Greg Myers   wrote 10/25/2006 04:10 PM Puppy scared of stairs #116449 - 10/25/2006 04:10 PM
Greg Myers   Webboard User Reg: 09-15-2006 Posts: 23 Loc: MI, USA Offline	I have a pretty timid 4 month old. I can't get her to go up or down the stairs to the basement. We have a family room down there, and I have to carry her down there if she is to join us. I need advice on how to get her to do it on her own. She won't even follow my 13yr old beagle. <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> If you always do what you've always done, you'll always have what you've always had.
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Dennis Jones wrote 10/25/2006 04:52 PM Re: Puppy scared of stairs [Re: Greg Myers   ] #116450 - 10/25/2006 04:52 PM
Dennis Jones Webboard User Reg: 06-13-2004 Posts: 3389 Loc: Richmond Va Offline	try getting on your hands and feet and going down the stairs head first <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> pup might need to get a little older first and you might want to use a shorter flight of stairs, teach going up the stairs first. playgrounds are a good place, be sure to have thier favourite toy or food, don't push it.
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Al Curbow wrote 10/25/2006 05:05 PM Re: Puppy scared of stairs [Re: Greg Myers   ] #116451 - 10/25/2006 05:05 PM
Al Curbow Webboard User Reg: 06-30-2005 Posts: 974 Loc: northeast Offline	Greg, Put on her leash and walk down the stairs. Stop carrying her down. She might thump her way down at first, but she'll figure it out quick, AL
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Stephanie Vanderhaegen wrote 10/25/2006 05:22 PM Re: Puppy scared of stairs [Re: Al Curbow ] #116452 - 10/25/2006 05:22 PM
Stephanie Vanderhaegen Webboard User Reg: 01-08-2004 Posts: 161 Loc: UK (originally Belgium) Offline	can they do stairs at such a young age? or is that only for the breeds prone to hip dysplasia? Otherwise have you tried food?
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Amber Morgan wrote 10/25/2006 05:35 PM Re: Puppy scared of stairs [Re: Stephanie Vanderhaegen ] #116453 - 10/25/2006 05:35 PM
Amber Morgan Webboard User Reg: 10-18-2006 Posts: 1849 Loc: St. Louis, MO Offline	You didn't mention what kind of dog you have. If you have a short legged breed, don't be surprised if it takes awhile. My dog didn't go up stairs until he was a year old. Sometimes it depends on how steep the stairs are. I would suggest starting out with small stairs (like a front porch) and give a treat for each stair that he accomplishes, and then fewer treats for more stairs and so on. If your dog is scared of stairs, then make sure it's something really tasty (and make sure he's hungry!)
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David C.Frost wrote 10/25/2006 06:09 PM Re: Puppy scared of stairs [Re: Greg Myers   ] #116454 - 10/25/2006 06:09 PM
David C.Frost Webboard User Reg: 01-23-2002 Posts: 1204 Loc: Nashville, TN Offline	Put on leash on the dog, say come on and don't say another word till you get to the bottom. You're bigger so just keep going like nothing at all is the matter. When you get to the bottom, praise the dog, don't make a big deal out of it and walk off. Same with going up. coddling the dog only makes it feel more like there is something to be afraid of. DFrost Any behavior that is reinforced is more likely to occur again.
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Michael Sullivan wrote 10/25/2006 07:39 PM Re: Puppy scared of stairs [Re: David C.Frost ] #116455 - 10/25/2006 07:39 PM
Michael Sullivan Webboard User Reg: 03-22-2006 Posts: 99 Loc: Illinois Offline	Are these the type of basement stair that have no backboard on them,like open stairs?If so I had the same problem with my guy.I took pieces of cardboard and covered the openings on each step til he was used to the stairs ,then removed the cardboard .Worked for me
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Greg Myers   wrote 10/25/2006 08:16 PM Re: Puppy scared of stairs [Re: Amber Morgan ] #116456 - 10/25/2006 08:16 PM
Greg Myers   Webboard User Reg: 09-15-2006 Posts: 23 Loc: MI, USA Offline	Thank you for all of your replies. My Pup is a GSD 4 months old. We have gotten over her fear of the front porch stairs (2 steps) and the deck (4 steps). The basement stairs are steep, but wide, and not open tread. I have tried dragging to the edge with a leash, and dragging up with a leash. She will almost go up on her own, if the treat is tasty enough. She would'nt go down if there was a smoked ham on every step. <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
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alice oliver wrote 10/25/2006 10:40 PM Re: Puppy scared of stairs [Re: Greg Myers   ] #116457 - 10/25/2006 10:40 PM
alice oliver Webboard User Reg: 09-14-2005 Posts: 843 Loc: Offline	treat it like you'd train for an agility obstacle, i.e. use a ton of treats and happy, excited praise. every paw step gets a treat, then a big pile of treats at the end of all the stairs. do it three times in a row, then wait a day or two and do it again. end each session on a positive note, with the dog feeling successful, which means, don't overdo it. keep the sessions short. if it is a really long staircase, find a shorter one to start. working Mastiff
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Mike J Schoonbrood wrote 10/25/2006 11:21 PM Re: Puppy scared of stairs [Re: alice oliver ] #116458 - 10/25/2006 11:21 PM
Mike J Schoonbrood Webboard User Reg: 04-30-2005 Posts: 2784 Loc: Toronto, ON Offline	I've used 2 methods before... firstly, as David Frost and Al Curbow suggested, drag the dog down on a leash, they'll figure it out soon enough. The other method that worked on my GSD when he was a 4 month old pup that refused to try stairs... pick him up, stick him in the middle of the staircase and walk away, eventually he'll figure out that if he wants to eat or do anything besides sitting on the staircase, he has to figure out how to deal with it. My GSD figured it out in under 60 seconds, n he quickly became a pro at flying down the stairs faster than I can fall down the stairs <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
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