When to allow dog on bed/furniture?

Chloe is 8.5 months and I just started this week actually...but I make sure she knows that it is by invitation only..if she jumps up without being asked first, I make her get down. Also if she can't lie down quietly and is causing a ruckus, she's told to get down too. I figure that way, I'm still in control of the funiture/bed.

hope this helps
L.

I look at it this way. A Golden Puppy curled up on the bed or sofa is a Golden Puppy not elsewhere chewing on a Lamp Cord or something.

What's mine is theirs, as long as they don't break it.

In our old house, all the bedrooms were upstairs, so Brady was not allowed upstairs until her was about one year old. That took care of the bed situation.

The couch - he was allowed up there from day one, as long as he did not jump up or down himself, and somebody was snuggling with him.

Our new house has a different floor plan. Our new puppy is allowed on the couch and the master bed because they are on the first floor, as long as somebody is with her. She is not allowed on the second floor, so that takes care of those bedrooms. In a few weeks, we will let her sleep with my daughter whose bedroom is in the basement, but she will be crated in her room.

Our last dog ended up in bed with is at a young age. I want to say around 6 months old. It actually did alot for her calmness and attitude around the house. And I agree that when she was in bed with us, I knew she wasn't getting into anything around the house. Even at age 12, I felt more comfortable knowing she was in bed with us. When she got up and left the room, it made me nervous about what she was up to.

The couch, on the other hand, was a different story. She was never invited onto the couch until she was about 11, when we knew we were getting to the point when our years were limited. It was funny to call her up at that age. She looked so guilty, like she was saying "are you sure I should be up here?"

I miss that girl.

I guess I'm the oddball here, my answer is never. Maybe it's because we live in a rural area... lots of outdoor time, gravel driveway, woods, fields etc.= muddy paws and fur. I don't want my pets on the beds or furniture. Even in the winter when the cat is indoors he pretty much stays off as well. Snuggle time is done on the floor.

My goldens are allowed up on the furniture with no restrictions. They aren't pushy or bratty, so they are given the privilege of being on the furniture. My lab/golden mix on the other hand, has to ask permission to get on my sofa (she can get on her sofa all she wants without asking). She is a pushy girl who, if given too much, will take it for granted. She has also learned the pleasure of sleeping in bed with us in the last few months. She isn't able to jump up by herself, but she sure can look pitiful when she is asking to come up! I haven't been able to say no yet.

I barely remember when Lucy wasn't allowed on the furniture. I have to agree that a pup cuddled up on the couch or bed is one who isn't doing something she shouldn't be. That said, I do know she wasn't allowed to sleep with us until she was potty trained. Now we own a king-sized bed to accommodate the princess.

All 3 of mine are allowed on the bed and the furniture without asking permission. All 3 will get down and stay down if asked though.

They are allowed up when invited.

Whenever he wants. We love it. I just keep a pet hair roller handy for us, the furniture and friends.

He usually doesn't get up there unless we are there and then only sometimes. No one can figure him out - he has a mind of his own. but, if we ask him to get down he does.

From day one, I do, and I have never had a problem ever with a dog trying to dominate me.

Is there any greater feeling than a dog (any dog) laying by your feet. They love being there as much as I love having them there.

My rule, they get down when I tell them to get down and never on the furniture when comapny is visiting. Quite the task to teach.

Bailey and I were snuggling all day together. I have the flu, so I spent most of the day in bed. Bailey has been by my side all day. The only problem with it, she was a little gassy today.:yuck:

Sierra isn't allowed on the couch (yet anyway)
But is allowed on the bed with permission.
She snuggles for a few minutes to 1 hour,and then usually gets too hot and gets down and sleeps on the floor.
I'm sure the couch will be next, but I'm trying to keep on piece of furniture somewhat hair free guests.
(losing battle for me though)
Karen

I'm always mystified by the "dominance" argument about letting dogs on furniture. We've never had even the shadow of a "dominance" problem, and our dogs are allowed on the couch and are occasionally invited up on the bed. They have to get down when we say "off," no exceptions, and we turn them away if they jump up without "asking," so they learn they have to come ask before we let them up.

Frankly, I think a dog learns a lot more obedience by working on a good "off" command than by not getting on the couch at all. By all means, keep your dog off the couch if you don't want hair and dirt on the furniture, but as a means of asserting your "dominance," I think it's a bit silly.

I'm with the majority here... Jersey was up on my bed in pretty short order as a pup. The only restriction was that he was not allowed to jump on or off until he was full grown (that kind of jumping is no good for growing joints). It started with me picking him up/putting him back down, and when he got a little bigger I got him a set of doggie stairs up to the bed and trained him that it was the only appropriate entrance/exit. In that house, his couch time was a bit more limited due to roommates' preferences, but we worked around that. Just watch the jumping at that age, decide what limitations work for you, and don't let those old "dominance" rumors intimidate you.

Julie and Jersey

Daisy's always had free access to the furniture and beds. She's never been a dominant dog. Quite the opposite, very easy to manage. And I'm not sure how we accomplished this but she'll rest her chin on the furniture first, for a bit, before she gets up. I usually tell her she can get up and then she does. Never any battles, ever.

Like the others above have said "As soon as possible". In the summer they will often stop by for some loving before the go to sleep on the floor but now that the mercury is dropping I am the peanut butter in a golden sandwich every night. I'm the peanut butter and Oakly is the white bread and Caue is the marble rye.

I never even thought of it as a dominance thing to begin with. Duke doesn't have a dominant bone in his body. We love him near. Again, we keep a roller handy and when he's off - I'm rolling : . Same thing with on the bed.

He gets off when we say off as well. But we very rarely do. Okay, spoiled much? He has 2 beds upstairs in addition to our bed and both couches. Down stairs in the office he also has 2 beds. One in his "room" and one in a basket. And, he freely uses them all. I read somewhere that as they become a senior it's important for them to have a nice soft bed. So, we've changed the bedding on all of them to be nice and soft.