Dogs on furniture…Should it be allowed? You may have heard before that having your dog on your bed, couch, or another piece of furniture isn’t good. It is said that letting a dog on furniture may lead to “dominant” behaviors coming from the dog.
But is this true? Here is my personal belief: As long as your dog doesn’t have any noteworthy behavioral issues, I think it’s totally fine to let your dog up on furniture. Having dogs on furniture is not inherently bad. But it IS a privilege. Dogs that display territorial behavior, resource guarding, or having an absolute lack manners and respect for human beings certainly have not earned this kind of privilege in any way.
Think of it like this…Let’s say you have a teenager who is always disrespectful and always getting into trouble. Would you give him or her many freedoms and privileges? Would you buy him or her a nice car for driving around whenever and wherever? You would probably think twice about that. In fact, doing so may only encourage and reinforce the teenager’s entitlement.
Similarly, letting dogs on furniture is a privilege that should be earned from respectful behavior. A bed or a couch is a highly valued space for most dogs, and giving a bratty, disrespectful, and entitled dog this kind of luxury, I believe, is something that one should be very reluctant to do.