Watch me climb the stairs mom!!! Backwards, that is . . .
 It has gotten to the point where it is hard for me to continue carrying him up and down the stairs. We were planning on allowing him to climb the stairs at 6 months. That's next week - and he has taken it upon himself to go UP already. Since we're close to the 6 month mark (and my back is speaking to me) I have allowed him to come up the stairs when I ask him to. Today I decided he should learn to climb down, as well.
Yeah right. I carried him halfway down and sat him on the stairs next to me (that's hard to do)! He tried to come down, but ended up scooting BACKWARDS all the way back up the stairs. Somehow he managed to go all the way up the stairs while in a sitting position facing the bottom of the stairway! 
Granted, he's super cute, but he really does need to learn how to leave our bedroom (upstairs) and come downstairs in the mornings! Any tips?!!! (BTW my biggest fear is that he'll want to come down so badly that one day he will leap from the top of the staircase to the bottom. I would love to teach him to go down, but I haven't a clue how to start!) |
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| Sit in the middle of the stairs and he will come to you:-)
I was teaching one of mine Lhasas to walk the stairs some years ago, and everyone started to laugh when they saw her, she was jumping sideways down the stairs and she was looking really stupid, so i think it is better that you let him figure it out himselfe. |
| That's a good idea Ann!!
Another thing I would suggest (did this with my upright kids when they were small). Is installing a baby gate a few stairs up to get them use to stairs and not that high should they fall. After they practise for a while move the baby gate up a few more stairs,,and so on. Good luck!! Belly rubs for your boy! Marianne and the boys |
Have a cookie (those always work in our house) and coax him from the bottom of the staircase...its alright if he scoots the first few times....better safe than sorry...or you can do what I did...take him to the nearest fire dept...and have all 12 guys at the bottom coaxing with pieces of steak  |
| both of my animals were afraid of stairs. we always had to carry them up and down when we went to hotels (quite regularly) when they were puppies. however, we lived in places that had stairs.
When she started to get too heavy, we just forced her to go up and down on a leash. We just WEREN'T going to carry her. After just a few times, then voila. As far as leaping from the top of the stair... I was afraid of that too. At times, it seems like Yuki does, but either way... they manage and are fine  So far *crosses fingers*
In small dog forums, they always say that as long as your dog can't fall between the stairs (in the gap between them), then they are ready. So, Yuki was ready a LONG time ago. |
| Treats work wonders! Can I ask, why haven't you allowed him to do the stairs? Foz has been doing stairs on his own since 3 months. |
Stacy wrote: Treats work wonders! Can I ask, why haven't you allowed him to do the stairs? Foz has been doing stairs on his own since 3 months.
My breeder asked us to carry him until he was 6 months old just to decrease the tension on his hips while they were growing so fast. It's just an extra precaution thing. Actually I liked it because it allowed the kitties an automatic escape because they knew Bing wasn't allowed on the staircase!  |
| I put a treat on each stair and coaxed from one stair below from the step they were at and moved as Clyde moved. He got it pretty quick but really used the wall for support. He looked drunk for quite some time. Bear, on the other hand, was so big when I got him, that way didn't work. He stretched out on his belly and could reach the treat halfway down the stairs, then he's ooze back. Clyde got tired of him staying upstairs so he herded him right down by squishing him up against the wall and shoving him all the way down, but he kept his body tight to him so he didn't fall. It was pretty cute! |
I'll be trying the above suggestions!!! For the time being - Taylor (kitty) has figured out that he can lure Bingley to the top of the stairs and then go to the middle and be safe!
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| Ha Ha Ha smart Kitty.
We have stairs too, going up is always easier, but going down is another story too. 
They learn quickly, especially when a treat is involved in coming down again. The other side of the coin is old age it starts all over again with stair issues.  |
lisaoes wrote: We have stairs too, going up is always easier, but going down is another story too.
When they were learning to go down, both Bear and Clyde, got so upset and frustrated from not being able to go down, they peed at the top of the stairs. Ironically, in exactly the same spots. Note to self for future: begin training after bathroom break! |
Too cute... 
I don't let mine go upstairs, so when we visit somewhere that they have to use stairs it is a bit of a challenge getting them to go up or down. |
| Pepsi doesn't do stairs. He will go up maybe like 4 steps but no higher. He will also go back down 3 to 4 steps.
I have no idea about Rags, never had her anywhere with stairs. I am sure Pepsi would climb stairs if he had too. But we don't have any so he doesn't have too. |
| oh dear am I being bad letting Duch go up and down four steps to the backyard? the first couple of days I carried her down then I just let her go and she had no troubles at all both up and down . the steps are wide and she hops from one to another |
| This is what my hubby did...last week. I have tried and tried to coax Simon to come down stairs(into the basement) since a eight wk old. He would whine and cry at the top of the stairs till I'd carry him down. He went up the stairs, not very gracefully but up just the same. Randy pulled his front paws down a few steps, praising him the whole time. Then Simon did a step or two on his own, Randy staying on the down side so he didn't fall. A few more, then a few more and ta da, he's at the bottom. Back up the stairs they went and did it again. Except he didn't have to pull Simon this time, Simon did it on his own! Now he goes down, hugging the wall and I stand by in case he falters but he's doing it on his own. This may work for you, or may not. I say its worth a shot. Good luck!! Pam aka Simon's Mom |
| Barkley's almost 6 months too (on the 10th) and he's 50 lbs. so I can't carry him down the stairs anymore either.
So on the weekend I decided I would teach him how to go down stairs. I pulled out the "big guns" - liver treats. I coaxed him down the stairs from just a couple stairs below him - so that I could steady/catch him if he started to fall. A few practices and he figured it out. A few tips: Use a reassuring voice and try to keep him moving slowly down the stairs. If he goes too fast he'll get up too much momentum and might fall. Try not to let him jump the last few stairs. This can be hard on the joints. If you don't have Bingley's hair clipped, tie up his hair on his face so he can see the stairs really well and see exactly where he's going. Lotsa praise/excitement when he gets to the bottom of the stairs. Let him know how proud you are of him! Good luck! |
| I too was told wait 6 months for the same reason. I used to coax Ollie down 2 steps at a time and cuddle him. he's flies up and down those stairs now - he is the master !!! I do try and avoid him using the stairs too much purely because of their joints. Actually Ollie is banned from upstairs as a few months back he peed all over my bed !! |
| Emily - had any luck teaching Bingley to go down stairs? |
Sheepie Heaven wrote: Emily - had any luck teaching Bingley to go down stairs?
Hey thanks for asking! I now have a full-fledged stair "professional". He thinks he's the coolest dog out there for knowing how to go down the stairs! 
It was the treats that did it - one step at a time and he's been going down ever since! It's really nice for my back!!!! It's much easier to spend time with him upstairs knowing I won't have to carry him back down! 
Oh - and he's really cute when he comes down. He just puts his nose really close the the steps like he's smelling for treats and tries to follow whoever is in front of him to a "T".
PS Our boys are sooo similar in weight and growth it's too bad we don't live closer - they would have a ball together! |
That's wonderful! Yay Bingley!  What a relief for you too!
It is too bad we don't live closer. They'd have a ball playing together, especially since they're the same age & size. I can just picture him going down the stairs with his nose down. Sounds like he's being nice and careful on the stairs. What a good boy! |
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