SheepOfBlue
Premium Member
Sca is a do everything dog but does not like stairs without a back. He finally got to do them over to my parents but the hotel in Nashville .... no way.
Hanna is afraid of stairs
- Thread starter EJHUNTL
- Start date
ClantyreSheltie
Forums Sage
My new baby is 18 weeks now, and I decided that it was time for him to go down the steps. So I pushed him. Not hard, just hard enough that he got momentum and had to deal with it, then we partied at the bottom. I am on the second floor, so down 36 steps in 4 flights every time we go out. 24 hours later, he is flying down the steps.
It helps when there are other dogs for them to want to be with, too.
It helps when there are other dogs for them to want to be with, too.
BarbV
Forums Celebrity
OMG! You pushed him! That's surely one way of getting him started! 
One other comment I will make....when trying to train to do hard wood stairs make sure their pads are fur free! Fur between the pads will make them slide more and reduce their ability to control the decent. Then you just get a tumble down the stairs.
One other comment I will make....when trying to train to do hard wood stairs make sure their pads are fur free! Fur between the pads will make them slide more and reduce their ability to control the decent. Then you just get a tumble down the stairs.
I never thought about all the stairs in my two story home being an issue for dogs when I started fostering . . . until my first foster would not even walk the two low, wide steps into my house.
My first Sheltie taught herself to go up and down the stairs by carefully watching my other dogs do it. She would literally sit on the landing and watch them walk the stairs.
Most of the others have needed help. To teach them to go upstairs, I sit with a treat in my hand about two steps above them. When they reach me, they get the treat, then I move up a couple more steps, and repeat this until we reach the top.
I think going downstairs is scarier for them. To teach them to go down, I will hold onto them around their chest, and walk them down while I walk the steps behind them, praising them with every step they take. Of course they get a high quality treat when we reach the bottom.
I know we look very klutzy going down the stairs this way, but I think that by holding on to the dog, it gives them a sense of security.
The basement stairs into my office have been harder for the dogs, as they are steeper, narrower, and darker. But once they figured out the open staircase to get upstairs, they eventually figure it out on their own.
My first Sheltie taught herself to go up and down the stairs by carefully watching my other dogs do it. She would literally sit on the landing and watch them walk the stairs.
Most of the others have needed help. To teach them to go upstairs, I sit with a treat in my hand about two steps above them. When they reach me, they get the treat, then I move up a couple more steps, and repeat this until we reach the top.
I think going downstairs is scarier for them. To teach them to go down, I will hold onto them around their chest, and walk them down while I walk the steps behind them, praising them with every step they take. Of course they get a high quality treat when we reach the bottom.
I know we look very klutzy going down the stairs this way, but I think that by holding on to the dog, it gives them a sense of security.
The basement stairs into my office have been harder for the dogs, as they are steeper, narrower, and darker. But once they figured out the open staircase to get upstairs, they eventually figure it out on their own.
Tabitha
Forums Enthusiast
What if he'd fallen?! That's a long way down! I understand getting them started, but JEEZE woman!
ClantyreSheltie
Forums Sage
I did push him. When dogs are baby puppies, breeders <should be> stressing them in small ways, to teach the puppies how to handle and recover from it. Breeders that don't stress them starting really young, like three days old, tend to produce soft, wimpy dogs.
So pushing him down the steps, while it sounds mean, worked because he had a good foundation of small stresses while growing up. So he was like OMG!!! then he hit the bottom, and was like "oh, that wasn't so bad". Then I reinforced him handling it on his own. He picked it up really quick.
I just had to do the same thing with my Collie and open backed steps. That's a whole new can of worms. She was fine going down, wouldn't go up. So I got behind her and pushed her butt and made her deal with it.
All of this is predicated on the puppy being big enough to actually manage the steps, too.
So pushing him down the steps, while it sounds mean, worked because he had a good foundation of small stresses while growing up. So he was like OMG!!! then he hit the bottom, and was like "oh, that wasn't so bad". Then I reinforced him handling it on his own. He picked it up really quick.
I just had to do the same thing with my Collie and open backed steps. That's a whole new can of worms. She was fine going down, wouldn't go up. So I got behind her and pushed her butt and made her deal with it.
All of this is predicated on the puppy being big enough to actually manage the steps, too.
Shelby's mom
Forums Enthusiast
I would be too a afraid to push my dog down the stairs. My previous sheltie fell down our stairs and dislocated her shoulder. It was not a good situation. Because of that I am very adamant with proper behavior on or near the steps. Shelby either goes down before or after us. Not at the same time. Also no playing at the top of the stairs or on the stairs. She will not even chase her ball down the steps if she drops it down. She will stand there and wait for someone to get it for her.
Hollie falling down the stairs was one of the worst days of my life and I never want to see that happen again.
Hollie falling down the stairs was one of the worst days of my life and I never want to see that happen again.
Well I'm not about to push Hanna given what a clutz she can be going up - don't want to deal with sprains or worse a break! I have placed her 2 steps from the top and stood behind her so I can catch her if she slips, and put a favorite treat at the top to entice her. I may try Sheltie4's method for going down. For now I've decided the indoor hardwood stairs are just too slippery and we're going to work outdoors where she can get a good grip - we'll move it inside when she gets really good with deck stairs.
ClantyreSheltie
Forums Sage
What if he'd fallen?! That's a long way down! I understand getting them started, but JEEZE woman!
It's only 9 steps! And they are rubber coated and have excellent traction. He would have had to try to fall down them. And they aren't steep. I wouldn't have done it with like the steps into my parents basement, those are much steeper, and carpet covered. They scare me! But these are shallow and rubber.