The floor is not as comfortable as your couch.Ask yourself the question – would you rather sit on the floor or the couch? However, just because your dog wants to sit on your couch doesn't mean it is allowed.

The first thing you want to ensure is that your dog has a comfy place to lay instead of your couch — especially old or ailing canines. By providing them their own comfortable space to lay, they may be less apt to use yours, but probably not. So how do you keep them off your furniture? You can talk to your vet to find out what they recommend. With wireless internet, you can search and find great ideas from other pet owners who face the same challenges or tips from the experts. Here are some of the best ideas we found:

Author and trainer Kathy Diamond Davis recommends starting when they are puppies by consistently removing them gently from the furniture and giving them a treat on the floor. For older dogs, it may be more tempting to pull them off the furniture. But allowing them to get down on their own and giving them a treat when they do prevents the issue from becoming a battle of will or a dominance issues.

However, when you leave the house – all bets are off. So what are some creative ways to keep your dog down when you aren't there to stop them?

COUCH GUARD & FURNITURE PROTECTOR

Aluminum Foil: Use aluminum foil to prevent the pups from getting on the couch. By cutting pieces slightly larger than the arms and cushions, you can tuck the ends down between the cushions to hold them in place. When your determined dog jumps up and hits the foil, the sound and feel will bother him enough that he will stay down.

Soda Cans and Pennies: Fill empty soda cans half full with pennies and tape the hole. Sit the cans on the edge of the cushions every time you leave the house. The loud sound created when your dog jumps up will deter him from laying on the couch.

Carpet Runner: Lay floor runners with the teeth on the bottom along the couch, teeth side up. By making the couch uncomfortable, your dog will give up trying to lay on it while you are gone.

The Monkey Couch Guardian: For those do-it-yourself pet owners, Lifehacker.com offers the how-to on creating a motion sensitive deterrent that is triggered when a pet jumps up on the couch. They use a music box monkey, however, there are many other options for this project.

Experts at the Association of Professional Dog Trainers agree that tactics that severely frighten or shock your dog can be traumatic to them and cause further problems. It is important to find effective methods that deter your dogs rather than traumatize them. When all else fails, buy a couch cover that protects your couch from damage and fur.