By Lauren Haughey
Should dogs be allowed to snooze on furniture? This long-standing discussion often splits pet owners, but a recent opinion from a trainer might finally resolve the issue. Will Atherton, a canine behaviourist from Derbyshire, has many years of experience working with various pups facing a range of behavioural issues, including biting. While many people inquire about whether dogs should be allowed on sofas, beds, and other furniture, he insisted that there is no straightforward, universal answer. “Should your dog be allowed on the furniture?” he asked in a recent TikTok video. “And that’s a question I get all the time. And for me, it completely is up to you. I have a few little rules about it.” Will primarily prompted viewers to reflect on whether their pet exhibits any recurring behavioural issues. While he didn’t specify what these issues might be, they could range from aggressive behaviours to excessive jumping and overexcitement. When a dog becomes a significant nuisance at home, Will hinted that it’s probably not wise to let them on the sofa. However, if the dog is usually well-behaved, it should be fine as long as clear boundaries are set. He said: “If you don’t have any big behaviour problems with your dog, then I think you can absolutely have them on the furniture if you want them. If you don’t want them on the furniture, that’s completely fine. “But if they are going to go on the furniture, my thought is that they shouldn’t be allowed to have free access to jump up and off whenever they want. It should look like this.” To illustrate his point, Will gestured towards Sully, a large dog sitting on the floor beside his sofa. Will then continued: “They should wait with good manners, sitting, looking up to you for guidance and direction, and waiting for you to say, ‘up’.” When instructed, Sully jumped up to sit next to Will on the sofa. “And they can jump on and they can have a cuddle,” he said. ” And the most important thing is that just as well-mannered as getting on the furniture with you, it should be just as easy – Sully, off.” Within seconds, Sully was back sitting on the floor, as commanded. In light of this, Will summarised: ” I f you can do that and you don’t have any problems with your dog elsewhere and you want them to come and have a cuddle on the sofa, then do so.” Even as the discussion about dogs on furniture was being settled, Will’s video continued to split fans online. Among the followers in disagreement, one person wrote: “I don’t have to ask anyone to have access to my sofa, why should my dog?” Another user also said: “I am not a control freak,” as someone else wrote: “My dogs are a part of my family, so they can go wherever they want to without asking to go there.” Nonetheless, others completely agreed with Will’s perspective. One user wrote: “My boys love being on the couch and I love having a snuggle with them on the couch, but they know when I say they need to get off, they do! And same for coming up! “It’s so refreshing to hear a trainer who doesn’t want to just limit a dog’s life and surroundings and doesn’t guilt owners for wanting to share the space.” Meanwhile, another wrote: “Mine has free access to the furniture but when I tell him to get off, he does.” What do you think? Let us know in the comment section below