We rearranged some furniture this week to make room for an event, and I guess it was enough to make someone wonder if the house rules had changed. (Hint: they hadn’t.)
I looked up from my computer to see that Undómiel had brought a recreational bone onto the chair with her. The dogs are certainly allowed on the chair — in fact, that particular chair has stayed specifically because it is a favorite dog chair! — but they are not allowed to bring chews with them. This keep the furniture clean and prevents any accidental damage by chewing the bit of comforter which had wrapped around the end of a bone, as may have happened once.
So I grabbed my phone and gave her an old cue, which she remembered well. I was really pleased with her prompt response and clear understanding of the rules (bones are chewed on beds, not furniture.)
Yes, I know the chair’s not a couch, but we keep cues simple for dogs who generally don’t need to distinguish between Danish Modern and Ethan Allen. 😉
What I love about this is how it demonstrates that good training is not confrontational and nobody needs to yell to change behavior.
Would absolutely love to know how you trained couch conditions, my dogs can’t seem to understand she only isn’t allowed on the couch when she has a bone in her mouth…
What were your steps or commands?
I started by teaching an “off” cue — very easy with a nose target and treats! — and then I would cue, “No bones on the couch! Off!” until the dogs started anticipating the “off” when they heard the first part (standard cue transfer). If they took their bones or toys with them, great! If not, I delivered the bone to their new place. It didn’t take long for them to put it together; it’s just a matter of getting the foundations really clean.