake are very good about getting "off" the couches, etc. when asked.
Pam: Another example of how our kids are long lost siblings...
As I have mentioned, I consider dominant a dirty word. Too many things are attributed to dominance. You would think our dogs were planning military coups the way people throw that word around!
As far as furniture, my dogs are on the couch with me as I type this. My dog Piglet slept with us in the bed. I now have Miko and Ruby sleep in their crates at night. Not for behavioral reasons, but because I want my bed, and they are safe, happy and secure in their crates.
I think it really comes down to nothing more than what you want. My dogs are on my couch (as are my cats) so I have to vacuum more. But that is the only real drawback. If you don't want your pets on your furniture, there is nothing wrong with that either.
It is as simple and personal as how one takes there coffee. It is merely preference.
Bella is allowed on both the couch and the bed. She knows and respects the 'off' command and is pretty good about giving me whatever space I need.
Nola on the other hand, is afraid of heights, and therefore will not tolerate being on the couch or the bed. She will not voluntarily jump on them. (I am not even sure if she knows how.)
And neither of my dogs are in any way 'dominant'. Bella is very confident. Nola is just Nola. You would have to meet her to understand. But neither show any aggressive behaviour around the house because of allowing them free access to the furniture if they want it.
While I've become desensitized to the phrase "dominant/dominance" as owners describe it, we can't help educate people to get rid of the word unless we replace it with a more suitable descriptor of the dogs actual behavior. For example, allowing dogs on furniture is not so much a dominant behavior, but can be indicative of a possessive behavior. If your dog has resource guarding issues, then the possessive behavior can lead to resource guarding reactiveness (snarky growls, etc.).
We all know how our shibas can be about possessiveness and space (i.e. if I see it, it's mine).
... Maybe I'll try it out. I know he'll always get off when i tell him, and he doesn't have any possessive behavior at all. I take his toys, his bully stick, his food... heck, I've even had a nap on his bed with him! lol
Any tips as to how to train him to acknowledge that he's only allowed on the blanket when i put it on the couch?
(p.s. Kristin, I couldn't stop laughing at that photo! It's just so "Hey! This is kinda cool. Do I get one of those fork things too?")
venus was never allowed on any furniture, she was always confined to the kitchen at bedtimes or when we where not at home but when we got george our cat in november we starte letting her sleep in our living room. i wasn't sure on whether or not she would harm him and he needed to be close to the litter tray. my husband is up at 4.30 every morning so he is always the first up, the first morning ven had been in the room she sheepishly removed herself from the sofa when he came down stairs, the next day she grumbled at him over putting the light on and moved, by the following week she was refusing to even move. now we are 7 months into cat ownership, rich now sits in the dark with no tv on the small sofa while he as his morning coffee, mainly because she just sulks at him for disturbing her. she isn't a dominant girl with us only other dogs but she does know how to train her daddy well.
When I trained Jazz for the blankets, it was by giving her treats on the blanket. She simply wasn't allowed on the couch during this time. Once she got used to going to the blanket or pillow, we could put it anywhere and she'd sit on it instead of anything else.
Please note that Jazz came to me not liking to sit on the floor directly, so it was really easy to train her for her pillow or blanket.
Our shiba is allowed on our computer chairs and one spot on the couch in "his" corner. He is not possessive of anything and actually gets off the couch as soon as we get up or he hears something, etc. Now, our bed is none of his business... lol He has his dog bed with one of our old blankets right next to our bed in a corner. He loves to sleep in corners. During the day he will also take naps in his crate. We actually taught him to jump onto furniture on cue lol
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But then again, we're terrible Shiba parents who would rather stay home alone with our dogs than invite people over who might have a problem with a Shiba jumping into their lap :P
As for dominant behavior, I think it encourages them to believe that they are on the same "level" as us therefore reducing our leadership role. But we haven't had dominance issues as of yet.
My dogs have the Old Couch, with their blankets on it. I even put an old round bolster bed backwards on it (the bolster is still stuffed but the round bottom is empty, so i tuck it in and voila- a nifty nest!) It poses no problems- they do not guard it and both of them are often curled up together, or if I am on the Dog Couch, they will be there with me. They can go on this anytime, but we block the surfaces of the chair and the People Couch with pillows and laying gates on it, and we put the ottoman on the chair when we are not using it. (ugly, I know but the dogs and I dont care.) If I am reading in the cozy chair, I invite Sage to join me and lay on the ottoman and across my legs- by invitation only. He likes it. Reilly never asks to go on anything but the dog couch- I think because the rules were stricter when she was growing up and she believes that dogs do not go on unsanctioned furniture.
Sage likes to be up high and lay on the back of the dog couch, or on the steamer trunk. He is ridiculously big for the back of the couch, so he looks funny- like a giant tabby cat.
I say if the dog will get off when asked nicely, its all good. A dog who is allowed to be demanding and pushy will be that way because of your overall relationship with him in all areas, not because he is allowed on the couch.
However, he jumps on the couch because we put one of his dog beds up there. We are also able to tell him, "Off" and he will get down from the couch (click and treat). We have allowed him to climb up on our bed as of late (but not sleep), but will quickly run out of the bedroom when we say "Out". As Chrystal has said, letting a dog on the couch (or bed) can be symptoms of a lack of boundaries with your pet, but less likely the cause.
Jesse
I love sleeping with a dog in the bed (and no I'm not talking about Tom), the only problem is that now that Tikaani is comfortable sleeping with us I realized that he is a really bad with sleep kicking. And poor Tetsu won't sleep with us if Tikaani is there.
I think dogs that exhibit what some would call 'dominance' do not have enough training or boundaries and therefore really push limits that humans don't normally think is proper dog etiquette. I've never had an issue with a dog because I let it on "my" furniture.
Every once in a while I want to call him up onto the couch to snuggle a bit, but I'm worried it might open a whole new can of worms. Is it possible for him to simply differentiate between only being allowed on the couch when I call him up?
Since most of the dogs my family had growing up were LGD and on the larger side, they were never allowed on the furniture when inside. They were a little big for it. I have to admit though, when I have dog-sat for smaller dogs, and when I got to hang out with my friend and her Scotties, I very much enjoyed their company all curled up beside me on the couch.
There are cases where it becomes a good tool in which to make a point, though. If you have a particularly dominant dog, it can help to put them in their place if they are never allowed the preferred spot. Also, I find that my dogs snark at the kids for moving them, but not if I do it, so I make a point of making the dogs move out of the kids' way. I think the dogs naturally view themselves dominant over the little human "puppies", so I have to reinforce the dogs' place below the kids so as to avoid conflict.
Although, I think between dogs the cozy resting spots are an issue from time to time. If one dog is on the couch and one on the floor, there's more likely to be a spat than if they're both on the floor. I haven't had too many problems, though, just if things are getting tense, I make everyone get off the couch and go do something else.
But, everyone has their preference, so I don't think it really matters what the rules are regarding furniture, as long as they're consistent and the dog never guards the furniture. I think it's fine if people don't want their dogs on the furniture. I do have to clean my couches more often than if there were no dogs on them. Well, sort of, I mean I do have kids, they're just as messy, lol. I don't really like it when they get under the blankets on the bed, though, because I don't like having fur and dirt on my sheets while I'm sleeping. Tojo's the worst for that, because he always likes to sleep with his head on the pillow and snuggled up right where a person would sleep under the blankets. If I'm lazy and don't make my bed, then Tojo always gets under the covers. I don't care enough to ban him from the bed entirely, though. I just wash my sheets a lot :-).
If he's on the spot of the sofa I want (and he normally is because he likes to keep close to whomever is on the sofa, although it fits 6) he'll move without a fuss and then either come close to me or go on the other end of the sofa, depending if he's feeling hot or not. He only complained once, to get off the bed, as he had sneaked on it while we got ready for bed. When I went to get in bed, I told him to move and he couldn't care less, so I started moving him myself, and he didn't like it at all, and he gave me a warning growl, to which I gave him a warning and THE stare that made him go hide behind Nat, silly dog.
We have never had "dominance" problems, and both Miso and Sake are very good about getting "off" the couches, etc. when asked.
Pam: Another example of how our kids are long lost siblings...
As far as furniture, my dogs are on the couch with me as I type this. My dog Piglet slept with us in the bed. I now have Miko and Ruby sleep in their crates at night. Not for behavioral reasons, but because I want my bed, and they are safe, happy and secure in their crates.
I think it really comes down to nothing more than what you want. My dogs are on my couch (as are my cats) so I have to vacuum more. But that is the only real drawback. If you don't want your pets on your furniture, there is nothing wrong with that either.
It is as simple and personal as how one takes there coffee. It is merely preference.
Nola on the other hand, is afraid of heights, and therefore will not tolerate being on the couch or the bed. She will not voluntarily jump on them. (I am not even sure if she knows how.)
And neither of my dogs are in any way 'dominant'. Bella is very confident. Nola is just Nola. You would have to meet her to understand.
We all know how our shibas can be about possessiveness and space (i.e. if I see it, it's mine).
Jesse
Any tips as to how to train him to acknowledge that he's only allowed on the blanket when i put it on the couch?
(p.s. Kristin, I couldn't stop laughing at that photo! It's just so "Hey! This is kinda cool. Do I get one of those fork things too?")
Please note that Jazz came to me not liking to sit on the floor directly, so it was really easy to train her for her pillow or blanket.
Now you have to resurrect your photo of Ryu at the dining table for comparison to show how much a soulmate your two dogs are!
Jesse