Thank you everyone for your responses. For a little background and update, yes we do marker training and yes, Sable had been rewarded for putting both front paws unto the utv for quite some time and we seemed stuck there. After my plea on the forum last night we withheld morning feeding and Sable made it up the first half of the stairs in the house to the first landing after quite a bit of luring with her all time favorite raw hamburger. I was above her and when she came up a step or two I just didn't let her turn around and run away (longline). She got the "jackpot" and lots of praise when she made it up to me on the landing. Now the problem is she is absolutely glued to the landing and won't go up or down.

She has never had a negative experience in a vehicle and seems to really enjoy herself once she's in. It's the in and out part that traumatized her and she is way, way too big and heavy to pick up on a regular basis anymore. And, having an suv may be part of the problem because we did pick her up when she was smaller because it is so high off the ground.

So, we're still in a pickle here.

I've taught several dogs to go in and out of our fifth-wheel trailer. They all found it a little scary at first. Depending on the ground it was parked on, the first step could be pretty high off the ground, so a solid wooden platform helped for those occasions.

Also, the steps themselves are made of metal and have those little -- I don't know, ventilation holes or whatever they're called. The metal can be slippery, and toenails can catch in the little holes, so we always made sure to have those carpet covers for the steps. That makes the steps a lot quieter and gives the dogs a non-slip surface.

We had to resort to using a ramp a few years ago when the dog we had then got up in age and had balance problems. We had to use the ramp to get her in the back of the SUV, too, and eventually even to enable her to go up the back deck stairs.

You can try to get her up using a prong in one smooth motion. Grab the line close to the collar and GO, no commands just take the dog up with you, no pausing, no stopping, just get her in, say GOOD, release reward. Say something like "lets go" and bring her down + release and reward at the same time. Repeat.

Chances are high that next time she will just jump in by herself when you lead her up. Now you can start adding a command like "hup". The assumption is that there is no injury that is preventing her to climb.

 Quote: faisal khan

You can try to get her up using a prong in one smooth motion. Grab the line close to the collar and GO, no commands just take the dog up with you, no pausing, no stopping, just get her in, say GOOD, release reward. Say something like "lets go" and bring her down + release and reward at the same time. Repeat.

Chances are high that next time she will just jump in by herself when you lead her up. Now you can start adding a command like "hup". The assumption is that there is no injury that is preventing her to climb.

This is what I would do.

Are you guys saying to bring the dog up off the ground with the collar?

Or run up the steps without stopping?

 Quote: al curbow

 Quote: faisal khan

You can try to get her up using a prong in one smooth motion. Grab the line close to the collar and GO, no commands just take the dog up with you, no pausing, no stopping, just get her in, say GOOD, release reward. Say something like "lets go" and bring her down + release and reward at the same time. Repeat.

Chances are high that next time she will just jump in by herself when you lead her up. Now you can start adding a command like "hup". The assumption is that there is no injury that is preventing her to climb.

This is what I would do.

It's stretching my memory, but I believe I started out trying to lure them in with treats, but I had one, maybe more, that were resistant to even that. So I more or less used the technique that Faisal describes.

I honestly can't remember if I used a prong or one of their other collars, but I started about 20 feet or so back from the vehicle, keeping the dog close to me, then quickly sprinted to the vehicle and up the steps. If there was any resistance, I just pulled them with me. It was just sort of a no-nonsense, we're going in type of attitude. Once inside, they instantly got a jackpot of favorite treats, then down the stairs in the same manner.

Be careful, though, Gail. I'm sure you know this, but RV steps can be a little unstable if you actually run up them, not to mention how narrow they are!

If it continues to be a problem, though, as others have pointed out, I would have her hips and elbows checked.

There has been some suggestions of just putting a pinch collar & line on the dog & essentially just runing up the steps without stoping ..not giving the dog any options. Not sure I'd be a fan of 'flooding' a puppy. You can crate more problems then you are fixing & the dog isn't getting any smaller. Plus you are expectin to take this dog on a long road trip which will necesitate the loading & unloading mulstiple times a day? I would be out there working with this dog on this every possible minute before this trip until he was comfortable with all this.

If the car etc has been an ongoing problem...why have you waited until the 'eleventh hour' to fix this? Just curious.

I would add a stool to make the height/steps more appealing & work positively with the dog.

If she won't take the stairs in the house, I'd be at the vet.

Is she stepping independently, or bunny-hopping her back feet in unison to clear each stair?

 Quote: cheri grissom

 Quote: al curbow

 Quote: faisal khan

You can try to get her up using a prong in one smooth motion. Grab the line close to the collar and GO, no commands just take the dog up with you, no pausing, no stopping, just get her in, say GOOD, release reward. Say something like "lets go" and bring her down + release and reward at the same time. Repeat.

Chances are high that next time she will just jump in by herself when you lead her up. Now you can start adding a command like "hup". The assumption is that there is no injury that is preventing her to climb.

This is what I would do.

It's stretching my memory, but I believe I started out trying to lure them in with treats, but I had one, maybe more, that were resistant to even that. So I more or less used the technique that Faisal describes.

I honestly can't remember if I used a prong or one of their other collars, but I started about 20 feet or so back from the vehicle, keeping the dog close to me, then quickly sprinted to the vehicle and up the steps. If there was any resistance, I just pulled them with me. It was just sort of a no-nonsense, we're going in type of attitude. Once inside, they instantly got a jackpot of favorite treats, then down the stairs in the same manner.

Be careful, though, Gail. I'm sure you know this, but RV steps can be a little unstable if you actually run up them, not to mention how narrow they are!

If it continues to be a problem, though, as others have pointed out, I would have her hips and elbows checked.

This is a Motorhome, I am thinking steps more like this.

http://www.prizecamping.com/store/step-huggers-rv-stairs-sierra-brown.html

For the metal exit stairs, we replaced them with portable wooden stairs to add width and stability. My dogs didn't have the issue , I did.

 Quote: Anne Jones

There has been some suggestions of just putting a pinch collar & line on the dog & essentially just running up the steps without stopping ..not giving the dog any options. Not sure I'd be a fan of 'flooding' a puppy. You can crate more problems then you are fixing & the dog isn't getting any smaller. Plus you are expecting to take this dog on a long road trip which will necessitate the loading & unloading multiple times a day? I would be out there working with this dog on this every possible minute before this trip until he was comfortable with all this.

Thanks Anne- I was thinking the same thing, but not sure how to post it! You got it for me.
Why use a prong? Why make something that is obviously already worrying the dog a potentially painful experience if she locks her legs and does not run up with you?