Time out

[jeanped]

Does Time out work on Labs?
My 5 month old puppy, Jade, love to sit on my coach and starts trying to dig, which bugs the heck out of me since it's destroying the coach... What is the best thing I can do to stop this behavior, aside from, taking her out and placing her in and enclosure for several minutes, like a time out?
Any suggestion will be appreciated!
Thanks

[POPTOP]

Not the best on puppy advice but will try to reflect what I have learned here.

First, don't allow your pup on furniture. In the future you can change this rule but for now with destructive behavior, it's a no-no. It's all part of training.

I have heard of some who will give the puppy a break by putting them in a crate for a short period of time. Are you crate training? It should be done to keep your puppy safe and save your house.

Redirect your pup to an appropriate toy to break his attention from destructive behavior.

[windycanyon]

Good time to teach "Mine!" and "Leave It!". Yes, a time out in the crate is fine, but puppy seriously needs to learn that it's a privilege to lay on YOUR couch and it's not their play toy. My dogs only are allowed to lay on the furniture w/a blanket covering it and they do just fine w/ that rule. Anne

[Annette47]

I agree with teaching “Leave it” .... it’s a very useful command to know.

We teach it as “leave it - come HERE” which means to not only stop doing what they are doing but to shift their focus back on to us.

[Labradorks]

My pups don't get those kinds of privileges until they are mature enough to handle them. So, I typically don't have issues. Teaching leave it works, but also giving a little less freedom at that age helps ensure they don't pick up bad habits that they can carry into adulthood. Depending on the dog, around 2 or 3 I start to loosen up a little.

[PinkDragon14]

What I usually do is say HEY! (or clap, whichever works best on getting your pup's attention) and pull Murphy off of the couch/redirect to a toy. Usually that's enough for him to stop digging and move on. After he gets down onto the floor, he'll come back up and sometimes dig again, but I just repeat what I did. He's getting much better about it though.

If you're going to use a time out for this, I would give a warning first and then go to time out. Sometimes the pup doesn't understand what they did to deserve a short time out

[Snowshoe]

I think you might have a hard time with the digging unless you only let her on the couch when you are there. You can do this, my dog is not allowed up on the bed except by invitation. A good hard shove off for violations taught him that in about three goes. But that kind of digging is an instinctive thing dogs do when making their bed. They dig out a little hollow in the ground. It goes along with that cute saying about one of the things a dog teaches a child is to turn around three times before lying down. I think she will dig in the couch if she gets up on it when you are not around.

[jeanped]

The little bugger knows very well she is not allowed on the coach (the minute she sees me she runs off the coach and runs the other way)... I am afraid that she now sees it as a game... she gets on the coach, I come and try to grab her to get her into time out...
Yes, she is crate trained, but I don't want to place her in the crate cause I don't want her to look at the crate as a bad place... She usually goes in the crate at night or when I have to go out.

[Tanya]

so "time out's" in the sense the dog "leanrs that what they did is wrong" doesn't work. dogs don't associate "i am in the crate" with "because I was digging in the couch".

While it's ok to use the crate as a time out, it should be one so in a happy way and throw a treat in there for them as a reward. the crate should be their safe place, a comfy happy place. it should not be used for punishment. It's ok to put them there so you "get a break" but gently and happily send them in with a treat or safe toy. never angrily put your dog in the crate or "push them" in.

otherwise, i agree, train "off" (or other word) to keep the dog off the couch and supervise. use tether techniques or baby gates to keep the dog from that room when you are busy elsewhere and cannot supervise (or crate).

at that age it is perfectly ok to not let them have access to all the rooms in the house. sounds like she needs less freedom.

[windycanyon]

Respectfully disagree on that one Tanya. Sometimes puppies get super amped up when tired and to pick pup up, carry them to the crate and place them into it is not a big deal. I normally don't say a word, just put them in, close the door and walk away.

Disclaimer: I have successfully raised 14 or 15 (lost count) labs since the early 90's and they fully understand the crate to be their safe place, regardless of why they are there. I have a wire crate in the family room along w/ dog beds, the allowed couches (w/ blankies) etc, and that crate is rarely empty. At night time, a couple of mine sit on the rug near the door waiting to go to bed (their crates in the attached garage). No harm, no foul w/ using it as a timeout here but again, I don't make a big deal of it.