I wanted to work on getting my dog to go down the basement steps. I have a big area in the basement to work with her on various things but, I cant get her to go down the steps. She's more than capable physically, the steps are carpeted, and she is curious and part of her wants to. Ive tried coaxing with food. Should I back off and try again in a few days or a week? I'm not sure of the line I should push her to considering how unsocialized shes been. Also Is there a test to give to her to see if she is weak nerved or if its the unsocialazation.

Are the spaces between the steps open? That's a common fear in dogs.

Will she go down the steps in other areas? Is there a railing, a solid wall, or is the stair way open?

Also, how long have you had her? You mention under socialized, by you or another? Has she bonded to you very much or is this still a new situation? This will make a big difference in how the dog needs to be dealt with and how to go about training.

I have a very strong male Rott that is afraid of heights. He will do what I ask him to do and go places I ask him to go, but on open landings more than one story up, he would prefer to stay back from the edge and when going up and down open stairs, he will stick to the middle, even up to five stories.

To determine if a dog is weak nerved, there are many tests, but they happen in daily life. It is in the manner in which the dog deals with uncomfortable situation. Using my dog as an example, he is obviously uncomfortable with heights, but is willing to work through the uneasiness and perform. A weak dog would not be able to do it at all.

An unsocialized dog that is a strong dog will not have the same issues that a weak nerved dog would have. They would bounce back very quickly and show much less stress when dealing with uncomfortable situations. A weak dog, socialized or not, will be stressed out and have a much harder time dealing with things. The stairs are not a great example, but could be taken into account when assessing her overall nerve.

Good topic, not to steal your post but my dog has the same issue. Our basement stairs at home are wood and open on one side...he can go up them, a little stressed out, but has only gone down once or twice max...we have tried coaxing with food as well, toys etc. lately I have been carrying him halfway and putting him down, he does not have a problem going down the last bit at all. He has no issues with carpeted stairs, parents have them, he will go up and down them by himself just to look around....should I be leaving this fear alone...also, he is a confident dog, but possibly a little more scared of heights then most, as it took him a little bit to jump into the back of the SUV etc...any advice on how to solve this or even if the advice is to leave it alone would be great.....thanks.





Mod note: Brian, there is a response to you below, but if you need more info or want to expand on your question, please start a new thread. Even though the question is similar, it's still a hijack. The two sets of replies become confused, etc. Thanks.

Edited by Connie Sutherland (01/05/2010 05:24 PM)
Edit reason: note to poster

yes the steps are open no railing, I havent had her long,maybe going on 2 months or so. Shes somewhere between 11 and 13 months old. She was put in a kennel for 10 months and had no hands on contact.She's doing really good but theres just so many issues I'm having to deal with. Just since my last message,she tore a whole in my fence jumped out and was in the neighbors back yard. Attacked his dog. I got to them fast enough no damage was done. except the neighbors pretty peed off. I got her off of the dog but she took off and would not come to me. I finally got into my car and hoped she would follow me home and she did. She wanted to get in the car but was scared because I beenworking with her on the car but shes still leary about jumping in. Theres just so many issues with her I cant tackle all fast enough. I need to stop this ripping my fence up too. I have a wood privacy fence and their grabbing the panels and tearing them off one by one. with their mouths. I didnt mention I have a big male, there both Czech shephards, and full of energy ALL the time.

First, as to the original topic, if there is any way to put up a wall (even just plywood with 2 x 4 supports) along the open sides, and close off the open aspect of the stairs (like with a wide carpet runner, or wood risers) she would likely feel much more comfortable. Mark and reward for moving down one step at a time. This will be a HUGE help in getting her to feel more comfortable.

Also, this may seem simple, but make sure there is a light on at the bottom of the stairs for her to see where she is going. And if the stair way is dark, then along the stair way as well. The LED stick on lights are great for this! Shadows can be scary when you mix in heights and darkness and unfamiliar, scary stairs.

If she were really bonded to you, just spending time at the bottom with the other dog could encourage her to try. The fact that you have a second dog will help her in this. Have him stand on the steps three or so down and reward him. Often jealousy will work where bribes don't.

Now for the rest of that cr@p, DON'T let her outside off leash or unsupervised! She can't rip or dog holes in a fence if you are there watching her, and she can't run away from you if she is on a leash. If she is DA and is attacking other dogs, then it is even MORE important that this dog NOT BE OFF LEASH even in your yard.

Oh, and Brian, I would recommend the same for you. Try to close off the steps. Their depth perception is different than ours, and open stairs, especially without a railing, can make many dogs uncomfortable.

If your dog is marker trained, I would mark for each step down. Not all at once, but to focus on one or two steps per session, or slower if you needed to. You will want the dog to happily take the step, not reluctantly.

But if there is no need for the dog to go down the stairs, then I wouldn't focus on the issue. Leave it for a rainy day activity.

I know I've given them way to much freedom way too fast. I do have a out door kennel in side the fenced yard. I'm gonna have to walk them out to it, Its 12x12 heavy Cyclone fence. On a concrete slab. I admit It was easier for me to just let them out the door instead of walking them out to the kennel in the snow. What makes me mad to is this neighbor has to pretty big labs and he uses my fence as his, my fence is like 10ft inside of my property line., his dogs come to the fence and raise heck with mine that the only time they start ripping the fence its cause of his dogs, I know that doesnt lessen my responsibility to control my dogs but he sits and complaines about my dogs when he does absolutly nothing to control his part, I feel like telling him to put up his own darn fence. His dogs are helping tear mine up. As far as the step issue thanks for the ideas I think that will help. It is dark there. As far as the weak nerve issue I think more each day I'm seeing that its a unsocialization issue not weak nerves.The way she jumped through that fence and went afer that dog I think I'm going to have more of a dominate agression issue then weak nerves.

Debbie, terminology ("dominant aggression" and "weak nerves") matter not at all compared to containing the dog.

Not to get into your face at all -- I know you're working hard. But honestly, the dog has to be contained.

I know it's a big struggle. I really do. But number one is dog management. And number two is "see number one."

Again, I mean this in the "giving info" way and not the confrontational way.

It sounds like the neighbors dogs are a PITA, as is the neighbor, but, like you said, that is neither here nor there. My neighbor has an AB, a lab, a weenie/Chi X and a big wiry terrier mix. They are the worst fence fighters, and often end up turning on each other (and have dug under the fence and had the little one rip up my dogs’ outdoor beds ). That doesn’t mean that my dogs are allowed to even think about barking back! They may want to, and even whine about it on occasion, but they have been taught that it is not OK.

I can understand that it is a hassle to go all the way to the kennel, but do it for the dog’s sake, because if this were to ever happen again, YOUR dog will be the one taken by animal control. It is not just important to have complete containment, but imperative. Leashed/long lined (inside and out) or kenneled.