Our furry friends give us the best company ever, more than we can get from human friends. A study was conducted to ascertain stress levels in people without pets and another on a group of people who owned pets. It was found that those who owned pets were less stressed than their counterparts who did not own one.
It is therefore clear that pets play a vital role in our lives. On the flip side, our fluffy friends do not always come with all the benefits that one would imagine.
When on patio furniture, dogs create a mess with their dirty paws and this means more cleaning work for you. And because they always like to chew and scratch, they contribute to a fast wearing off of the furniture.
The worst-case scenario is when they drop dog dander shake off dirt from garden on the furniture and you have to first clean it before you sit on. And that is not all; it is quite an inconvenience to get smell out of your couch before your friends or guests check in.
But the good news is here; dogs learn easily and there is a wide array of tricks to keep them off your patio furniture and still have them around for company. Continue reading the discussion below to find out how you can easily keep your dog off patio furniture.
How to Keep Dogs off Furniture
There are a number of ways you can discourage your canine friend from spending time on your couch:
1. Use positive reinforcement
Just like human babies, dogs also learn faster through positive reinforcement. This method usually rewards positive behavior; in this case, positive behavior is the dog napping in their furniture.
Have some bones among other dog treats around. When the dog is about to climb on your patio furniture, tell them óff ’then use the treat to guide them onto their furniture.
Then guide them to climb onto the furniture, and then reward them with the treat once they are curled up. Keep doing this and within no time, they will learn to nap in their furniture with the hope of always winning the treat.
2. Buy dog furniture
The main reason your dog finds the patio furniture more attractive is because they find it more comfortable than the cold concrete or tile patio floor. Looking at it from a friendship angle, it is not fair to have your best friend curl up on a cold floor while you enjoy the comfy patio sofa.
Fortunately, there is a wide variety of options to choose from when it comes to outdoor dog furniture. These include dog cages and dog beds that come in all manner of shapes and designs.
You can buy a dog cage so that your dog can curl up inside when the weather is quite hot. A dog bed on the other hand is best for basking in warm weather. To make them even more attractive for your dog, stock them with dog treats and toys.
3. Use furniture slipcovers
You cannot always keep track of your dog’s whereabouts; sometimes they will sneak out of the house and curl up in patio furniture when you are not around. In this case, you should always have your furniture covered in dog deterrent material.
Sofa and bench slipcovers are the best way to go about this. These are quite slippery and a little cold and will provide an uncomfortable environment for dogs to curl up. It will feel just like a cold concrete tile and tile floor.
But do not just do this without offering them an alternative. Having dog furniture in such a situation is best because the dog will learn to sleep in them on their own.
4. Use dog repellant scents
Another trick that works magic is the use of dog repellant scents. Perhaps you think of some chemicals when you hear of this terminology. On the contrary, dog repellant scents are the usual scents that humans refer to as sweet.
For example, most citrus scents are sweet to humans but pungent to dogs. You can buy them from dog supplies stores or even online at fair market prices.
Better still, you can even make some at home; mix lemon juice or peppermint with water in a spray bottle. You can spray the patio furniture or have the bottle with you all the time so that you can spray it whenever the dog is about to climb onto the furniture. They will think the furniture produces the scent and will eventually lose interest in it.
5. Fence off the dog playing area
Alternatively, you can make a dog playing area but ensure it is close to the patio. You can have the play area covered in beach sand to encourage the dog to play around. To make it even more attractive, bury some dog toys in the sand and fence it off with wire mesh to contain them there.
Having done that, you can rest assured that with time, dogs will eventually keep off your patio furniture. Upon stepping out in your backyard, the dog will be heading straight into their play zone and will never again bother your patio furniture.
6. Guide him off the furniture
Right off the bath, ensure that you are outside with your canine. On the off chance that you leave him meandering around and he jumps on the furniture a couple of times before you go along with him outside, when you are out he won’t get that he can’t hop on it.
You need to debilitate his conduct from the moment he gets outside. This needs to go on until you are certain that he comprehends that furniture is a prohibited territory and that he won’t jump on it while you are missing.
You can likewise present another word/request that should reprimand your canine to get the furnishings or get to the floor, as “down”, “off”, or something short and snappy. You need to train your canine to jump on the floor and when he bounces off the furnishings, attempt to sit in his spot so he doesn’t go straight back up.
7. Use air horn
Another simple trick of keeping your dog off the patio furniture is by having an air horn with you. Upon finding the dog curled up in the furniture, blow the horn right into their face and the dog will run for their lives thinking that the furniture is what produced the annoying sound.
Dogs do not like the annoying sound produced by these two items, especially when it is a surprise. The drawback of this method is that it is useful only when you are around the patio.
You can rest assured the dog will curl up in the furniture when you are not around the patio. Alternatively, you can also use some shakers to function in the same way as an air horn.
8. Train him
If all the above methods and tricks fail to keep your dog off the patio furniture, consider calling in a professional dog trainer. If you are dealing with a puppy, consider training or having him trained on what you do and do not like, early enough.
Remember just like the old saying goes, ‘you cannot teach an old dog new tricks’ your old dog will be very hard to teach so do it early. But even as you do this, do not forget to include treats as a way of speeding up the learning process. The dog will be more than willing to do the right thing on their own, even when you drop the treats.
9. Crowd the furniture
You will not always be at the patio even if the weather allows it. Your dog, being a smart animal, knows how good it feels curling up during the warm summer and spring months. It, therefore, means the dog can always sneak out and nap on the patio furniture.
To discourage the dog from sleeping on the patio furniture, stack some empty wooden boxes all over the furniture. The dog will eventually stop jumping into the furniture when they find the boxes a couple of times.