Sofa Guarding?

Geminon · 10-24-2011, 08:50 PM

Usually when Geminon is trying to fall asleep we try to keep eveyrthing pretty quiet to let him get his nap time in (if he doesnt get his nap he can get pretty cranky and goes on maniac mood as we call it lol) I'll sit on the sofa watch some tv and every once in a while he'll jump onto the sofa and cuddle next to me and fall asleep.

Today however, he jumped up onto the sofa and bit my thigh! I got up off the sofa and left him alone when I came back downstairs he was sleeping in whats usually my spot.

I know in retrospect i'm sounding pretty silly about biting me when on the sofa but is this a sign of guarding I'm thinking he did it to get me to leave the sofa? Am i just overreacting to this little incident?

Rerun · 10-24-2011, 09:22 PM

You're kidding right? You let your puppy bite you and tell you to get off the couch, so you got up and left?

I would immediately put a drag line on this pup (a cheap leash works well) and next time your pup tries to get on the couch, immediately correct it and put the pup back on the ground. Puppies don't get couch time around here.

You also should not have to tip toe around your house to let a puppy sleep. Put her in a crate for nap time and go on about your day. She'll learn to sleep through it.

Check into some local training facilities. Not petsmart or petco. Private facilities with trainers familiar with large breed dogs.

Anthony8858 · 10-24-2011, 09:28 PM

It is SO CRITICAL that you stop this behavior now! This is a sign that your dog has determined that he is the pack leader of his home.
If you allow him to take that lead, you're in trouble.

Take the advice of Rerun, and get him off the couch with a certain authority.

I like to "claim what's mine" all the time. I block my pup from taking things or doing things or going places I don't want him to take or go to.
He jumps on the couch, I swift correction on his collar, and a firm "OFF" worked for me.

hps · 10-24-2011, 09:56 PM

Lol

KZoppa · 10-24-2011, 10:09 PM

Exactly what Rerun said. You allowed your puppy to control the situation. thats like allowing a 2 year old to boss you around. and stop tip toeing around your house! Your puppy has to not only learn his place in the back IE THE BOTTOM!!! but he also has to learn to sleep through things. Plain and simple. You dont bring a baby home and demand everyone be whisper quiet while baby is sleeping. No. You expect baby to learn to being able to sleep through common every day household tasks such as TV noises, you cleaning. You are setting it up so your puppy will be awake at the slightest most pointless sounds and cranky because they didnt learn to sleep through those noises. Seriously stop allowing your puppy to control you like that. You're asking for some big time trouble.

carmspack · 10-25-2011, 12:44 AM

great advice from all so far.
it shouldn't be "usually your spot" it is always YOUR spot , and so is that one , and that one , and the one over there . The dog moves for you , not the other way around.

Get a crate . Decide when the dog is crated and YOU decide when the dog comes out , and that is not when the dog starts being demanding .

How are things when you are feeding the dog .

Get to a training class as soon as possible.

Carmen
Carmspack Working German Shepherd Dogs

Kittilicious · 10-25-2011, 07:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rerun

You're kidding right? You let your puppy bite you and tell you to get off the couch, so you got up and left?

Same question that popped into my head.

You can't allow the puppy to do anything he wants, it's what you want. I do allow our dogs to lay on the couch, but if we want to - they lose their spot. A lot of times we will invite them back on the couch with us, but we get whatever spot we want.

I do the same with toys. Just randomly I will take a toy away and he has to deal with it. He might get it back, he might not. If he doesn't he finds another toy. They might be DOG toys, but they are MY toys first.

Just by the sounds of this one post, the keeping things quiet so HE can sleep and giving into HIS spot, your house is going to become HIS house in a short amount of time. He's just going to allow you to live there... maybe.

BlackPuppy · 10-25-2011, 07:32 AM

Puppies are not allowed on my sofa or bed until they learn their place. I enforce this for the first couple of years.

Sounds like a heavy dose of NILIF is needed. Nothing in Life is Free

Geminon · 10-25-2011, 01:26 PM

Thanks for all the great advice. By usually my spot i mean within the family not between Geminon and I lol. He hasn't tried getting onto the sofa yet today but I know that he might later on in the day. I'll keep everyone up in the progress.

With finding the trainer we are currently doing puppy class, sit lay all the basics but when it comes to finding a really good trainer as he gets older what should I look for? We have been very happy with his puppy trainer so far but she won't be teaching for a while.

Like i've said before this is my first time ever having a dog and am learning with the time, all the help from the forum helps a lot and i'm seeing lots or progress with other things (biting ummm sorta haha )

Geminon · 10-25-2011, 01:29 PM

Another quick question with teaching him down to get off of the sofa or bed or anything like that do I reward with a treat once he does it? Or is that a big no no? He was trying to climbd a step ladder and I used down he went down but I didnt reward with a treat jsut a very excited 'Good Boy!'

10-24-2011, 08:50 PM	#1 (permalink)
Geminon Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: GA Posts: 36	Sofa Guarding? Usually when Geminon is trying to fall asleep we try to keep eveyrthing pretty quiet to let him get his nap time in (if he doesnt get his nap he can get pretty cranky and goes on maniac mood as we call it lol) I'll sit on the sofa watch some tv and every once in a while he'll jump onto the sofa and cuddle next to me and fall asleep. Today however, he jumped up onto the sofa and bit my thigh! I got up off the sofa and left him alone when I came back downstairs he was sleeping in whats usually my spot. I know in retrospect i'm sounding pretty silly about biting me when on the sofa but is this a sign of guarding I'm thinking he did it to get me to leave the sofa? Am i just overreacting to this little incident?

10-24-2011, 10:09 PM	#5 (permalink)
KZoppa Crowned Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Maryland kinda missing CO Posts: 13,832	Exactly what Rerun said. You allowed your puppy to control the situation. thats like allowing a 2 year old to boss you around. and stop tip toeing around your house! Your puppy has to not only learn his place in the back IE THE BOTTOM!!! but he also has to learn to sleep through things. Plain and simple. You dont bring a baby home and demand everyone be whisper quiet while baby is sleeping. No. You expect baby to learn to being able to sleep through common every day household tasks such as TV noises, you cleaning. You are setting it up so your puppy will be awake at the slightest most pointless sounds and cranky because they didnt learn to sleep through those noises. Seriously stop allowing your puppy to control you like that. You're asking for some big time trouble. __________________ The more people I meet and talk to,the more I love my dogs and their intelligence. www.krystalscollarcreations.weebly.com Riley GSD/BC 1/10/05 Zena GSD 6/1/03 Shasta GSD 5/5/10

10-24-2011, 09:22 PM	#2 (permalink)
Rerun Crowned Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Indiana Posts: 5,608	You're kidding right? You let your puppy bite you and tell you to get off the couch, so you got up and left? I would immediately put a drag line on this pup (a cheap leash works well) and next time your pup tries to get on the couch, immediately correct it and put the pup back on the ground. Puppies don't get couch time around here. You also should not have to tip toe around your house to let a puppy sleep. Put her in a crate for nap time and go on about your day. She'll learn to sleep through it. Check into some local training facilities. Not petsmart or petco. Private facilities with trainers familiar with large breed dogs.

10-24-2011, 09:28 PM	#3 (permalink)
Anthony8858 Elite Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 1,314	It is SO CRITICAL that you stop this behavior now! This is a sign that your dog has determined that he is the pack leader of his home. If you allow him to take that lead, you're in trouble. Take the advice of Rerun, and get him off the couch with a certain authority. I like to "claim what's mine" all the time. I block my pup from taking things or doing things or going places I don't want him to take or go to. He jumps on the couch, I swift correction on his collar, and a firm "OFF" worked for me.

10-24-2011, 09:56 PM	#4 (permalink)
hps Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Indy Posts: 69	Lol

10-25-2011, 12:44 AM	#6 (permalink)
carmspack Knighted Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: ontario - Posts: 3,325	great advice from all so far. it shouldn't be "usually your spot" it is always YOUR spot , and so is that one , and that one , and the one over there . The dog moves for you , not the other way around. Get a crate . Decide when the dog is crated and YOU decide when the dog comes out , and that is not when the dog starts being demanding . How are things when you are feeding the dog . Get to a training class as soon as possible. Carmen Carmspack Working German Shepherd Dogs

10-25-2011, 07:32 AM	#8 (permalink)
BlackPuppy Crowned Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 4,420	Puppies are not allowed on my sofa or bed until they learn their place. I enforce this for the first couple of years. Sounds like a heavy dose of NILIF is needed. Nothing in Life is Free

10-25-2011, 01:26 PM	#9 (permalink)
Geminon Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: GA Posts: 36	Thanks for all the great advice. By usually my spot i mean within the family not between Geminon and I lol. He hasn't tried getting onto the sofa yet today but I know that he might later on in the day. I'll keep everyone up in the progress. With finding the trainer we are currently doing puppy class, sit lay all the basics but when it comes to finding a really good trainer as he gets older what should I look for? We have been very happy with his puppy trainer so far but she won't be teaching for a while. Like i've said before this is my first time ever having a dog and am learning with the time, all the help from the forum helps a lot and i'm seeing lots or progress with other things (biting ummm sorta haha )

10-25-2011, 01:29 PM	#10 (permalink)
Geminon Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: GA Posts: 36	Another quick question with teaching him down to get off of the sofa or bed or anything like that do I reward with a treat once he does it? Or is that a big no no? He was trying to climbd a step ladder and I used down he went down but I didnt reward with a treat jsut a very excited 'Good Boy!'

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