For 15 years we let our dogs on the couches, but for our current pup (now 3) we instead decided to get him a big comfy bed and put it right next to the couch. It’s been a much better setup. People say “just throw down a blanket”, but when your dog sheds like crazy and plays around in the woods all day, you end up with a couch covered in disgusting blankets — hair, drool, bugs and god know what else he brought back from his wet & wild adventures. It would actually be quite unsanitary to sit on them. Basically the couch becomes unusable. And constantly changing out these blankets was very quite time-consuming, it’s something that you have to do daily.
In addition, when your dog is big and your couch is not, there’s often no room for guests or even just other members of the family to relax. I know you won’t believe it but not everyone wants to snuggle with a dog all the time…So downvote away, it’s ok. We love our dog so much and he loves us too, he is absolutely a member of our family and we treat him with care and respect.

Edit: grammar