I don't call it bribing…but some do. In the beginning you use a treat to lure the dog off the furniture while saying "off". Then you switch to using the command "off" without showing the treat, but rewarding with a treat as soon as the dog responds (actually I use a clicker to mark the behavior because it makes the training faster, then I treat). Then continue to reward the behavior most of the time until it is SOLID, really solid...then you can start to alternate rewards.
People who don't like positive reinforcement training call it (mistakenly) bribing the dog.
It certainly is effective to startle the dog to the ground, but if the dog is growling in fear it certainly won't fix the problem.
I have said before that with my own dogs, in which I know their bite thresholds, if I get a complaint about moving, I just move them...done. But if I felt like I was dealing with a dog that would escalate the confrontation to the point of biting, I certainly wouldn't want to make the situation any worse. At that point I would train the dog to get off the furniture on request, with their cooperation...not force.