Sometimes new pets start acting as if they are the owners of the house. Maybe they sit on your new sofa or think their home is the dining room table. If you've lost your temper and are tired of finding your cat's hair on the table or your dog's on the sofa, follow these tips to keep your pets away from your furniture forever.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Protect the Furniture
Step 1. Prevent the furniture surface from getting damaged before starting any training
Some of your furniture is probably expensive, and ruining even the cheapest of sofas can be disappointing. Cover your furniture with a layer of plastic, a blanket or a sheet. There are also products specially created to keep your pets away from furniture (see in the "tips"). These products are available in pet stores.
Step 2. Put double-sided tape on furniture, for example along the backrest or armrests of the sofa and on other places where animals could climb, unless you have leather sofas and armchairs (double-sided tape can damage Skin)
This will prevent the animals from climbing.
Step 3. Place foil sheets on the surface of your pet's favorite places
They find the constant rustle of aluminum so annoying that they may decide to avoid that place altogether, even if only by association.
Step 4. Try doing the same thing with orange peels
Cats hate the smell of it.
Part 2 of 3: Train the pet
Step 1. Make sure your furniture stays covered during training
You will prevent them from getting damaged.
Step 2. Organize all training tools
If you keep all your tools close at hand, you can catch the animal in the act and take the right action. This will speed up the training.
Keep a bottle of water with a nebulizer handy. If your cat jumps on the table, or scratches his nails on the sofa, sprinkle him with some water. This is an effective method as it disturbs the cat without harming him
Step 3. Don't try to punish your dog or cat with loud sounds, such as bells or spoons
These sounds may seem effective during training, but your pet will begin to associate everyday sounds like these with punishment. When these sounds recur daily for reasons that have nothing to do with your pet, he or she may think it is punishment. All this could confuse him, better use your voice.
Step 4. Start with the elementary things
Words like "NO" and "Down" work for dogs. For cats, simply use "NO", followed by a light tap on the nose (this annoys them without hurting them). This type of training works best with small cats, if your cat is a little older, it may not be as effective.
Step 5. Try to stop the bad behaviors before they start
If you've just bought a puppy or kitten, try not to let it get close to the furniture at all. Allowing this type of behavior even once can be enough to make the animal think that there is nothing wrong with it. Once this starts, it is more difficult to stop it. Don't blame the animal for its behavior; he doesn't know the difference between right and wrong. Sometimes dogs or cats just want to sit next to you to be close to you. Giving them toys to distract themselves with will keep them away from the need to play with your furniture. Tennis balls are suitable for dogs, and rattle balls are great for cats. If there is a particular piece of furniture where your pet can stay, be sure to point it out. You can do this by running your hand across the surface of the furniture if you have a dog (they are attracted to the owner's smell), or by running catnip over it if you have a cat.
Step 6. For dogs, commands like "sit" and "stay" are effective once your dog responds "NO", and you already have his attention
The "Down" command may not work, use the "sit" command instead. Tell him "sit down" and then "stay". Try to keep him staying for longer periods, gradually. Reward your dog with treats and phrases like "good". By repeating this process for a few hours or a few days, you should be able to teach your dog to sit and remain seated following your commands. After a while, reward your dog with just a pat or a phrase of approval.
Step 7. Try not to be abusive or violent, but be tough and adamant
Your dog may look dejected if you scold him for sitting on your couch, but he'll get over it. If you can be consistent in training, your dog will learn to listen and respect you over time. After a while he will begin to listen to even more complex commands in training. In the case of cats, it may take some time to train them due to their weak long-term memory, but training will pay off in the end. The good news is that, given their short-term memory, they'll forgive you quicker for splashing them with water or poking them on the nose.
Part 3 of 3: Creating Zones for the Animals
Step 1. Create a zone for your cat or dog, and one for family members
You can indicate that an area is suitable for the use of animals by placing a box or a kennel, with a blanket or pillow. You could also leave some toys in that area, and a scratching pole if you have a cat.
Step 2. Offer them an alternative
A scratching post gives your cat something to scratch instead of your sofa. Cats like to sit high, to see their surroundings. Try buying a cat tower if you see that you keep climbing on the bookcase. Cats also like to sit on comfortable beds, try buying them a cat bed.
Advice
- As already discussed, cats and dogs hate tinfoil. There is a product called PetzOFF that uses this concept.
- Reward your pet when he listens to you.
- Give your dog or cat some toys to distract himself with.
- As you train it, you can also remove hair from furniture.
Warnings
- Double-sided tape will get dirty and may be difficult to remove from furniture, especially if it is made of wood.
- Never refuse to feed your pet. This has a negative effect on your pet's health and will make you look like a threat to his eyes.
- Don't punish your pet by yelling at him, he won't understand. And you never want him to be afraid of you or feel threatened.
