# Jumping off a sofa/couch - how old?



## ched999uk (Dec 2, 2010)

Connie is now 14 weeks and although she cant/ isn't allowed to jump on the sofa I am worried about her jumping off. I have read that pups shouldn't be allowed to jump off the sofa but I don't know how old she needs to be to not hurt herself jumping off the sofa. At the moment we are lifting her up and down from the sofa any idea how old before she is safe to jump off?
Any ideas?
Thanks


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## k9Cracker (Feb 22, 2006)

I didn't let Rugby jump off the sofa until he could jump on it by himself.


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## MaryH (Mar 7, 2006)

I don't ever let my dogs jump off the sofa or bed, no matter what age, because I don't want them to damage any of their joints. The analogy I use is this ... if I was sitting on my sofa and wanted to go to the kitchen would I stand on the sofa and then jump to the floor? No, because if I did that repeatedly I would no doubt wreck my own knees. So I have trained my dogs to wait and be lifted down to the floor. If you don't want to be lifting your dog on and off of furniture you might want to build or buy a doggy ramp or set of doggy stairs made for that purpose.


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## Cosy (Feb 9, 2006)

I'm with Mary. I don't let Cosy jump (not that she would) and she can't seem to figure out how to jump UP. 
(Mary, I'm very glad you don't jump off your sofa  )


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## MaryH (Mar 7, 2006)

Cosy said:


> I'm with Mary. I don't let Cosy jump (not that she would) and she can't seem to figure out how to jump UP.
> (Mary, I'm very glad you don't jump off your sofa  )


And trust me, Brit, I don't EVER jump out of bed in the morning either! :angry:


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## Orla (Jul 5, 2009)

I would never let a maltese jump off a sofa - at any age.

(PS, I wanna see pics of Connie - she is related to Milo )


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## ched999uk (Dec 2, 2010)

Looks like it's best to keep lifting her up and down. Cheers.
As for a Christmas picy:








I think she needs a bit of a trim, it's a bit scary getting scissors anywhere near her. Going to get her first trim in Jan.


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## pammy4501 (Aug 8, 2007)

I use the sofa stairs. They use them if they are there. I think it's the path of least resistance. They would jump if they weren't there. I gets harder when they can actually jump on the sofa unassisted because they can get up there when you aren't watching. So, I recommend the steps.


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## maltlovereileen (Jan 19, 2009)

pammy4501 said:


> I use the sofa stairs. They use them if they are there. I think it's the path of least resistance. They would jump if they weren't there. I gets harder when they can actually jump on the sofa unassisted because they can get up there when you aren't watching. So, I recommend the steps.


I totally agree with this...stairs is the way to go. Our first malt *who, incidentally was large size* ended up with disc problems in later years from jumping up and down from things... so not worth it.


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## MalteseJane (Nov 21, 2004)

MaryH said:


> I don't ever let my dogs jump off the sofa or bed, no matter what age, because I don't want them to damage any of their joints. The analogy I use is this ... if I was sitting on my sofa and wanted to go to the kitchen would I stand on the sofa and then jump to the floor? No, because if I did that repeatedly I would no doubt wreck my own knees. So I have trained my dogs to wait and be lifted down to the floor. If you don't want to be lifting your dog on and off of furniture you might want to build or buy a doggy ramp or set of doggy stairs made for that purpose.


Don't let your dog jump from a couch/bed/chair. Your dog is still young enough to be trained NOT TO. Jumping is not good for their joints like Mary said. You don't want later on have his patellas fixed because of the jumping. If you want him to be able to get up there by himself buy a ramp or stairs.


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## ched999uk (Dec 2, 2010)

Thanks for all the advice we will continue to lift her up and down. As you say its a good idea to train her not too jump up on the sofa. We are in the process of training her not to lift her front paws up on to the front of the sofa, so we will just make sure she only ever asks to come up and go down and then we lift her.
I was aware that jumping down was dangerous but didn't realise it still wasn't a good idea when she is an adult. We will make sure she learns never to jump up or down.

Thanks. Once again great advice, Thanks.


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## uniquelovdolce (Mar 10, 2010)

well i agree , dolce ask to be put up or down he did jump off once n i noticed he was limping a bit , he has never done it again .. ppl make fun of him n me n tell me that their are smaller dogs that jump up n down , i personally like that he asks to go up ,, i dont want him hurting his lil legs.


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## MissMaltese (Dec 18, 2010)

My girl has decided that the back of our couch is a great perch. I should have known something was up when she tried to jump out of the cart at petco.


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## MaryH (Mar 7, 2006)

ched999uk said:


> Thanks for all the advice we will continue to lift her up and down. As you say its a good idea to train her not too jump up on the sofa. We are in the process of training her not to lift her front paws up on to the front of the sofa, so we will just make sure she only ever asks to come up and go down and then we lift her.
> I was aware that jumping down was dangerous but didn't realise it still wasn't a good idea when she is an adult. We will make sure she learns never to jump up or down.
> 
> Thanks. Once again great advice, Thanks.


I just wanted to add that all jumping is not bad but landing straight down onto a hard surface is bad. Obviously there are those of us who have trained our Maltese in obedience, agility and rally. All of these venues require jumping ... but it's a different kind of jump where they launch themselves up, over, and down at an appropriate jump height based on their own height. And these sports are done outdoors on grass or indoors on dirt, rubber or astroturf surfaces which are much more forgiving on the knees (like human gymnasts who are always jumping but are landing on pads or rubber floors.


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## Chalex (Feb 19, 2010)

Not allowed to jump at any age.


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## sunnycleveland (Apr 3, 2010)

Yup, mine is not allowed to jump off and she wouldn't - she's too afraid. She can't jump onto the couch and would not jump off. 

There were a couple of instances when someone rang the doorbell while she is snuggling with me on the couch and she jumped off the couch - doorbell or a knock on the door causes her to lose any fear so she does things she would not normally do - now I know to grab her immediately and gently set her down onto the floor so she can run and bark her little tail off at whomever is invading "her" house .


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## Delilahs Mommy (Nov 22, 2009)

How do you stop them once they start jumping down? Delilah sometimes does it so fast, before I can set her down. Scares the dickens out of me. Other than that I am lifting her up or setting her down everytime.


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