Fellow dog lovers, are you worried about having both, a leather couch AND a big Dog? There’s no need to worry anymore! In this article, you’ll discover the 3 best couch materials for dogs… and so much more!
It’s good to see you here in the Big Dog Den. I’ve gathered up all the latest and most relevant information available that pertains to big dogs and sofas they won’t destroy and will present it right here, in one convenient place.
Find Out Today…
- What You Should Consider Before Allowing Your Big Dog on the Couch
- The 3 Best Couch Materials for Big Dogs
- Which Furniture Covers are Helpful
- How Trimming Your Dog’s Toenails Helps Protect Furniture
- How Setting “Ground Rules” (Or, in this Case, Couch Rules) Can Help
- How to Keep Your Big Dog off the Couch
- Other Comfy Places for Your big Dog to Sit
- How Setting “Ground Rules” (Or, in this Case, Couch Rules) Can Help
What follows are the answers to the most frequently asked questions about big dogs on couches. There’s a lot to go over, so let’s get started!
Should I Let my Big Dog on the Couch?
Whether or not you want your big dog to join you on your couch is a personal decision that can only be right or wrong for you. However, a responsible pet owner will give careful thought to the decision.
Here are 5 Things to Consider Before Allowing Your Big Dog on the Couch
- The Size Your Dog Will be in Adulthood: If you get your big dog while he (or she) is yet a pup, it can be hard to envision the actual size the dog will grow to. Couch-time is easy to enjoy with a plump fuzzy puppy but is a whole different scenario with a breed that may come to weigh as much as full-grown human beings. Decide while your dog is young. If you don’t want him (or her) on the couch, it should be enforced immediately upon the dog arriving in your home.
- The Function of Your Couch: I’m not trying to be silly, we all know couches are for sitting, but there’s more to the function of your couch. Who will be sitting, for instance? If you’ll invite guests to be seated that may be allergic to dogs, or if your guests may be offended by dog hair clinging to their clothing, you may want to train your big dog to stay off the furniture.
- How Much Your Dog Sheds: Even though you love your dog like a best friend, some breeds shed so much that allowing them on furniture can cause lengthy and frequent clean-ups. Even couch covers designed for pets (which we’ll go over a little further along in this article) can be cumbersome to keep clean if your big dog is a big shedder!
- How Well Your Dog has Been Trained: Couch privileges come with some responsibility. Your big dog should be taught “furniture manners”. This can begin as soon as your dog masters the basic 5 commands. At that point, your dog will have a general idea of the behaviors you expect and can easily be taught to sit “politely” on the couch and to get down when told. Remember, your big dog lives to please you! Make it easy for him (or her) through sufficient training.
- How Your Family (or Friends) Feel About Your Dog on the Couch: Although your own home is certainly the place to do exactly as you please with your four-legged best friend, it’s still important to consider the others who share your home with you (or visit it often). Some owners of big dogs have found a “compromise” with the other humans around them by designating a specific couch (or chair) where the dog is allowed to sit and designating the other seating for humans only.
Once you’ve taken all of these things into consideration, and if you are inclined to allow your big dog on the couch, the next thing to consider if which couch materials are best for big dogs.
Are Leather Couches Good for Dogs?
Perhaps the better question would be is your big dog good for your leather couch, LOL! Leather is strong and puncture-resistant. These two qualities make it a great option for your big dog, providing the dog doesn’t have destructive behavioral issues. Additionally, leather is easy to clean and dog hair doesn’t cling to it.
Your big dog may enjoy a small “throw” blanket to lay on when he (or she) is on a leather couch. Allowing the dog on your couch will hasten the frequency of having to clean the couch, but it’s easy-peasy to do! Simply wipe the surfaces down with a conditioning cleaner formulated for leather furniture.
I should mention that there is a scratch factor to consider with leather furniture, so be sure to keep your dog’s toenails trimmed and filed. Find out how a little further along in this article.
What Are the 3 Best Couch Materials for Big Dogs?
We’ve gone over the pros and cons of a leather couth when it comes to big dogs, and see where it’s neither the worst nor the best material to be having your dog sit on. But what are some materials that ARE great for dogs…even big ones?!?
- Cotton Canvas: This plain-woven fabric is known for being durable, sturdy, and heavy-duty. Cotton canvas is easy to clean and can even become water-resistant.
- Twill: Today’s twills are NOT your grandmother’s twills! Today’s twills are woven in spectacular fashions, and can stand up well to well-behaved big dogs!
- Microfiber: This synthetic fabric comes in a variety of colors to fit almost any decor, and is easy to take care of when you allow your big dog on the couch.
What you’re looking for in a couch material that is big dog-friendly is heavy and tightly-woven fabric. Be sure to clean your couch often if your big dog will be sitting on it.
Big Dog Couches From Amazon
Which Couch Materials are BAD for Big Dogs
- Tweed: Loose or open weave materials that have an open or loose weave can easily be snagged by claws and unravel over time. In addition, open weave couch fabrics trap hair, animal dander, and dust, making the couch hard to clean, especially if the cushions aren’t removable. Trapped debris embedded in the fibers can even make your couch smell stinky.
- Silk: Silk is easy to snag with canine toenails and shows any moisture. Stay away from this expensive couch fabric if you like to share your couch with your fuzzy buddy!
- Velvet: Another expensive option for a couch material that you won’t want to be destroyed is velvet. The material collects dog hair like a magnet and absorbs odors, too. Best not to purchase a velvet couch, or quickly purchase a furniture cover (which this article will go over a little further along).
- Suede: Like velvet, suede will collect both dog hair and odors. Additionally, suede can be easily damaged by ungroomed toenails. The dog’s, not yours, LOL!
If you owned your couch before you owned your dog, take heart! You are NOT destined to have a ruined couch! Keep reading to learn how to protect the furniture you already have, whether it’s dog-friendly or not!
You can get your four-legged family member a small couch of their own! A chair or doggie area by your couch, or wherever your family hangs out.
How Can I Protect my Couch from my Big Dog?
If you have furniture that will need to be protected from your big dog, I have two words for you. Furniture covers. These days, furniture covers do NOT look like they did back in your grandparents’ day! Today’s choices in furniture covers are stylish and will fit into almost any decor.
Things to Look for in a Couch Cover
- Quality Craftsmanship in Construction
- Ease of Putting the Cover on and Removing it
- A Dog (and dog hair)-Friendly Material (Like the ones discussed here today)
Even if your couch is made from a pet-friendly material, couch covers help protect your investment and can be changed to compliment decor (or even the seasons). You can expect to pay just under a hundred dollars for an adequate and stylish couch cover, and more if your taste so decrees it a worthy venture.
Trim Your Dog’s Toenails to Protect Furniture
Another great way to protect your couch (and other furniture) from your big dog is to keep his (or her) toenails neatly trimmed. It saves you time and money to keep them clipped yourself instead of having to schedule a veterinary appointment. Here are the simple instructions for trimming your big dog’s nails in the comfort of your own home:
Please Note: The Big Dog Den recommends that if you’re concerned about any possible aggressive behavior from your big dog during toenail clipping, please take him (or her) to have the job done professionally done at the veterinarian’s office or grooming salon. At the very least, if you’re concerned about aggression from your dog, utilize a muzzle before clipping the toenails.
Whether you clip your dog’s toenails before or after his bath is a personal choice. It doesn’t even have to be at bathtime, but it may have to be done!
Be cautious not to clip any nail too short, as this is painful for your four-legged friend and will cause him (or her) to associate clippings with unpleasantness. Additionally, a toenail clipped too short will bleed and poses a risk for infection to develop.
If you do accidentally clip too short, an alum stick or cornstarch will quickly clot the blood, and an antibiotic ointment will help prevent infection. You may only have to clip rarely (and sometimes not at all!) but if you do clip your dog’s toenails yourself, this is how:
- Insert a tiny portion of the nail into a guillotine-style clipper. Never go higher than where your dog’s toenails begin to curve.
- Squeeze the clippers firmly and quickly for a quick clean cut.
- Repeat if necessary until you reach the beginning of the curve on his nail.
- Repeat on as many toenails as your dog and you are comfortable within one sitting.
- Reward your dog with praise and affection or a treat for any progress the two of you made. The more pleasantness he (or she) associates with any activity, the more pleasant the activity becomes!
If your big dog wants nothing to do with toenail clippers, you may want to try one of the electric or battery-powered nail files on the market for dogs.
Helpful Tip: Gently pressing on the ”pad” of your dog’s foot will cause his claws to extend, making them easier to clip.
The above reference guide for clipping your big dog’s toenail was adapted from, “Rottweiler Grooming“, found right here in the Big Dog Den. You certainly won’t want to miss the bonus Mini-Massage Manual at the end of the article!
Setting the Rules for Your Dog on the Couch
I don’t know if you’ve ever been exposed to an ill-behaved dog, but I sure have! The bigger the breed, the more problems present when the dog hasn’t been adequately (or efficiently) trained. We’ve already gone over the 5 basic commands and why they’re paramount to setting the behavioral standards for your dog. When those commands have been mastered, it’s easy to train your dog to behave on the couch.
There are 3 Rules you’ll want your couch-loving dog to follow. They are:
- No Food or Bones on the Couch
- No Rough-Housing on the Couch
- Get Off When Commanded (Either vocally or with a gesture)
Training your dog to follow those simple rules will make life more pleasant for anyone in the room (or on the couch!) with your big dog.
Why is my Big Dog trying to “Dig” on the Couch?
Does your big dog do it, too? Dig on that couch cushion like he (or she) is certain a bone is hidden there? I suspected the behavior was inherent but wanted an accurate answer, so I did the research. I gleaned information from “Wag!” dot com, as well as from the most up-to-date big dog forums, Ceasar Milan (Dog Behavioral Specialist) and from my dog’s veterinarian. Here’s everything I learned, in one convenient place:
Dogs can speak to us, only not by using words. Rather, your big dog’s body language and behavior are how they communicate what they’re feeling. When it comes to digging on the couch, your dog is communicating a feeling he (or she) is expressing. There’s not one pat reason why dogs dig on the couch, there’s several! Consider each of the following possible reasons your dog may be exhibiting this behavior, (correcting any issues if necessary) and see which one rings true in your dog’s situation.
- Looking for a Comfortable Position
- Enjoying the Scents Left by Others on the Couch
- Expressing Frustration, Usually From Life Events or Changes
- Exhibiting Boredom
- Trying to Itch Irritated Skin
How Do I Keep My Big Dog Off My Couch?
Not letting your dog on the couch when their a puppy is ideal. Letting them on one time and not others is confusing for them.
Ideally, the rule should be either the dog is allowed on (maybe with a few exceptions, like when company is visiting) or don’t allow the dog on the couch or other furniture at all.
It seems even with proper training, your otherwise well-behaved big dog will occasionally (or frequently, depends on the dog) get up on the very couch he’s (or she’s) been trained to stay off of. If you’re fortunate enough to witness the faux-pas, a command, gesture, or combination of the two should be enough to remind your dog the behavior doesn’t please you (Which is your big dog’s life mission).
Please remember that punishment is never an effective training technique! Rather, after you’ve expressed your displeasure via your stern command, redirect your dog to a different place to sit, or to a toy or other activity that he (or she) IS ALLOWED to do.
If your dog is frequenting the couch when you are not home, the remedy isn’t as easy, but still, your mission can be achieved.
Here are 3 Ways to Keep Your Dog Off the Couch When You’re Not Home:
- Confine the Dog to a Different Room
- Use a Gate to Keep Your Dog Out of the Room
- Purchase (or Make) a Doggie-Deterrent Spray and Apply to Furniture
Other Comfy Places for Your Big Dog to Sit
Our big dogs aren’t much different than us when it comes to enjoying the comfort and security of a cozy place to relax. Earlier in this article, I mentioned having a designated couch for your dog, and that certainly is an excellent option, if it is an option for you! If it is NOT an option, your dog will likely enjoy the comfort and security of a crate to call his (or her) very own.
Simply put a soft blanket or dog pad in the bottom of the crate, and leave the door open for your dog to come and go.
The crate offers a “den-like” environment your dog may very well enjoy, especially if your house is frequently hectic. The crate isn’t necessary, your dog may well enjoy a dog bed or old blanket in a more secluded area of your home. The choice is yours! Just be sure your dog has the security of having his (or her) own spot in this world to relax.
I sincerely hope today’s article was both informative and helpful for you. Whether or not you allow your big dog to sit on the couch is completely up to you! If you do allow your furry companion to share your couch, it doesn’t have to be disastrous! Get a couch that’s pet-friendly, protect the material if necessary and watch TV all weekend on the couch with your dog if it pleases you 🙂 We are always updating our library of big dog knowledge, so stop in again soon!
*This article has been reviewed in accordance with our editorial policy.
