6mo old doesn't do stairs - Page 1

Greetings everyone!

I have a new problem...well not that new but persistent.  My 6mo is afraid to go downstairs.  Two or three steps is not a problem but for some reason she refuses to go down a full flight of stairs.  She went up and down an open staircase of five steps when she was about 3mo but not since.  I'm thinking we waited too long to introduce her to the staircase but that being said, what do I do now?  

The stairs are carpeted in berber so the footing is good.   She has not had a bad experience with them as we had them blocked off with a baby gate.  We have tried letting her watch her favorite toys bounce down the stairs.  I have sat on the stairs with pieces of hotdog on each step.  She can stretch far enough to get the treat on the top step but won't take a step.  We have gone downstairs and sat where she can see us but she won't budge.  This has gone on for about a month now. 

I'm in favor of putting the leash on her and forcing her down a couple of the steps to see if she will continue on her own, if not I'm willing to take her all the way down.   I want to use the leash to keep her from backing out and encouraging her to continue forward with treats and lots of praise all the way down and big time praise once she reaches the bottom.   I figure once she is down she will have no problem coming back up.  My husband wants to let her figure it out on her own but she obviously figures (and rightly so) that we will eventually come back up to her. 

Spring is here and with it will come weather that may drive us to seek shelter in the basement.  I don't want to leave her upstairs alone then nor do I want that time to be the "learning experience" when she is dragged down during a raging storm. 

Any opnions, suggestions or advice on this?

Thanks!
Deb

put a treat on about every 3-4th step and let her go up repeat goig down, do a couple of time each day , pet and reassure her eventually putt reward only at top or botthom of stairs  Good luck

I went through this when my dog was the same age,but she would suddenly not go UP the stairs.She would stay at the bottom of the stairs and bark.I tried the leash and treats but no luck.Once when I was not home my wife was unable to coax her up the stairs ,she had to go to work and put her in the cage.She even tried to put a very expensive veal roast at the top of the stairs ,but no luck.Later that day she did go up on her own.We went through this for about 3 weeks .I think it was some addolecent ,fear issue.As long as there is no other sign of lameness to consider this,as well as all the other  quirky stages that puppies go through, will eventually pass.

Give her time. Mine, given a choice as a puppy would never go willing down the cellar stairs. Now, at 2 plus he loves going down there searching for mice, all on his own. Some big dog breeds will never do the stairs, if given a choice, for good reason.

Start with closed stairs as your dog might be fine with the closed stairs but just does not like the open stairs. Find a short span of only one or two stairs and have the dog heel up and then praise followed by down then praise.
Build up to longer flights of closed stairs then start over working th open stairs. You should practice this 4 times a day in short sessions for a week until your dog gains confidence and doesn't hesitate on any stairs! When the dog is under command they should heel with you up stairs or throgh water or past other dogs... If your dog is not obedience trained then start this training as a good basic obedience foundation will be helpful.

 I read somewhere to be careful about puppies go up and down stairs too soon, or it could harm their hips.  Is that not true?

Funny stair story!

I took my female to the airport to pick a judge up once.  At the airport there was this very long white (maybe even tile) set of stairs, I'd say about 30 to 40 with a few landings in between.  Though my female about a year old at the time I'd say followed me up them without baulking, she proceeded to vocalize the entire time as if she was DYING!  She went back down them without screaming and went back up again.   The looks on people's faces were horrified. 

Something to be said about not unintentially praising (ie: the old, it's OK type thing) there and basically ignoring the behavior.  I just kept walking with intention and she knew she should follow. 

Kathy

Some puppies take to stairs very easily and others do not. Habanaro has a good post about how to overcome this. If a puppy has ever tried and fell, it will make them apprehensive about climbing the stairs. One of mine was an older puppy when I purchased her, and she required nearly (6) months to do this on her own. I did not push her on it since she had no problem with the outside stairs.

Again this bitch had no problem with the outside stairs, but they are the "open" type, are made from unfinished wood, and have wider treads. I think the reason she was hesitant to use the inside stairs is because she tends to bound up the stairs rather than climb step-by-step, and was banging her toes hard on the inside stairs and slipping on the finished hardwood. I am sure it was painful each time she did it. She still takes the steps two (2) and three (3) at a time-just like Bob-O. Maybe I am a bad influence but my legs are very long.

Try the treats and keep them in small pieces. Set them on the stair treads and walk upstairs and sit where she cannot see you until she is on your floor. When she eventually gets upstairs don't frighten her when she is on the last step. Let her find you and recieve another treat-and praise that dog.
 
GSDGermany2 also has a good idea here-if you have stairs of different tread quantities. Be patient-this may take many tries to get it right!

Best Regards,
Bob-O

I have worked with many dogs over the years of all breeds and ages who have trouble with stairs. The problem most dogs have is they don't actually know HOW to negotiate their body up and down them. Add to that a dog is hesitant of what they don't understand, and voila, stair refusal.

If your dog raced up and down the stairs like a tornado, and you are cringing the whole time as their knees crack into the stairs, your dog also has this problem. They go as fast as possible to get it over with, but do not know how to actually walk the stairs.

The way I use (mind you this is most effective with a dog with good on leash obedience), is taking the dog, one step at a time, on leash. Each step we stop, I lavish the dog with praise. If I have to PLACE each foot on a stair by hand, I will, again, followed by praise. By going slowly one step at a time time and helping the dog place each foot you are teaching them HOW to move their legs on stairs. I tell my classes often, "all your puppy knows about their back feet is they follow the front ones".  They often must be taught specifically how to move their back end independently of the front. 

Take it slow, a little each day. Your pup will get over the discomfort in no time. And yes, covered stairs are ideal to start. Hope this helps.

Hello all and thanks for the comments!

Just to refresh.  We are at the top of the stairs attempting to get her to go down them.  They are closed stairs and covered with berber carpet.  I'm pretty sure if I had her at the bottom of the stairs she would have no problem coming up them...then again I might be wrong.  She will, on her own go lay at the top of the stairs and look down them and whimper because there are treats on a few of them and toys at the bottom.  We are trying to be patient.  She is pretty confident about everything else she has encountered but the stairs have thrown us for a loop.

Thanks again,
Deb