# Asking permission to get up on the couch



## dilbert (Nov 1, 2008)

After many years of waiting and planning, I'm getting a Golden Retriever puppy in mid-May. In addition to spending a small fortune in buying supplies, I'm currently trying to finalize some of my training plans/goals. 

One of my ultimate training goals is that Dakota (his/her planned name) will not be allowed on the couch without permission. As an alternative, I'd be willing to settle for it's okay for him/her to get on the couch as long as he/she gets off on command. Dakota will likely spend plenty of time on the couch with me. But in an effort to have a polite dog, I would like it so Dakota only gets up on the couch with permission.

I know that consistency and routine are paramount in training and in having a well behaved dog. And that training a behavior to be allowable only sometimes is more challenging than training towards a consistent behavior. But I'd still like to try for this goal.

I have not found any examples of training towards such a goal in the research I have done so far. (I still have 3 or 4 training books on my "pre-adoption day" reading list, and a few more after that.) So my question is what is the best way to go about this goal? Do I: 

1) Initially train Dakota that he/she is not allowed on the couch at all. And then later allow it via a command? 

2) Or can I train right from the start that getting up on the couch is precipitated by a command? I think this would likely be trained in a similar fashion as take-it/drop-it is done. I could teach a set of UP/DOWN (or ON/OFF) commands, such that UP is preceded with a SIT. But would that prevent Dakota from jumping up without a command? Or to prevent that would I need to do simultaneous training by using body blocks to prevent any attempts to get on the couch? (I would suspect that would not be for a few months until he/she is bigger.)

3) Something else?

Given that I and the million people that will be coming by to help socialize Dakota will likely want to have an adorable puppy up on the couch with them, I would like to allow him/her on the couch from the beginning (option #2). But not if it will undermine later work (knowing that you need to apply the rules of the house from day one and not change them on the poor dog later). So if option #1 is the best way to go, I'll just have to prevent the puppy from being on the couch at all.

Has anyone been successful in training a dog for such behavior?

As a side note, I do plan to train "Go to you Place" or Go to you Mat" command. In case that can be useful in this.

Thanks.


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## ZeeDoggy (Jul 16, 2010)

My dog is allowed on the furniture but only if he's invited up by a human. He has to get off if the humans leave. It's really easy to teach the "off" command. Once your pup is old enough to jump off the furniture safely, invite the dog up and reward. Throw a treat on the ground and the moment the dog goes to get it say "off." Repeat over and over again with treats and gradually decrease them. Eventually, the dog will get off the furniture with just the command and no treats. 

I think it's a good idea to teach the dog to go to its place (crate, mat, etc.). It's a very handy command. Good luck with the pup!


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## BrittanieJo (Sep 23, 2010)

My best friend's dog asks to get on the couch. He stands there and stares at you till you say Come on up. They did the you aren't allowed on the couch at all then allowed him on the couch on command. Aggie is allowed on the couch but she gets down when we say off which we simply trained by saying off, and giving her a treat lol.


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## dilbert (Nov 1, 2008)

Thanks for the tips ZeeDoggy and BrittanieJo.


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## hanksimon (Mar 18, 2009)

I recommend that you teach Dakota to Sit at the couch, to ask permission. You'll be able to use that behavior for going through doors, coming out of the car, entering the car, going through gates, etc. Also, teach Off.

Once he is big enough to jump on the couch by himself (~ 6 mos), it won't take much to teach him to jump up  ... and then just attach a cue, making sure that he gets off every single time, and that he asks permission every single time.

The dog will be easy to teach.... However, getting other people to comply with your rules is a different issue. This is important.

If someone encourages your dog to misbehave, you have to stop everything, make Dakota get off the couch and maybe even go to his crate or place, then tell the person that Dakota can't "do that" because he is in training... But you mus t go through this drama to punish the human for teaching Dakota not to follow the rules.

My dog greeted beautifully at 6 mos. However, the neighbors encouraged him to jump and bark. I didn't realize the damage... and 10 years later he still barks occassionally to greet people. A 60 lb dog has a big bark. Now, I tell people, that he is in training....


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## dilbert (Nov 1, 2008)

Thanks for the great information hanksimon.


hanksimon said:


> The dog will be easy to teach.... However, getting other people to comply with your rules is a different issue. This is important.


This is great advice. This is brought up in most training books I've read. They talk about the importance of having all family members be consistent. But many do not talk at all about the importance of doing such with friends and "people on the street". I live alone so that will make keeping things consistent a little easier. I was worried about how to deal with friends and strangers. (I've read numerous posts on DF about owners having problems that other people encourage the dog (or cute puppy) to jump up when greeting, totally ruining the "polite greeting" training the owner is trying to do.) *I really like your advice to always use a "he's in training" disclaimer to get people to comply with your requests.* That will be helpful. Thanks!


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## Pareeeee (Sep 29, 2009)

Fidget has one chair in the house she's allowed on - it has a blankie on it so she doesn't slobber it up. The only time she is allowed on other furniture is when she is invited up on someone's lap. She cannot be up on, say, the couch by herself, only when a human is with her.


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