Carrying a 5 month old Lab up 4 flights of stairs

[eggrolyn1223]

How can I teach Duck to walk up and down stairs?My arms are about broken from carrying her everytime she needs a potty break. :-? She handles the 3 steps really easy(from outside to 1st floor that doesnt include the house), but then when she sees more than 3-4, she just doesn't move.And she doesnt walk down stairs...terrified of going down actually. :( It's not gonna b easier when she's older.Or should I wait until she's bigger?

[Guest Anonymous]

Nothing is going to get easier with Duck as he gets older. Obedience, potty training comes with teaching at an early age. With Duck being confined so much and no access to outside until you get home has made his fear of steps much worse. You can try letting go of his leash and going to the first landing and placing a yummy treat and wait for him to decide he wants it, and so forth with the rest of the stairs and landings.

[Bentley's Dad]

Same thing with Bentley, except he was younger when he learned to go up stairs, bribe him to go down a few steps at a time, place him a few steps up, using a treat you should be able to get him down, if not move him down a bit more, eventually you can work your way up to doing the whole staircase with a treat or 2, then soon he can do it by himself, going up is easier, but still use treats as bribes, and just practice, all the dog needs is self confidence, its not the most natural thing for a 4 legged critter to go downstairs, but he will learn.

BTW. hes not terrified of steps or anything, your not doing anything wrong, its just something a dog needs to learn, i think pat made it seem like your dog not knowing how to handle steps was abuse or something

[Guest Anonymous]

i had the same problem with tyson, he would go outside to go potty going down 4 steps but going upstairs he was fine going up but wouldnt go down them. he would fallow his sister up there and cry waiting to be carried down. so we mad a game of it. not that playing on the stairs is a good idea but he needed to know theres no reason to be scared so we got out his favorite toy and started at the top playing then ever so often i would scoot down a step or two still playing, he would come down to get the toy. after a while we were at the bottom and after a few weeks, he was fine with going down them. we didnt do this ever day but for you it might be easier . since thats how he gets outside.

[yellowlabsrule]

You need to wait till she (Is Duck a she?) is fully grown. Going up and down stairs can do something to the growth plates I think. So I wouldn't let her go up and down all those stairs, but I would work on a few with some doggie treats.

[corgilady]

Egg, since the dog is already going down a few steps, why not give a name to that (like " go downstairs") and then treat & praise ("good downstairs!") for it. After a few times of that, try saying the command at the other place ("go downstairs, Duck!"). Be sure to praise for even a little movement toward moving down the stairs.

Either that or lift weights, cuz Duck will only get heavier! :lol:

[Guest Anonymous]

Jac was terrified of steps at first but when he conquered the first couple that was the end... I praised him and now there is no stopping him! :lol:

Duck looking for you to pick her up now... Go with Newfiemom and Corgilady...Use treats and praise...Have her focus on you...You go a couple of steps and have her follow you(do not drag her but call her treat in hand) give loads of praise even if it is two steps... :wink:

[Hobbit]

Newfie and Corgi --- take their advice about the treats. [color=red](haha, this is edited, because it's not exactly what I was trying to say --- trying to say: Egg, take Newfie and Corgi's advice on using treats --- Miss Kitty's nose was in my eye, my ear, my nose, on my toes, my cheek, ..... very hard to concentrate with her trying to get my attention!!)[/color]
You really don't know how lucky you are --- with our pups > NO FEAR. They will jump off anything, climb on anything, walk up or down anything. It would be a relief to not have a heart attack everytime one hollers, "watch me!!" and jumps off something really high! :wink:

Stairs -- no problem; ladders -- no problem (we make sure there are no standing ladders anywhere); round bales of hay -- no problem, they climb up and slide down.....no fear. They make us crazy, though.

[Guest Anonymous]

I can see the problem. Whats the age of the pup anyway??? My Pup had trouble at first too. When he gets older It`ll be easier. One day my pup just climbed up. If he does, reward with treats and praise

[Carolk9s]

I too agree with Corgilady and Newfiemom, get some little bitty pieces of her favorite treat, even use something that she does not normally get to make it even more desirable. See if someone will help you, carry Duck 3/4 of the way up or 2-3 steps from the top. Set her down, have the helper hold her in place so she cannot fall or anything. Go up the few steps, encourage her to come to you. Praise and treat. Then go for 4-5 steps and so on. At first I might be more excited with my praise then tone it down once she seems to be getting the message. You want her to know you are happy about her progress but not so much that she gets overly wound up and tries to race the steps. Make sure she is not leaping out of control or lunging around and keep her leash on her. Work on teaching her to safely negotiate the stairs at a MODERATE pace. Do the same as above to teach her to come down. Especially going down, you don't want her flinging herself down the stairs to where she might crash or even pull you down!
This will probably take some time to teach correctly, have patience, best of luck and let us know of your progress.