Anyone's bulldog not allowed on the couch? ...and more!

[Cali Doll]

Hi!

I used to allow Bella on my couch, once invited. I thought this would work for us, as I don't want her on all of the time. I figured that sometimes is OK. However, lately, she's been REALLY bossy when she wants on the couch. She growls and barks (talks back) when I don't let her up. So, I'm putting a stop to it altogether. Anyone else live like this? I feel bad, but my leadership role needs to be enforced, IMO. She's a mouthy little something.

Also, since she was a wee little pup, she's peed on her doggie bed. I removed the doggie bed a while ago and she sleeps on the hardwood floor. I think that's contributing to her demanding to be on the couch. I know I've read that other bullys can't have bedding, so I'm wondering if this will be a forever sort of thing or if I'll eventually be able to reintroduce her doggie bed.

Interestingly, she doesn't pee on my bed and she doesn't pee on the couch. Could it be the actual material of her doggie bed? I spent a lot of money on that thing! I don't want to buy a different one.

 

[nycbullymama]

Regarding the couch, I think it needs to be either or. Letting her on sometimes sends a mixed message so you may always have problems. For instance, Blue started resource guarding our bed (they sleep with us). So he's not allowed on it at all now until we all go to sleep. It's funny too because he'll sit in our bedroom and wait for us to come to bed. So maybe try that. Only allow her up when you're there. But there needs to be some kind of logic that her doggy brain understands.

The bed thing I'm not sure of. You can try again once she's a little older and see how she does. But I don't think that's contributing to the couch issue.

 

[Cali Doll]

Regarding the couch, I think it needs to be either or. Letting her on sometimes sends a mixed message so you may always have problems. For instance, Blue started resource guarding our bed (they sleep with us). So he's not allowed on it at all now until we all go to sleep. It's funny too because he'll sit in our bedroom and wait for us to come to bed. So maybe try that. Only allow her up when you're there. But there needs to be some kind of logic that her doggy brain understands.

The bed thing I'm not sure of. You can try again once she's a little older and see how she does. But I don't think that's contributing to the couch issue.

She is only on the couch when I'm there and sitting the couch. Little Miss Bella Shark can't be trusted in the house alone. (Her latest thing is chewing on the wooden button plugs from my wood railings.)

I'll be sitting on the couch and she'll be on the floor right next to me. She'll stand on her hind legs and put her front paws on the couch. I say, "No!" and I move her off the couch. That's when she growls and barks. Then I grab her cheek (or lay her on her back), get eye contact and say, "No!"

After that, if she's still nippy/barking, I put her in her play pen. I feel like I have to stay on her because I think she's challenging me sometimes. I just feel that her being allowed on the couch will only contribute to her challenges.

The thing is, she's really obedient and well-trained most times. She responds to me well...most times. I just feel like there are times when she's challenging me and I don't want there to be any dominance issues with her.

 

[nycbullymama]

Maybe I misread- I thought you only let on her on it when you want to. Like when you're sitting there, you sometimes let her up, other times you don't.
But if she's always allowed up when you're on it, then yeah, disregard what I wrote.

To be honest, I don't do the alpha thing (put mine on their sides/backs) but many here do. I'm sure they'll be here soon with some ideas.

 

[Cali Doll]

Maybe I misread- I thought you only let on her on it when you want to. Like when you're sitting there, you sometimes let her up, other times you don't.
But if she's always allowed up when you're on it, then yeah, disregard what I wrote.

To be honest, I don't do the alpha thing (put mine on their sides/backs) but many here do. I'm sure they'll be here soon with some ideas.

I'm so sorry. I totally confused you. Yes, before all of this, I'd let her on the couch occasionally. We'd snuggle together and then I'd put her down on the floor. But lately, when she asks to get up and I say, "No" (because I don't always want her up--I am still allergic, I get really stuffy, and she sheds like crazy), she starts to growl and bark. Hence, I'm not letting her up anymore.

 

[Donnam]

I can't adress the couch issue because all of our dogs are allowed on the furniture--we have leather for that reason. They also sleep in our bed at night. But regarding the doggie bed, maybe you could give it another try if it's been a while since you put it up. Winnie used to pee on the pad in her crate and I took the padding out and started feeding her in the crate. After a month or so, I put the bedding back in the crate and she hasn't peed in there for a long time (she has peed in Jack's crate once and on Jack's dog bed once--who knows why she did that).

a few years ago, I had a bully Annie and a boxer Lily who started fighting--terrible fighting! We hired a trainer to come in to help who advised us to not let either dog on the couch. Annie would whine and bark forever wanting up on the couch! After a few miserable days, we relented and let both dogs on the couches. The issue wasn't resource guarding anyway.
Just saying, bullies don't give up easily--you really have to be consistent and not give in. Sweet Bella!

 

[OliviaB]

Belle is allowed on the furniture but if a human wants her to move, she has to obey. So far we haven't had any issues but if she shows any type of dominance she'll lose the couch privilege. So far I just tell her "off" and she jumps down.

 

[Davidh]

I would say it's either or, not occasional fro the couch, as for the bed they will pee their beds to mark them. Some bullies do this and some don't and some grow out of it.

 

[anatess]

She needs to know growling and barking at you to get what she wants is not allowed. This is not just the couch thing... this is for everything. So, in my opinion, just keeping her out of the couch altogether is not really solving the bigger issue. You still have to address the issue of the barking/growling regardless.

 

[g8erjackie]

Also, since she was a wee little pup, she's peed on her doggie bed. I removed the doggie bed a while ago and she sleeps on the hardwood floor. I think that's contributing to her demanding to be on the couch. I know I've read that other bullys can't have bedding, so I'm wondering if this will be a forever sort of thing or if I'll eventually be able to reintroduce her doggie bed.

Interestingly, she doesn't pee on my bed and she doesn't pee on the couch. Could it be the actual material of her doggie bed? I spent a lot of money on that thing! I don't want to buy a different one.

You probably need to either bite the bullet and buy a different doggy bed or figure out a way to get the scent out of her current one. Even when washed sometimes scents remain that the dogs pick up on that we don't notice. After she peed on it a few times having her scent there probably makes her want to pee on it again and again.

 

[Cali Doll]

I will re-wash the doggie bed and give it another try, I think.

I never let her get away with the growling, but she hasn't stopped yet. When I tell her "No!" after she does it, she will look away from me...but then, she'll do it again the next time. I'll stay on her about it, though. I'm definitely not letting her on the couch anymore and I think my bed will be off-limits, too. (We haven't been on the bed togehter in a month or so, as I've been sleeping on the couch.)

 

[Goob14]

I will re-wash the doggie bed and give it another try, I think.

I never let her get away with the growling, but she hasn't stopped yet. When I tell her "No!" after she does it, she will look away from me...but then, she'll do it again the next time. I'll stay on her about it, though. I'm definitely not letting her on the couch anymore and I think my bed will be off-limits, too. (We haven't been on the bed togehter in a month or so, as I've been sleeping on the couch.)

I'm wondering if having her sleep in a crate will help at all? That way you can sleep in your bed (or the couch if you prefer) without her trying to challenge you. Also, it might help to go through some training exercises with her involving the couch. Like, if she tries to jump on you or the couch, instead of just telling her no...you can tell her no and then sit, lay down, and wait. This way, she is doing what you tell her to do AND more for a reward. It sometimes helps give something in REPLACE of the thing you are taking away. You are taking away the couch, but giving her a treat if she obeys. Hope that makes sense!

 

[Cali Doll]

I'm wondering if having her sleep in a crate will help at all? That way you can sleep in your bed (or the couch if you prefer) without her trying to challenge you. Also, it might help to go through some training exercises with her involving the couch. Like, if she tries to jump on you or the couch, instead of just telling her no...you can tell her no and then sit, lay down, and wait. This way, she is doing what you tell her to do AND more for a reward. It sometimes helps give something in REPLACE of the thing you are taking away. You are taking away the couch, but giving her a treat if she obeys. Hope that makes sense!

I love the idea of a command/treat after the correction! Thank you! I will try that and see how it goes. When I'm sleeping on the couch, Bella sleeps in her playpen. She gets all bossy when I'm sitting on the couch watching t.v. or something like that. When I start sleeping in my bedroom again (I go back and forth), I'll keep her in her crate.

 

[RiiSi]

I don't believe in sometimes letting your bully do something and then not. My boys are not allowed on the furniture or in the bedroom. We don't usually have a gate at the door, except when we have visitors that don't wan't/can't interact with our boys. That is too much for their self control and our power to restrict them...They do mope when they don't get what they wan't, but never "talk back".

 

[deerhuntress]

I don't have an answer to your question but I've got the same story as you. My room stunk like dog. I realized Roscoe was peeing on his cover in his crate so I'd wash it. I removed it and tried new cover. Still he'd pee. I finally removed it all. No more problems with that but I put cover on the couch and I wasn't letting him up there. He could however be on the recliner with me. We basically wore the recliner out so I'm relaxing more on the couch and have started letting him on it some with me too. Now someone has peed on the couch. I'm not sure if the cover I have on the couch to protect it from his truck loads of hair caused the need to pee there or what.