Burning Question: Down Boy?
A recent comment on an older post got us wondering: what’s your policy when it comes to pets on the furniture? Do you think all four-legged friends belong on the floor? Or do you welcome them on the sofa for some family snuggling? This debate raged on over at Decorno last month, so we thought we’d get your take too.
The Casa Petersik stance is pretty obvious…
We might feel differently if Burger were 10 times bigger or a bit less polite (at barely 9 pounds and after thirty obedience classes, he’s no longer a threat to our furnishings). But we completely understand why my sister’s 70 pound pooch is banned from her new Crate & Barrel sofa (and know they don’t love him any less for sweetly setting boundaries for their fur baby). Where do you guys stand when it comes to man’s best friend and man’s favorite furnishings? Dish the doggie (and kitty) dirt.
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We used to allow our pets on the furniture with permission (couches, not beds), but since getting a new couch, we have banned them from the sofa. Occasionally, we will allow one or two of them to snuggle up with us on the couch, and very occasionally, we will let them get in the bed (usually on the day we are planning on washing the sheets). With 4 hairy, big dogs, our couch collects an amazing amount of fur even though they don’t sit on it!!
The cat has full rein on the house! Counter tops to tops of the cabniets to beds, tables and couches. The dog is allowed on the bed but not on the couch. The bed has a blanket down so she can’t ruin the duvet.
We have a 4lb Yorkie and he’s like our kid, of course we let him on all of the furniture! I can’t imagine him not being able to snuggle with us on the couch, etc. However, I think if we had a larger dog we would be less likely to allow them on the furniture. I think it all depends on the size of the pet, how much it sheds, and how well behaved it is!
we have two and they have a pretty free run of the house. both are well behaved on the furniture and have hair, not fur so they shed hair about as much as I do. plus they’re small (under 30 lbs). If I did have a big dog, they would not be allowed on the furniture!
the policy in our house is the dog gets to come onto the couch only if we invite her. She then takes reign of it when we aren’t home, or when we are in bed.
No dogs on the bed, EVER, in our house. we keep the bedroom doors closed at all times to make sure this happens. something about sleeping in a hair-blaknet (ours is a big shedder) turns me off of a midnight snuggle.
My policy is that my cat’s behind is allowed anywhere that my behind is allowed.
My 80lb lab mix knows to wait for an invitation up on the couch or bed, and she also knows she is only allowed up there if there’s a blanket down. (She’s not allowed directly on the couch or on the comforter, in other words.) I figure my entire place is going to get covered in dog hair anyway- why not enjoy some doggie cuddling?
All furniture is off limits for those with four legs. We have two labs, so allowing them inside is a splurge enough for me (the furry tumbleweeds on the floor are about all i can handle). And since all of our bedrooms are upstairs, there’s a strict no upstairs policy as well. They know the rules to a T, so we’ve never had a problem.
I’d love to keep my cats off of everything but the floor but they feel differently about it. I can’t keep them off of anything. Stubborn animals they are. If I had a dog though I couldn’t imagine sitting on the sofa without them in my lap.
My father always says that the dog owners can be devided into two categories: the ones that sleep with their dogs and those who do not admit to that.
They have to Amstaff’s and believe me or not that four of them sleep on one bed:) A real pet lover will always let his beloved dog sleep/wander wherever the dog wants;)
We have two yellow Labs that are each between 75 and 80 pounds. We have never allowed them on the furniture even though they have free reign of the house and stay inside whenever we’re gone. They are not outdoor dogs. The amount of fur and their body oils would ruin things even though they get regular baths. My little sister used to invite them on the guest bed for a cuddle whenever she came to stay, but I had to put a stop to it after Thanksgiving because the 9 year old finally decided his old bones needed the bed even when not invited. I have since bought him a Beasley’s Couch and he is very happy:)
On an interesting and related note, I read in Health magazine last year that doctors see an increased incidence of UTIs in their female patients who sleep with pets (I can’t remember if it was dogs and cats or just dogs).
Marta at 2:22, I love that quote! We have a 50-lb lab mix named Jake who, when we first rescued him from the shelter, had impeccable manners and was a floor-only dog. This is my husband’s first pet (at age 27) so over time HE was the one who invited Jake first onto the couch, and now onto the bed! I don’t mind, though, and Jake’s good manners are still evident — he either waits to be invited or makes a polite request with a “grunkle” (this is what we call the noise he makes in his throat when he needs something — snuggles, a potty break, or dinner).
non-issue. our doggies (2 mini doxies) are our children and are welcome anywhere. They sleep with us as well. This does make it quuuuite difficult when we visit my in-laws where his mother is on pins and needles with every motion the animals make. and we must constantly wrangle them away fromt he furniture. they just don’t get what the big deal is (and personally, neither do i!)
and haha to tereas @ 2:12 – love that quote as Marty!
We have a cat and he’s not allowed on the kitchen counters or our dining room table. He’s allowed to get up on our furniture but he’s definitely not allowed in our baby’s nursery. Old wives’ tale or not, the thought of my cat somehow getting into the crib with my infant gives me the heebies.
She does shed a whole lot, but our Mini Aussie is allowed everywhere. She ends up sleeping on the bed with us. She’s about 25 pounds so she’s not small, but not so big that she takes up a whole lot of space.
When we had two dogs though, the other one being 60 pounds, they were kenneled in their crates at night. Still free reign on the couches though (that’s why we have leather! Easy to keep clean).
In spite of my allergies and asthma, the cat is everywhere -on the bed, on the chairs. My doctor hates this. But why have a pet if if I can’t have her with me? I do scold her (the cat, not the doc) about the dining table and harshly scold her about the counter-tops. It seems to work (when I’m in the room.)
Our kitties are allowed on all of the furniture – except the dining/coffee tables and the kitchen counters. I can’t imagine not letting them up on the couch or bed to cuddle!
Our Cocker-mix can come on the bed only when we’re home and never on the couch. I figure that most guests don’t see our bed, but the couch should at least be presentable. She sleeps next to the bed but always hops up for a few minutes of snuggling in the morning before I manage to drag myself out of bed. The cuddling is worth the hairs on the blankets!
I really think a big part of whether or not animals should or shouldn’t be allowed on furniture depends on whether or not they shed.
There’s nothing worse than having company over to sit on the couch and when they stand up they are covered in hair!
(We have two 65 lb. dogs. They are not allowed on our couches–mainly because our couches are white. However, they are allowed on our bed where we always have a “dog blanket” pulled up and ready for them to snuggle.)
I have a bunny! She loves to run and jump onto the furniture and climb up the back of chairs and get to the highest view in the room.
She cleans herself, so she never gets anything dirty, so I don’t mind. Plus she will jump up on the couch and snuggle with me.
We have a large chocolate lab, over 100 pds, so he is not allowed on the furniture, b/c if he was we wouldn’t have anywhere to sit. But he is an inside dog and roams the house freely. We invest in a doggie bed big enough for him and always add extra padding to it (by using a twin mattress egg crate), b/c his beds always flatten out. He LOVES his bed!
p.s.I hope you win the home depot gift card! I always fill it out and the Target one and have yet to win! :) Has anyone?!
When we first got our yellow lab puppy, Emmy, she was not allowed on any furniture or beds. As she got older, cuter, and more well behaved… we slowly lost our footing (and resolve) and allowed her on the couch while we watched movies. Now she has the run of the house and sleeps at the foot of our bed every night.
I might have to launder the sheets and blankets more frequently, but I wouldn’t change a thing. I like my little “foot heater” and all the snuggles she provides.
Our cat is allowed on the sofa, bed, etc., but not on the table or counter tops. Our 75lb. black lab has never once tried to get on the furniture – and he would not be allowed. He is extremely well behaved, but I just don’t think I could handle him being in bed with me! He has his own dog beds in the living room and bedroom and gets plenty of snuggle time with us on the floor with him! I think we’re all pretty happy with the arrangement we have!
Our dog is allowed on our basement couch (because it’s fabric) and our chaise lounge on our main level (for the same reason– it’s fabric). He’s not allowed on our couches on the main level of our house because they’re leather. He is allowed to sleep on our bed when only one of us is in it (he jumps up in the morning when one of us has left for work and the other is sleeping), but if there are two of us in the bed, he knows that he has to sleep in his own doggie bed.
We have 2 60lbs rhodesian ridgebacks. when they were puppies they were allowed on the couch. but it started to be a problem when their routine consisted of coming straight into the house from outside and onto the couch. It really sucked sitting on a dirty stinky couch (we bathe them but it doesnt matter). Plus they wouldnt understand when we made them get down since they had always been allowed and so when guests came over it was really a problem. We have since gotten rid of that couch and now they arent allowed on the furniture at all. if they need some extra attention, then we will sit on the floor and have a dog pile.
our cat and dog are allowed on our furniture…i mean we just upgraded to a king size bed (and all other new bedroom furniture) because it was getting too cramped with all FOUR of us in our old double bed!!
We currently have two cats and I say they are allowed on all “soft furniture” (meaning no countertops, etc.). However, we will be getting dogs as soon as our house is completed and we finally have a yard – now while my standing doesn’t change and I would still allow an animal on the couch/bed, I think the size of dogs that we prefer (boxers, rotties and huskies) will probably mean they’ll be allowed up only when invited because I do not like to share my sleeping/napping space lol.
No in my house. I have always had med-large doggies & there wouldn’t be any room for a human on the bed if I let them on there. I know with my chow, as soon as you left the house, she was on the couch.
It doesn’t bother me at other peoples houses. My sis’s 4 dogs and my mom’s pugs have free range at their homes.
I have two dogs— a miniature dachshund and a lab/dachshund mix. The mix has long hair and does shed, but they are both allowed on the couches (I bought darker couches to hide the appearance of fur). I use a lint roller on the couch before guests come, and they are only allowed up when invited when there are visitors. As for my bed, they are only allowed on when I am home and usually don’t go on it unless I’m in it. If it’s just me in the bed, they sleep with me. If not, they sleep in their own beds/crates. I’ve tried to ban them from the couch before, but I cant resist their patient, pleading puppy eyes. They love to snuggle, and so do I.
Unfortunately, our big dogs get on the furniture. I wish we would have trained them from the start not to because all I do is vaccum hair off the couch and chair. When I finally get a new couch they will not be allowed on. I love them, but the vacuuming is too much. Plus, our couch and chair have aged much quicker due to them.
Our cats are a part of our family. They are allowed to go anywhere they please (except maybe on the table when we are eating!). It’s their house as much as it is ours. ;)
My whippet mix and two cats are allowed almost everywhere. I’ve managed to stand my ground with keeping Abby (my dog) off the new sofa. Her main spot is on the bed, and it’s a big factor when I shop for bedding. Sometimes, like when I see light-colored bedding that I’d absolutely love to have, I wish I had never started the habit. But she and the cats are snugglers, and I know she’s comfortable. It’s a sacrifice I make. :-)
Our cat is allowed on furniture that we sit on, though he occasionally has to be reminded that we do not sit on tables. He is remarkably well-behaved though, and doesn’t claw up furniture or jump on the counters (though the other day I did find him up on a ledge where he was NOT supposed to be). The only problem with this is all the cat hair that accumulates on his favorite chair, where he sleeps all day, but I just end up brushing it off each week. I grew up with little dogs so this is what i am used to, but I think if we had a big dog it would not be allowed up.
Our Reuben (6-pound Shih poo) is welcome on everything. He’s only an inside dog (litter box trained) so i’m sure it’s easy for me to say. We actually encourage him to jump up himself, and even put a bench on the end of our bed to faciliate it! My parents have bigger dogs/outside-inside dogs and they let them on everything – if there’s a blanket over it!
We have two cats and a border collie. Everyone can go anywhere they want! Having three animals pile into bed with you totally cuts down on heat use. =)
We have 2 cats and 2 Golden Retrievers – the dogs are not supposed to get onto the furniture. I used to let them on the couch when I invited them, but they started climbing right up into our guests’ laps and not everyone is ok with a 75# lap dog… So now we try to just sit with them on the floor if they extra attention. The cats just do their own thing, they’re allowed on the couches and they sleep with us on our bed every night. They are not allowed on the table or on the kitchen counters though.
We allow are dog, Cookie on the furniture. She now owns the couch, and she has her own chair in one room she uses to lookout the window with, and of course our bed. She does not get on much else in the house. She does not sleep with us at night though, she prefers her own bed for that. In fact I find that having enough comfy doggie digs around the house keep her off our stuff more often then not. I can’t bring myself to ban my animals from the furniture. The cat goes where the cat goes. But we do ban our cat from the kitchen counters and dining table. There are limits.
When we first brought Gracie (our now 70 pound yellow lab) home all furniture was off limits. One weekend I went away and came home to find my husband and our puppy asleep on the couch together nursing my husband’s hangover. Since then she has run of the house with the exception of beds, which are off limits.
We also try to keep her out of guest bedrooms just in case any of our guests have allergies.
We have a leather chair that she’s not allowed on either, but thankfully she’s never tried to sit in it. I don’t think it appeals to her.
My cat is allowed to sit wherever I sit. During the day we’ll keep the bedroom shut, but he’s allowed to come in when we are in there. He also likes to sun himself in the windowsills, so I’ll raise the blinds for him. He is NOT allowed on counters or tables. That’s just gross.
Ripley (25 lbs.) has been sleeping in our bed – under the covers, by our feet – since we adopted him 6 years ago. When we adopted Stella (12 lbs.) last year, we made her sleep in a doggie bed on the floor of our bedroom, but she always sneaks into the bed in the middle of the night anyway. They get a de-shed bath every 4 to 6 weeks so dog hair really isn’t too much of an issue. Plus, we have Roomba cleaning 4 days a week throughout the house, terrorizing the dogs and picking up loose fur. They are both GOOD GOOD dogs, and I feel they deserve the freedom they have.
No dogs are or will ever be allowed on my bed for one simple reason: I consider my bedroom a sanctuary for my and my husband, which can be only used for talking, sleeping, love making, reading and whatever other activities that brings us closer as a couple (also the reason why we don’t have a TV in the room)
It baffles me that some people would compare a dog to their own children and even think it is cute to say that their dog does as he pleases around the house. That only talks about lack of discipline and not love. Again, the trend now is to be an animal lover, so people will go great lenghts to make others believe that they love their animals so much that they just can’t correct them “cause he is so stinkin’ cute”.
Having pets sleep with a couple, as it is having the children, in many cases is a sign of trouble and lack of intimacy or an excuse for it.
We used to have an 80 lb lab who would slither up onto the couch or our bed so quietly that we hardly noticed him…SO sneaky. Now we have 2 boys under the age of 6 who are way harder on the couches than that dog ever was!!! We want to get a new couch, but, don’t know what would be the best material at the cheapest price to stand up to their abuse!???
We have a little black “bitser” who is allowed everywhere – except recently our bed. I fell in love with a white quilt – which means no little black dogs on the bed! I think its hurting us more than him to keep him off though! Its funny that apart from the white quilt he (or more like his hair) has informed our decisions on furniture (more leather) and flooring (dark & wood)!
Bella is our 85 pound, German Shepherd cuddle dog. She lays in bed with us until we fall asleep and sleeps in her bed until 5:00 am, when she joins us until we wake up. She is not supposed to be on the couch, but she sneaks up there a couple of times a week when she thinks we will be gone for a long time! Although she sheds like crazy, and as a result I am constantly cleaning, I couldn’t imagine not having her on the bed!
What’s mine is there’s plus some! We have 2 cats and a dog. My only rule for my cats is to stay off the kitchen counters. The dog was going to be a “no bed at night” dog, but he changed that real quick! Otherwise, I love to have my animals cuddle with me! Couches can be vacuumed and bedding can be washed!
i agree with amy @ 2:20–i’d love to keep my cats on the floor (well, specifically OFF any surface that i prepare food on/eat on, as well as any place i’d actually like put accessories/lamps/picture frames) but they have a different idea. i’ve tried everything under the sun and i’ve just had to come to terms with the fact that i have cats that LOVE lounging on the counters/tables. this means i just have had to seriously up my cleaning regiment…oh, how my cats rule my life.
our dog (50lb german shepherd mix) is allowed on the sofa & on the bed (on — not in!) when invited. we buy into the pack leader theory and thought it was important to set limits, plus, it is a treat for her to be up on the sofa while we watch tv. she sheds quite a bit as well, so that keeps the amount of dog hair on the furniture to a minimum.
i went to someone’s house recently where their dog just freely roamed the sofa & the people on it! i am used to dogs, but it made me wonder who is really the pack leader in that house…
We allow our cats on the sofa or on chairs if there are blankets there for them to lie on, but the bed (and bedroom in general) is a huge no. I’m allergic, but tolerate them ok – I just prefer the bedroom to be a completely pet-free zone. Of course, we will inevitably drag some cat hair in there, but what we bring with us is close to nothing compared to the amount they shed every day…
I had a 95 lb. Boxer that was allowed wherever he could fit. [He tried to get into a chair once (IKEA Tullsta) and it was hilarious watching him try to fit. He couldn't quite get it so he gave up.] Our living room furniture is all leather which made for easy cleaning. Well that and Boxers have ultra-short fur so our furniture never became a dog unto itself. He would also get on all the beds; if there was someone in them he would wait to be given the ok. Our queen-sized guest room bed is pretty low to the ground and he would nap in there during the day (South-facing windows gave light on the bed all day) and come out groggy and smacking his lips like an old man when we got home. Now that he’s gone, I miss having him snuggled up next to me and how he’d sleep on the diagonal, hog the bed, and SNORE. With animals, I think you just have to clean more often, but it’s totally worth it.