# refuses to go down the stairs!



## whimsy (Apr 3, 2010)

Whimsy is about 17 weeks old...she goes up the stairs in the house just fine and dandy but does not go down. I have bribed with the best stuff I got and she just seems very hesitant and scared. It is only about 7 stairs,they are not carpeted. I have even started her out on like the bottom three so it doesn't seem so far down for her to go,, but she still will not move. She would like to...but doesn't seem to know how to get moving. I'm hoping it will happen all in good time...any thoughts ladies???
suggestions maybe....I have tried everything and maybe I just need to forget about it huh??


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Give her time... she's still very young. Start with just ONE stair and lots of good treats. Don't add any more until she's very comfortable with that. Then add just ONE more...

Kodi didn't do the stairs for the longest time, and ours are carpeted, so not as scary as slippery hardwood stairs. One day he got the idea, and he's been a "stair master" ever since!


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## RIstream (Aug 21, 2008)

Our Cooper went up and down our stairs like a champion until we removed the carpeting to have the stairs refinished. He refused to go up or down and we had to carry him. As soon as we put the new carpet back on the stairs he went right back to running up and down. Maybe you could put a runner on them???


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## irnfit (Nov 21, 2006)

It takes them a while to learn to go down stairs. I think it's because their depth perception isn't quite developed yet. Mine still have to be carried down my basement stairs. They are kind of at a steeper angle than normal. They are fine with other steps.


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## ls-indy (Apr 10, 2008)

We live in a ranch that has a daylight (but not walk-out) basement. Daisy (2 yrs) has NEVER gone down those stairs. Beau (1 yr) has followed his sister's lead. They will both lay at the top of the stairs and wait if I (or DH) goes down there. The stairs are carpeted. 

We're VERY happy with this since the basement door is at the bottom! We basically have storage, play area, TV area, pool table, and exercise equipment in the basement....and prefer they don't follow us down there anyway.... 

The really ODD thing is, they will run up and down the stairs when they visit our breeders house, and they will run up and down OPEN stair to the deck across the street. They don't seem tentative at all! Can't figure it out, but we're happy with things the way they are!


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## Rita Nelson (Jul 13, 2009)

Tucker won't go up the stairs. We had carpeted stairs and several months ago put in hardwood upstairs and on the stairs. He had not problem going up or down, just like when it was carpeted until one day his foot slip when he was 3 or 4 steps up and he slid down. Now we have to carry him up at night when we go to bed. He goes down with no problem.


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## susieg (Aug 28, 2009)

Lola was hesitant with the stairs at first too [mine are carpeted]. I tried coaxing her with treats a few times...but didn't work with her too much on it b/c figured she'd eventually get it. Once she got a little bigger, she went up and down without a problem. She always has to be by my side....so there was no way she was staying upstairs or downstairs all by herself lol


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## SMARTY (Apr 19, 2007)

Galen does not go down our stairs, even when her ball or toys end at the bottom. She never seems scared. She sits at the top until we come back or get her toy. I worried about this for the longest time until we went to friends, playdates or other places with stairs and she traveled them with the group or on leash without any hesitation. 

Galen had a little hitch in her rear when she came to us. No notice of it at all anymore but I did wonder if this was the cause at first. If you or the vet has not noticed any physical reason or the steps are not too steep, then I would just give her time. I remember Smarty being 4 or 5 months old before she attempted going down the stairs.


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## jcarol (Mar 20, 2010)

Rikky learned quickly to go up the stairs but, he was between 4 and 5 months before he overcame his fear of coming down the stairs. I had to work with him by carrying him part of the way down and putting him on lower steps to get him come down on his own. Over time, I continued to leave him nearer the top and then one day He got it and came all the way down the stairs. Now at 6 months, he can beat me up and down the stairs and we have a long, uncarpeted flight of stairs!


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## waybrook (Sep 13, 2009)

Panda is over a year old and will not go down stairs. She is fine going up, but refuses to even try to go down. We live in a ranch house, but there are several stairs coming into the house and off the deck. Initially I wanted her to learn, but now it is an effective tool in keeping tabs on her. We can go out on the front porch, I can take my book - she takes her chew bone and we whittle away the hours - I don't worry about her running down the steps and out to the street....


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## arlene (Jul 28, 2007)

My stairs are not carpeted. Of my 5 havs, 4 will go up but only one will go down the stairs. They are fine on carpeted stairs.

It is pretty challenging in the morning when I have to carry 4 dogs down.


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## Luciledodd (Sep 5, 2009)

Rosie is 16 months old and has just in the last three weeks started down stairs. She would sit and wait for someone to carry her down--then one day just took off. I didn't want her to ever learn as it has caused a problem at work. My office is on the second floor and she had the run of the whole floor. Last week I couldn't keep her on her floor. She was constantly going down to the other offices. It is a problem because someone might inadvertly let her outside and then she would be in traffic. The hall way if extra wide (8 feet) so nearly impossible to gate off and I have a near blind employee that any gate would be a hazard for her. So Rosie is now confined to my office only. Yet, I forget to shut the door half the time and she gets out. And at home I am afraid one of the GChildren will let her outside. Before I could just leave her upstairs and knew she was safe. So be careful what you wish for. 

I have never seen an ex-pen. Can one be straightened out to block off the hallway?


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## SMARTY (Apr 19, 2007)

Luciledodd said:


> I have never seen an ex-pen. Can one be straightened out to block off the hallway?


Sure it can, x-pens are in folding panels of differert sizes. Lot of brands and sizes

http://www.dogkennels.com/dog-kennels/dog-exercise-pens/48ingoldexercisepenwdr.cfm


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## deejay (Aug 19, 2008)

Chico refuses to go down our basement stairs and a few other sets of stairs. My sister figured it out. He won't go down stairs if he can't see what is around the corners down there. I guess he figures that there could be monsters hiding around the corners already to pounce on him. If we carry him down he hides his head in our arm pits. He isn't a very brave dog I guess.


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## iluvhavs (Jul 21, 2008)

Lucy and Rico will do all carpeted stairs. But once the carpeting is off...forget it! Lucy will go up uncarpeted stairs, but not Rico. Neither one of them will dare to try going down slippery, uncarpeted stairs.

I would much rather they be cautious then end up in a heap at the base of the steps!

I had to buy self adhesive stair covers for the garage steps. I think I picked them up at Home Depot. They look like oriental carpeting, put are 6" x 18". Just enough to give them good traction.

Rico will go down the outside basement steps because they are a rough wood. But they both just sit and stare down the painted wooden steps from the living room to the basement. That's OK!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B003J3QSC4/ref=dp_image_z_0?ie=UTF8&s=miscellaneous


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

here's an article from my archives. LOL 
Having a traumatic experience while climbing stairs could certainly cause
a dog to fear them. Other traumas that could cause a fear of stairs include
slipping, falling, or being injured on them. More common reasons for a
dog's fear of stairs, however, are a lack of previous exposure, lacking the
motor coordination to navigate the stairs successfully, perceiving the
staircase as visually overwhelming, or simply having an instinctive fear
of heights. Fear of climbing stairs can also be due to joint-related pain; if
you suspect this might be the case or your dog is a senior citizen, a vet
checkup is in order. you live in a split-level home or take your dog to public places, a fear
of stairs can be problematic. Fortunately, it is one of the easier canine
fears to conquer. Because most dogs' fear involves climbing down, we'll
focus on that aspect.
Preparation
Food will be used as a lure and as a reward, so have extra-special treats
on hand. Slices of hot dog, cheese, or bits of boneless boiled chicken are
all excellent choices
Be sure there are no objects near the stairs such as statues or potted plants
that could be knocked over, or things on or around the stairs (such as
kids' or dogs' toys) that could cause your dog to become startled, slip, or
fall. Years ago, when working with a client's stair-phobic dog, I did no:
realize that the upright air purifier, which sat on the lower landing, w;s
not as heavy nor as solid as it appeared. The session had been going welL
We had progressed to the point where the dog was enthusiastically
climbing down the entire staircase from the top step—until she happened
to bump the air purifier, which fell over and startled us all. Fortunately,
after moving it aside we were able to convince the dog to continue, but it
could have caused a real setback.
Stairs without a Care
Rather than placing your dog on the top step and expecting her to navigate
the entire staircase, you will be asking her to climb down a single step at
first. As long as she remains comfortable, steps will added one at a time
until she is happily climbing up and down the stairs without a care.
Read through the following instructions before you begin. As always
take your time, watch for signs of stress, and proceed at a pace at which
your dog is comfortable.
Stand with your dog at ground level, at a distance from the stairs that is
comfortable for her. Toss a treat on the floor a foot or two away from you
and say, "Get it!" Act and sound happy and enthusiastic, as though this
is a fun game. Repeat a few times, moving a few inches closer to the
staircase with each repetition, until you are tossing treats on the floor
right next to the stairs. Do a few repetitions.
Once your dog is comfortable taking treats at ground level next to the
lowest stair, it is time to take the first step—literally. Stand a few feet
back from the stairs. After your dog has eaten the last treat from ground
level, without pausing, toss a treat on to the lowest step and say, "Get it!"
Allow your dog to take the treat. Then call your dog (in a happy voice, of
course!) and reward her for coming to you. (Alternately, if your dc ;
knows touch, ask her to return to touch your hand. To teach the skill, s^;
Chapter 16.} Repeat a few times. Then, without pausing, toss a treat on
to the second step and allow your dog to take it. Again, call her and
reward her for coming. Repeat a few times. Depending on the size of
your dog, she may not actually have to climb any steps to take the initial
treats; that's fine. As you progress, she will have to use one paw, then
two, then eventually her entire body in order to reach the treat.
If your first session involves only three steps, that's fine. The goal is not
to get your dog to race down the entire staircase in as short a time as
possible, but to leave her with a positive feeling about the stairs. Do
short, daily practice sessions that end on a good note. Begin the subsequent
session a few steps below where you left off. If at any point your dog
balks and will not move, go back to a level at which she was comfortable,
do a few repetitions, then end the session.
troubleshooting
If your dog refuses to climb the stairs to take the treats, assuming her fear
of stairs is not extreme:
gently lift your dog on to the bottom step. (If your dog is too heavy to
Lift yourself, engage the help of a friend with whom your dog is
comfortable.) With your dog on the step, stand back and enthusiastically
call her to you. Use a high-pitched, happy voice; try crouching down and
opening your arms. If necessary (and your dog is food-motivated), try
Bartering a few treats near your feet. Since navigating the lowest step is
not so frightening and you are being so enthusiastic, it is likely that your
dog will comply. Repeat until she seems confident and relaxed on the
first step, then proceed to placing her on the second step. Stop the session
before your dog has conquered just a few steps. Practice in brief, frequent
sessions, building up to her confidently navigating the entire staircase.
Tricks to try:
• Are your stairs carpeted? If not, the slippery surface might be
contributing to your dog's fear. Lay down a runner (rubber or carpet)
temporarily—or permanently, to ensure everybody's safety.
• Do your stairs have risers? If not, that open space between the steps
could be frightening your dog. Tape cardboard to the front of each
step while working through the exercises. Once your dog is
completely comfortable, the pieces can be removed gradually, one
at a time.
If you have two dogs and one is not afraid of the stairs, or you can
borrow a friend's non-stair-phobic dog, call that dog up and down
the stairs. Your dog may learn through example that the stairs are
not so daunting after all.
With practice, your dog will soon be climbing happily up and down the
stairs in your home. But do not assume that means she will be fear-free
when she encounters stairs in other locations. To help her generalize that
all staircases are not to be feared, bring along treats and practice at other
locations. Take the time to introduce your dog to new staircases gradually
as you did at home. You will find that with each new location your dog
will show less and less trepidation, until she will ultimately climb any
flight of stairs with ease.


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## whimsy (Apr 3, 2010)

thanks for all the info and that great article!!....we will work on going down and I'm sure in time it will come naturally to her.


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

Oh this will happen maybe before you read the article a second time. Once the fear disipates ,you will be wishing he took her time down the stairs. LOL


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