Why do dogs tend to sleep on the sofa, your favourite chair
or even sleep on your bed? They seem to love these places and
often climb onto them repeatedly even when we repeatedly ask
them to get down.
True enough, sofas, chairs and other furniture are extremely
comfortable and that's one reason why dogs like to hang out on
them. Another key reason often has to do with dominance. Before
dogs became domesticated, the alpha dog, or leader of the pack,
would always choose a high sleeping ground as the choice place
to sleep. Feral or wild dogs in packs as well as wolves still
sleep in this way. The highest ranking member of the pack sleeps
at a level that is physically higher than the other members of
the pack. This hierarchical nature of the pack is hardwired in
modern dogs as well. By letting your dog sleep on furniture that
is higher than the ground (the same places you relax and sleep
on) you are quite possibly communicating to him/her that he/she
is your equal. You may even be communicating that your dog is
more dominant than you. This is especially true if your dog regularly
exhibits other dominant behaviour and it has the potential to
escalate into a real problem, including aggression. These
other dominant behaviours include growling at you, leaning on
you, eating food before the human family, entering or leaving
doorways before you and generally not listening to you etc. A
dog that KNOWS that every member of the family is higher in rank,
will generally not exhibit these behaviours.
It is therefore good practice, not to allow your dog access
to these high sleeping grounds (or high relaxation grounds) in
order to assure your position as the leader of the pack.
If you are not home and the dog has access to these higher places
for resting, than placing certain objects that dogs dislike on
the couch or chair in question is a great idea. There are plastic
items in most pet stores that have blunt plastic spikes on them
that are perfect for this situation. If the dog jumps on the
couch or chair, it lands on the blunt spikes which don't hurt
the dog but make it uncomfortable for the dog to lie on.
It is best that the dog's place of relaxation and sleep be a
comfy blanket or basket on the floor. This will prevent possible
behavioral problems associated with dominance. As always, all
dogs should have basic obedience training and dominance issues
should be discussed with your veterinarian or trainer.
