Help on breaking old habits

[Bonham]

I got married last month and Bonham is now experiencing some difficulty in making the transistion from a bachelor lifestyle to living with a lady.

Bonham is 3.5 years old and has always had the run of the house (in terms of getting on the couch, bed, etc.). My furniture was old, and quite frankly, I enjoyed having Bonham snuggle up around me when I read, slept and watched T.V. Well...my wife is a wonderful lady and is learning to love Bonham like her own child, but she has a problem with him getting on the furniture and leaving little hairs everywhere! We've tried to compromise by getting him a doggy bed and several other soft things throughout the house to lay on - but he always manages to hop on the furniture while we are gone or sleeping. I've even tilted the cushons up on the couch to deter him, but he either knocks them off or somehow places them back on the couch and snuggles in!

My question is - am I fighting a lost cause since I never gave him sleeping guidelines in three and a half years, or is there some way to successfully deter him from getting on the furniture?

Thanks in advance and have a great day!

George

Bonham: 3.5 year old fawn male w/black mask

 

[Charlotte]

Hi Geroge and Bonham~~
We had a similar issue in our household but it had to do with allergies.
My partner is allergic to cats and dogs and we had to get 5 animals to comply to the "off the furniture" command.
First we tried getting our 2 yr. old, Sigmund a large bed of his own. We placed the bed directly beside the couch and beside our bed when we went to sleep. We gave him alot of love and attention and the occasional cookie here and there.
He did well while we were in the house but as soon as either of us went out, we'd come back to find him on the couch or bed again.
Sigmund was met with, "off the bed/couch" when we returned and we would ignore him for a short period.
The reward /attention for using his bed continued and we began moving it further and further away from the couch and our bed as well as the "off" command and ignoring him for the ocassional times we came home to find him on the furniture.
It took him about a month to learn that he is always welcome around us but is not allowed on the furniture.
This also helped with his "separation anxiety".
I hope our experience helps.
Charlotte &
Sigmund brindle, natural ears 7/19/99