Our “dogs on the furniture” rules

It’s no secret that I love a good cuddle with my cattle dog. (She makes the world’s best weighted blanket.) I also care about providing her with clear expectations, and I put a lot of effort into setting us up for success as a team.

So how do I approach letting her on the furniture? Do our sleepy snuggle sessions make her any more likely to react to other dogs? Will our couch ever be free of dog hair again?

By being consistent and asking what matters to us personally, we’ve developed a set of guidelines that work for everyone in our household. Here they are!

Does letting our dogs on the furniture hurt their behavior?

There are a lot of things dog trainers, owners, and enthusiasts don’t agree on—and this one stands out in my mind. I’ve heard both extremes: 1) Letting your dog sit by you on the couch is incredibly dangerous. 2) Furniture time has absolutely no impact on our canine companions.

To me, I think it’s a classic “yes and no… it depends” answer. (Which is really how I feel about mos…