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You've got to make sure you catch them young if you want to train your dogs to keep on one particular item of furniture...

You've got to make sure you catch them young if you want to train your dogs to keep on one particular item of furniture, a pet expert has said.

Many domesticated animals find that the family sofa is their favourite place and the spot that they want to make their own - but if you want to make sure that your new coach doesn't get mangled by your cat's claws or bare the muddy prints of an excitable dog, then start training them young.

'Pet experts say that you must train dogs to respect furniture while they are puppies,' Jamila Robinson, of the St Louis Post-Dispatch, writes.

'If you don't want your dog lounging in the living room, set a rule and require all family members to be consistent.

Alternatively, you might want to give your pet its own item of furniture, says Missouri dog trainer Rob Schenberg.

'You have to train the dog to stay on his furniture, and that means monitoring and giving praise or rewarding with treats,' he says.