Sharing The Sofa With A Dobermann

The problem with allowing your dog on the sofa when they are a cute little puppy is that they are still there – and pushing you off – when they are a great big dog. The owner of Walter the Dobermann Pinscher has just started a training package with me. On the first virtual lesson it became clear that while she is taking all the responsibility, there are five other adults in the house, all with their own opinion on what Walter should be allowed to do.

At 14 months old, he is a very big dog. 12 months of training have achieved nothing; they have paid peanuts and got nowhere. The dog is reactive, controlling, pulls on the lead and jumps up. Walking with a friend who is dog walker has only made this worse. In the house, Walter has no boundaries. He sleeps on the sofa at night and if they are not off it by 9.30pm, he pushes them off. One member of the household in particular refuses to do anything to discipline the dog – basically they are all living by his rules.

Back to basics for bedtime

A lot of work is needed here. While everyone has an opinion, no one is helping out so it’s up to my client to create some boundaries. The first night in the crate was hard going and eventually, he ended up back on the sofa. However, she is determined and did not allow him on it all day and is using the crate during the day too. I know that with her dedication to see a change in his behaviour, we can make real progress with Walter.

The ideal situation is plenty of 1-2-1 time with dog and owner but I know in many cases, this just isn’t possible. Particularly in lockdown, with adult children moving home, there have been a lot of people interacting with the family dog. The way to deal with this is consistency. Make sure everyone knows and follows the rules for the dog. This includes, walks, playtime, naps and mealtimes. Then when you can’t be there, you know that training will not slip.

Posted: April 16, 2021