If you have a dog, furniture in your home may be at risk. This is particularly the case for puppies that don't necessarily know the difference between playing and destroying various items in the house. Puppies and other dogs may also have housebreaking issues, and it's never good to see a carpet, chair, sofa or some other piece of furniture ruined when your pet has an accident. If you've found that attempting to discipline your pet hasn't been sufficient to stop him from getting on your furniture, you should also be able to use a dog deterrent or repellent to do the same thing. While you can buy a repellent spray or mixture at most pet supply stores and many different natural grocery stores as well, it's very easy and less expensive to make your own dog furniture repellent at home.
Cayenne Pepper
Many dogs respond to cayenne pepper in a serious way. A dog's heightened sense of smell and taste may leave him very uncomfortable when in the presence of cayenne pepper. After you've identified the problem areas within your home that you wish to spray or otherwise keep your dog away from, you may consider using a cayenne pepper mixture first. Mix in a couple of spoonfuls of cayenne pepper with a spray bottle full of water. Shake up the mixture to evenly combine the two. Spray just a few sprays of the mixture on the surfaces of the furniture that you're interested in protecting and in the area surrounding that furniture. Use about 1 part cayenne pepper to 10 parts water to avoid staining the furniture.
Vinegar
Vinegar can also be effective with many dogs. You should make a vinegar solution that is more highly concentrated than pepper. Use apple cider vinegar or some other type of transparent vinegar so that you don't cause any coloration damage to the furniture. Mix about 1 part vinegar to every 5 parts water for the best results. Spray this so that you cover every surface of the furniture that you're looking to protect from your dog.
Lemon
Lemon can also be helpful as a dog furniture repellent. For darker colored furniture, consider squeezing out several lemon wedges to get the juice onto the furniture itself. If you're concerned about damage to the furniture, mix in the lemon juice with water in the ratio of about 1 part lemon juice for every 3 parts water.
Ammonia
Although it's generally best kept as a last resort, ammonia can also keep dogs away from furniture. Dip a cotton ball into an ammonia solution and rub the ammonia over the surface of the furniture. Beware, however, because ammonia is poisonous to dogs. Don't use too much of it.
For more information about how to best keep your pets off of your furniture and how to repel them with natural compounds, ask a vet for additional advice.