The stairs

Mario · 07-07-2008, 09:53 PM

I'm not a first time dog owner but this is the first time I've owned a small dog. Mario has mastered going up the stairs but can't seem to navigate down unless I kind of urge him on the lead. He's five months old so he should be capable of getting down them, I believe. I've tried coaxing him with treats but to no avail. We have a three story townhome so it would be nice not to have to keep bringing him back down when he gets stuck at the top and starts barking like a madman. And I really don't want to drag out the baby gates and limit his roaming area. Anyone got any tips?

terryjeanne · 07-07-2008, 10:53 PM

My first sheltie wasn't too crazy about stairs when we first got him. So, I just had him go down one stair at a time with lots of praise and treats

I put him on the second to last step so he only had to go down one step. Did that a couple of times and went up one more step. Our house only has seven steps to the main area so after a couple of days he was fine.

gingersmom · 07-08-2008, 09:34 AM

I second the suggestion to have the puppy practice on 2-3 steps at a time. After all, for a small dog a full flight of stairs looks like a loooong way down!

Resist the urge to rescue the puppy at the top, and instead, sit down on the steps 2-3 steps below, and call him to come. Lots of encouragement and praise should help him get started.

Mario · 07-08-2008, 09:45 AM

Thanks for the tips! I think I'll start out with two at a time and see if he can master that. I guess it probably does look like a long way down form his perspective!