NILIF loosing The Couch battle

by **rockermom** » October 19th, 2006, 8:35 am

I have been doing NILIF since we got Rocky from the shelter almost a year ago. A few months back he earned freedom from the crate when I run erronds. I am a stay at home mom so he is not home alone for long periods each day. Just recently we have started letting him sleep out of the crate at night. He is not allowed on the couch. He does not go on the couch if we are in the living room. However if I go out thats the first place he goes as soon as I shut the door. In the morning when I get up he is on the couch. He is not allowed to sleep in anyones bed and the bedfroom doors are kept closed at this point. I chose to pick my battles and put a blanket on the spot he goes on so the area is not covered in hair and dog stink. Do you all think it is bad to have given in to this? Is it still NILIF if I allow him to sleep there but if I tell him off and he gets off? The good thing about it is, if I go out I think he lays there for several hours and stays out of any trouble.

by **mnp13** » October 19th, 2006, 9:43 am

It's your choice, but if he doesn't get on it when you are there then he knows that it is off limits. He is getting away with it because you are not there, which to me indicates that there is still a respect / leadership thing going on.

I have the same issue with Ruby and food. The second you turn your back she'll snarf down anything in sight.

not good!

by **rockermom** » October 19th, 2006, 11:10 am

Thanks I was hoping to hear that. And he does give this look when he is cought up there usually if I have left the house I hear him jump off the couch. Yeah we got the food problem too. He will leave it if you tell him but if you forget about it and walk away after a few minutes of thinking about it he would definately scarf it down. I prefer him not to be on the couch because the couch is for us. I got this flat bed from B.Js which is fuzzy on one side and fabric on the other. I place it on the couch when I go out. He stands there looking and does not go up till I close the door. When I come home the flat bed goes back on the floor.

by **lellis34** » October 19th, 2006, 3:08 pm

Ok, call me stupid

but what is NILIF?

by **Marinepits** » October 19th, 2006, 3:10 pm

NILIF is Nothing In Life Is Free. Otherwise known as No Free Lunch. :wink:

by **mnp13** » October 19th, 2006, 3:11 pm

Nothing In Life Is Free

It's a system of living / training that teaches the dog that it has to earn EVERYTHING. Sit or down before they eat, not eat until allowed to, no playing until initiated by you/your family, not go through doors first, no furniture or only earned furniture priviledges etc etc etc

by **SisMorphine** » October 19th, 2006, 3:56 pm

By putting the bed on the couch you are giving him permission to go up there.

Personally if it was something that was bothering me I would start crating him again when I leave for a while, and then try again in a few weeks to keep him out.

by **lellis34** » October 19th, 2006, 4:08 pm

On October 19 2006, mnp13 wrote:Nothing In Life Is Free

It's a system of living / training that teaches the dog that it has to earn EVERYTHING. Sit or down before they eat, not eat until allowed to, no playing until initiated by you/your family, not go through doors first, no furniture or only earned furniture priviledges etc etc etc

AH, ok. We do that now, but didn't know it had a name.

by **Magnolia618** » October 19th, 2006, 4:34 pm

Take your kitchen chairs and put them upside down on the couch.

by **Marinepits** » October 19th, 2006, 4:47 pm

Well, there you go! That should solve everything. :wink:

by **Jenn** » October 19th, 2006, 5:33 pm

On Thursday, 19 October 2006, 3:47 PM, Marinepits wrote:Well, there you go! That should solve everything.

Maybe I should do that to the cat.. If nothing else it would definitely scare the piss out of whatever jumped on it.

(oops, wrong quote :oops:

)

by **rockermom** » October 20th, 2006, 7:03 am

Yeah I realize I gice him permission by putting the bed on the couch but I figured I would give in to that since when I come home I find hair all over the couch. I have to think about what I want to do. He has been such a good boy I may just let it go. He has one particular spot he goes on. It happens to be the Dads spot. The Top Dog. etc

by **mnp13** » October 20th, 2006, 8:57 am

If you give in on this, you are telling him that the couch is "his" when you're not there to watch him. In my opinion, you are undermining your own hard work.

by **rockermom** » October 20th, 2006, 9:44 am

Ahhh Ok maybe I may try taking the cusions off making it less inviting. He likes to look out the window and watch me drive down the street. unfortunate that the only way to look out is to go on the couch since it is in front of the window and the only place it could be. I dont want to fail at hard work. Getting him not to jump on the couch was difficult when we first got him. It took a sprayer to get him to stop. Maybe I should have a bonker ready by the door. When I come in and catch himgive him a firm off or No then I could toss it at him? Is that how the bonker works?

by **Magnolia618** » October 20th, 2006, 5:35 pm

ooor.... you could put upside down chairs on the couch

by **Romanwild** » October 20th, 2006, 5:51 pm

Correcting him when you got home would teach him to get off when he hears the door open so I wouldn't bother with that.

Crating would stop it.

A special kind of RTC (remote training collar) can be used. You would put a device on the couch so that when the dog got close he would receive a correction.

Other then that you would have to get in touch with the dogs inner child to solve the problem. lol

by **iluvk9** » October 20th, 2006, 6:59 pm

On October 20 2006, Romanwild wrote:Other then that you would have to get in touch with the dogs inner child to solve the problem.

by **rockermom** » October 21st, 2006, 9:22 am

So in other words Im fighting a loosing battle unless I find a way to deter him off when Im not there. If I put penny cans on the couch I bet he wont go up there. He is scared crap of that can. If he knocked it over and it made the slightest sound he would not go up there again. Of course I know I could crate him.

by **HappyPuppy** » October 21st, 2006, 11:50 am

We're experiencing the same thing. I even quit letting her on the bed when I started finding her on the couch. AND my neighbor dog sat for 2 weeks and I found the WHOLE couch covered in dog hair! I still can't get all off and she did not LET her on the couch! I've been plotting to put cardboard boxes on it or move the cushions because it infuriates me but we rarely, if ever, catch her in in the act - so can't make corrections. She doesn't even try when we're home tho she did totally up and on jump on my head recently when I was sick and trying to take a nap on the couch but that was kind of cute. Grrr. I have 'thought' of the electronic couch-protection devices. She gets on chairs in the garage, too, when we leave her out there.

by **Romanwild** » October 21st, 2006, 4:19 pm

Arm & Hammer makes a carpet and upohlstery product taht causes the static charge to change on pet hair and it vacumes right up. I love it.

NILIF loosing The Couch battle

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