Thanks Karen

You are doing wonders for my confidence as well! I feel l have achieved something by just getting them off the bed.

If l do make them stay downstairs the only room that l can put them in is the sitting room as the cats like to come and go through the kitchen catflap, along the hall and upstairs.

If they were in there l am sure that they would spend the night on the sofa and chairs. Apart from covering them with dining table chairs every night to stop them getting up, l won't know be able to stop them.

Should l just let them sleep where they want for now in the sitting room - (l have a dog gate over the door by the way) and work on keeping them off the sofas during the day?

Tonight they will be sleeping downstairs. It will definatley be hard for Seiger as he is 12 and has spent his life with full access to the house. He is getting a bit frailer now to. Mind you he does like to be near the pups.

Also l am about to inform dear hubby that the baby gates to the cat room is going back on the stairs so that they don't get access to upstairs. The cats will be able to jump over it to have a place of safety.

The poor dogs won't know whats going on but its for the best l know.

About making them do other things. I do do sits and recall every now and then during the day and give them a treat, but you are right - Schmoo has become very food orientated.
He will not sit to have his halti put on for his walks unless he sees me put my hand in my pocket. He and Scamper as well really hate the halti but when l have tried not using it he chokes himself and coughs!

PS One of my friends who has moved to Devon used to have 2 GSD who were never allowed to place a foot on the stairs. She had wooden stairs. She never had baby gates or dog gates. They slept in the kitchen ( it was a massive old house and that room was the hubb of the house) and was'nt even allowed in the sitting room. I used to think that she was quite cruel but actually her dogs were the best behaved dogs l had ever met!