Do you let your cat or dog on the furniture?

[tdiddy]

my dog - a coonhound/basset hound mix - used to have free reign of the furniture and we both were happy that way. but last xmas he blew a disk in his back jumping off the furniture and was paralyzed in his back legs. $3000 in surgery later and 6 weeks of crate rest (wasn''t allowed out of the crate AT ALL except to pee/poop and i had to carry his 45 pounds out myself as he was not allowed to walk at all during the recouperation period), he can walk again for the most part...but he stumbles around sort of like a drunk when he is tired and is absolutely not allowed on the furniture per the vet.

when it happened i seriously thought i was going to have to put him down and fortunately was able to find a good ortho vet since i am down the road from ohio state univ that could do the hemi surgery. but the vet said this is not completely uncommon in dogs and happens waaay too often esp. in dogs with long backs (hounds, labs, retrievers, shepherds) that get on furniture. her advice was to keep the dogs off of it. weiner dogs esp are prone to it. if i had known that this was a possible result of them jumping off of things, i never would have started letting him up to begin with b/c it has taken about 3 months and another chunk of money to hire a dog trainer to help him learn to stay off of it. i still miss having him in my bed, but that whole fiasco scared me so much that i will probably keep all my dogs off the furniture moving forward just to be safe.

 

[Samantha Red]

We have three dogs, one cat, one guinea pig and one horse. Sadly the guinea pig and the horse pretty much have to stay outside, but all the others live indoors. Two of the dogs are labs and the other is a terrier. The old lab has the run of the house during the day and at night (she sleeps on a sofa with a dog blanket. The young and naughty lab is in a crate when we are not with her to supervise and the terrier sleeps with us. Very bad I know, but she is just so sweet and warm in the winter. Kitty has a couple of favourite chairs with cushions located next to radiators. I know it is all horrific, but we don''t have children and never will so they are our babies. We don''t have discipline issues at all and the house is very harmonious. It would be different with the terrier if she displayed behaviour that indicated she felt she was pack leader for example.

 

[bee*]

Our three dogs are in the house most of the day. They love to go outside to our garden and play but then they love coming in to sleep on the couch. My dad bought an extra long five person couch so there''s enough room for us all-we have my golden retriever, Amber, our Afghan Hound and a Standard Poodle so when they all get on the couch there''s not much room left! Amber sleeps in my bed every night also and she''ll sleep in it when I''m studying in my room. She has her own bed in my room too and she''ll often move to her own bed in the middle of the night.
I think where you might need to restrict their access is if they are growling at you if you tell them to get down from the furniture of if they are getting possessive over it. My dogs all love sleeping on the couch but if we tell them to get down they do straight away.

 

[allycat0303]

Well I have two cats, and I really can''t control them so I do let them hang out on the furniture. We have leather couches in the first living room, and material in the second one, I find that fur doesn''t stick to leather so much so it''s easy upkeep. My aunt has cats that never go on the couches. I don''t know how that happened though, because she said she never told them they couldn''t.

It''s not really an issue for us. Although during the day, I keep the bedroom door closed, so that while I''m at school they don''t sleep on my bed. I''m a little fussy about the bed.

 

[moremoremore]

Yeah, it's really hard, if not impossible, to control cats. Mine seem to do what they please. I wish they didn't climb on the backs of sofa, use my night stand as a spring board to the tall dresser, etc....The kitchen counters are OFF limits...Unfortunately, they are always on the kitchen table which hubby and I have NEVER eaten off of (OK, once when we first moved in)....and that is NOT acceptable if we used the table- it is going to be a hard habit to break. I'm contemplating french doors in my new house so that they can't go in the dining room either... My Vinny is my shadow so where I go, he goes...and I am his bed!

 

[mellyjm]

I have two mini doxie''s, Bella and Bosco, and I am pretty sure they think they are the owners of our home. My husband and I just live there with them! They usually sit on the couch while we are not home and they cuddle together. They really like sitting on the top part of the couch, so one side of the couch is a little flatter than the other. I think they like sitting up there because they have a view of the living room, dining room, kitchen, and the front door. They are great watch dogs! We have leather furniture, so when I see dog hair on the couches, I wipe them down. They also sleep in our bed with us. Bella usually burrows under the covers immediately to get to the bottom of the bed while Bosco snuggles with my husband for a while and then goes down to the bottom. I don''t mind them being on the furniture because they are lap dogs and they are generally good. When we leave, we close the bedroom doors, so they have limited areas where they can "hang out".

 

[Rhea]

Our kitty had boundaries.
Couch - yes
Bed - no, but she''s not allowed in our bedroom at all. The couple of times I''ve carried her in there to check herself out in the mirror she''s forced her way down and ran - it''s the only mirror in the house and I thought she might get lonely
Kitchen - she can go in, but she stays on the floor
Coffee table and dinning table - no, we eat off both of them
TV stand - yes
Bookcases - yes

She''s really not much of a climber at all, just the window sill. But I really enjoy making our bedroom off limits for her. It means there are times I fall asleep on the couch but my work clothes and evening date clothes are cat hair free!

 

[justjulia]

I have a question for everyone: I have 4 cats and 4 chihuahuas. The chihuahuas can jump like cats, so feeding has been a real issue around our house. I don''t want them eating cat food, I guess because I feel like it is too rich for them(?), and everywhere I try to place the cat food, they can seem to get to. For a while I caved and fed everyone cat food in a feeder on the floor. But the last couple months I have put a chair by a remote piece of counter for the cat food--the chi''s sit in the chair and look up, waiting for me to leave the room. I can only think of moving the cat food to the top of the frige, which is ridiculous--and I would forget about it. Anyone had this problem?

 

[QOTDR]

I haven''t read this entire thread because I''m too upset at the moment. This is what my 6 yo dog did to my leather sectional the other day. I have calls out for repair estimates, but YIKES! It looks like a vampire attacked my sofa!! UGH!!! My dog is fine, other than suffering from puppy night terrors on occassion. This sectional costs thousands, and I am very upset. I know he had no idea what he did and I never punished him in any way, but I am soooo upset....Any idea if any of the home repair kits work??

 

[Jypsie]

What do you mean do I let my dogs on the furniture? I think you should be asking them if they allow me on the furniture. LOL

I have 3 cairn terriers (Toto from the Wizard of Oz) - they are allowed to go anywhere they want.

I don''t know if I''m fortunate or what... but the 3 rugrats have never torn up furniture, chewed on them, etc. BUT, when Max was an only furkid he absolutely HATED to be left alone. We would crate him whenever we were going out "just in case" - well, he was being such a good boy one day after a few hours in the cage while hubby and I went Christmas shopping, that we decided while we ran to pickup some take out that he''d be ok out of the cage. We had left boxes of Christmas tree onaments in bags near the back door, next to the tree... we were going to decorate the tree after dinner. Well... our little darling Maximus decided he wanted to surprise mommy and daddy and took it among himself to decorate the entire house (3 stories) ... we had tinsel, garland, christmas ornaments, christmas lights (thankfully they weren''t plugged in) all over the house! I tried to get stern with him... but do you know how difficult it is to look down at a face that''s just full of glitter, with eyes looking up at you as if to say "Mommy, if it''s bad... I didn''t do it! But, if you like it... YEP! It was all ME!"

LOL

If nothing else, dogs give you no choice but to have a good sense of humor.

 

[Aloros]

Cat is allowed on all the furniture except for the table and the counters. We enjoy getting cuddles on the couch. I expect it will be the same when we get a dog.

The kitty is allowed to sleep on the bed, but at night he is shut out (except when one of us is gone, then the other usually wants a cuddle-buddy!). He likes to wake me up about 30 minutes before the alarm by purring, kneading my chest, and sticking his butt in my face. Bad kitty!

 

[sunnyd]

my kitties have no out of bounds. which i wish i could change, but they are cats, so what can you do... this includes counters, tables, above the counters, the ledge upstairs that looks downstairs, (kitty fell off last week

) the water heater, (kitty almost died after falling behind it

) ... he''s not graceful. kitties only a mother could love. hehehe!

 

[Lynn B]

Our Ragdoll, Boo, is a totally indoor cat and like our 3rd child

so yeah, he sleeps with us and is "allowed" anywhere and everywhere in the house except the kitchen counters and the table. And he''s fine with that. He tried it once and I shook a can full of marbles and he hasn''t tried it since. He''s such a good little boy!

 

[BriBee]

Our animals are so spoiled, 2 labs and 2 cats. The cats both sleep on the bed at our feet, and the dogs definitely try! They both have beds and sleep in our room with us, but the younger, naughtier lab manages to sneak up onto the bed in the middle of the night! FI *claims* he doesn''t notice, but I think he likes it bc she''s so soft and keeps him warm. Meanwhile, I''m all by my poor little self on my side while he spoons with the dog

We try to keep them off the bed and couches, but sometimes they''re just so cute..our black lab "asks permission" before jumping up and she''s so sweet it''s hard to say no. This all just means that we keep lint rollers all over the house for our furniture and clothes.

 

[iwannaprettyone]

Never, NEVER, NEVER EVER

 

[iwannaprettyone]

nothing is sacred.

 

[DivaDiamond007]

Our animals are allowed on the furniture - 2 puggies and 2 cats. They even sleep with us at night which can get a bit annoying but they are just so spoiled. We have leather furniture so the upkeep is easy and it''s actually quite durable - something I was worried about when we bought it. During the day our puggies are crate trained so they stay in their "apartments" and we usually come home to find the kitties on our bed curled up in little balls. Sometimes I wish we had trained the dogs to stay off of the furniture because they can be annoying but I think it''s too late now. The cats are not allowed on the kitchen counter (but I''m sure they sneak up there) and the puggies are absolutely not allowed on my Longaberger end tables. Not even half of a paw. If they wreck those I will be so upset so we keep a close eye on them when they are being rambunctious (sp).

 

[iwannaprettyone]

Date: 12/6/2007 9:57:00 PM
Author: QOTDR
I haven''t read this entire thread because I''m too upset at the moment. This is what my 6 yo dog did to my leather sectional the other day. I have calls out for repair estimates, but YIKES! It looks like a vampire attacked my sofa!! UGH!!! My dog is fine, other than suffering from puppy night terrors on occassion. This sectional costs thousands, and I am very upset. I know he had no idea what he did and I never punished him in any way, but I am soooo upset....Any idea if any of the home repair kits work??

Oh no, I am sorry! I have no advice on repairs, oh dear. Good for you for understanding the dog didn''t mean to...unless you catch them in the act it''s not fair to punish them.

 

[Linda W]

Mazie, our Lhasa Apso, is an inside dog. She has full run of our house. She also sleeps with us. First between our pillows, then gradually moves above my head onto my second pillow. I love her little chin sleeping on my forehead. When Rick''s alarm goes off in the morning, she looks at him, like OK, time to get up and play ball with me. There she is with her ball in her mouth. I forgot to mention, she sleeps with her tennis ball. HA!!!

We adore that little doggie girl, she is truly a blessing for us.

 

[Izzy03]

This is all a matter of preference, but I worked for a vet for about 5 years and have a lot of experience with behavioral training. The rule of thumb I go by is that they are allowed on furniture ONLY when they are invited. I was very successful with this! My baby girl rests her head on the couch (or bed) and gives me the "look", and by doing this she is asking permission. Usually I can''t resist and let her up but at least she waits for my okay.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

My cats sleep wherever they want. We have no reason to keep them off the furniture. I *try* to keep them off the kitchen countertops but they ignore me.

 

[Haven]

The real question (in my house, at least) is: Do your dogs and cats let YOU on the furniture?

The answer: Sometimes.

 

[risingsun]

Now what would you say to this little face

 

[Linda W]

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww Risingsun, I could never refuse that little face.

Linda

 

[iwannaprettyone]

Date: 12/12/2007 11:52:22 AM
Author: risingsun
Now what would you say to this little face

AWWWWWWWWWWWW, i''d say "come here puppy, come on...."

 

[risingsun]

I had just finished grooming Charlie--you can see him on his table. Two seconds later, he''s rubbing those beautiful ears all over the oriental rug! He sleeps with us at night and takes up a lot of room for a little dog

He will obey commands to stay off the furniture, if we tell him to. We like having him in our laps. Our two cats, however, go wherever they want. They do not listen--except for "go back" from the door. Charlie and our small cat, Abby, chase each other all over the house. Woody is elderly and ignores those two upstarts

 

[Gypsy]

Our cats are allowed on all upholstered furniture. But not on the tables and counters. Hally ignores this. Completely. Duncan doesn''t go on the tables and the counters. I''ve found Frodo up there a total of two times. Hally, it''s DAILY. She''s a complete sociopath though.

 

[mrssalvo]

Date: 12/11/2007 9:59:08 PM
Author: BriBee
.our black lab ''asks permission'' before jumping up and she''s so sweet it''s hard to say no.

this is too funny, b/c Zoe does that too. when my hubby is out of town I let her sleep with me. she always comes in my room and sits by my bed, looks at me until I say to come up and then she jumps up. she also somehow knows when he''s home to not even ask and just goes and climbs into one of my kids beds with them.

 

[Miranda]

Date: 12/12/2007 9:26:29 PM
Author: mrssalvo

Date: 12/11/2007 9:59:08 PM
Author: BriBee
.our black lab ''asks permission'' before jumping up and she''s so sweet it''s hard to say no.

this is too funny, b/c Zoe does that too. when my hubby is out of town I let her sleep with me. she always comes in my room and sits by my bed, looks at me until I say to come up and then she jumps up. she also somehow knows when he''s home to not even ask and just goes and climbs into one of my kids beds with them.

So funny! My dog Rook does the same thing! When DH is out of town he waits to be invited to bed and then happily jumps up with me. He is so snuggly, though, he scoots closer and closer all night until I''m at the edge of the bed. I like him to be up there while DH is gone because he doesn''t sleep as soundly (he''s usually like a rock) and he wakes up at unusual sounds.

 

[monarch64]

Yup, our doggies are allowed pretty much everywhere. We like that they are snugglers/lap dogs, and we feel (like Mara mentioned) we bring just as many germs into the house and onto the furniture as our dogs do so we''re not too concerned about it. We only have one piece of leather furniture, DH''s old recliner, and neither of the dogs really want anything to do with it, so they stick to the upholstered furniture instead, which has worked out fine so far. Milo, the older of our two beagles, has separation anxiety bigtime, sleeps with us in our bed, but our newest dog Daisy (just turned a year old in September) is crate trained and happy to be in her own little "house" whenever we tell her to go in her crate, so she sleeps in there every night. Their outdoor time is confined to our little postage stamp of a backyard, so it''s not like they''re rolling around in tons of foreign who-knows-what, and we wipe them down every night and give them baths every once in a while.

Kim, you reminded me that both DH and I have good friends (and a SIL) who aren''t able to spend much time at our house at all due to pet allergies. It''s unfortunate because like you say, we could spend a lot more time with these people, but I think we''d have to give up our pets altogether because the people in our lives suffer from such severe allergies that even if we kept our dogs confined to one area it would still be an issue. DH''s friend pops a Claritin or something before he comes over, which helps a lot but doesn''t completely fix the problem...and my SIL and other friend just can''t come in the house for more than 10 minutes without their eyes watering and their noses starting to run. It sucks, but it''s just one of those things in life. We''ve looked into some very expensive air filter machine things but we just can''t justify the cost of those against how many times we entertain these 3 people a year. So for now we just choose to meet them out or they just limit the time they spend at our place.

Everyone''s pets are so cute! I love the pics on this thread...I couldn''t say "no" to any of those adorable faces, either!