Just got a new 4 month old pitbull. Training him has been fairly easy but right now I’m working on training him off of the couch unless invited. I don’t have a dog bed for him just yet (underestimated how expensive those are in retail pet stores) but he does have a pretty comfy crate with blankets/toys/treats as an alternative right now.

He seems to understand the down command if I say it when I see him about to jump up but as soon as I look away he’s up on the couch again and I have to physically pick him up and put him in the crate to get him down.

We’ve been working on it for about 2 hours but after his night time walk all he wants to do is cuddle before knocking out for the night.

Is it okay if I let him up on the couch with me to cuddle before bed? Or is it seen as an inconsistent rule in his eyes? Does it make me seem like a pushover since we’re still in the beginning stages of this part of his training? Will he respect the rule later on if I let him up to sleep?

I guess I’m not sure how strict I should be. We’re in a 1 bedroom apartment so there really no where else for him to go (he only has access to the living room, bathroom and kitchen, no bedroom) besides his crate if I am on the couch chilling watching tv but I also want him to have respect for my boundaries and others’ furniture if he visits someone else’s house.

Any advice would help!

😂 Currently: