Trouble Going Up Stairs

[Guest cmj8377]

Our new adopted greyhound has been with us for 6 days now, and almost everything has been perfect during our honeymoon stage. Everything except the stairs that is. She is 5 yrs old. We have hardwood floors, and our bedroom is on the 2nd floor. We read up extensively on teaching a grey to climb stairs & we've tried everything...standing behind & moving front legs then back, then we tried the treats up the stairs, I even have climbed the stairs on all fours as one site suggested. We've praised instead of scolding every single time. We've not tried to force her up by her collar, and we've not carried her. But still, no marked improvement. Here's the kicker: she's going down the stairs like a pro, unassisted & safely paced for a couple of days now. Which has left us scratching our heads as to why she won't learn to go up. Any guidance you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

[msjpk]

Have you tried walking behind her and supporting her backside? She might just need that support and confidence.

Have you tried giving her a treat when she does succeed? Sounds like she will do it with a little more time.

[Guest HoundWorks]

Are your stairs hardwood? If they are, do you have carpet pads down?

 

Our first flight of stairs is hardwood and the adoption group suggested we get some cheap carpet pads to put down so our Grey doesn't slip.

 

She has much more trouble going up those stairs than down. My explanation of her going upstairs is like a sling shot. She gets herself ready and rockets up the stairs. If she only took the stairs slowly it would make getting up the stairs so much easier

[Guest cmj8377]

Houndworks - 6es they are, and we're planning on installing carpet stai treads this weekend, so thanks for confirming that this may help. We are keeping our fingers crossed.

 

Msjpk - Yes, we've tried both of those & on several occasions. But no improvement, infact she seems to be doing worse than better.

[Guest DeniseL]

We have hardwood steps and our girl would only go up them with my husband behind her moving one foot at a time and supporting her in the rear. We gave treats and positive reinforcement, but she never could go up by herself. I ordered stair treads online and they were delivered 2 days ago. She started going up and down by herself that night and hasn't looked back! The hardwood was just too slippery and scary for her. But I think all the practice she had before the treads came really helped...I'm sure your baby will go right up as soon as she has some traction, good luck!

[Batmom]

I would install the carpet treads.

 

I would also continue with standing behind her and moving her feet.

 

It took Joseph some time to learn to go up and down stairs safely. Had to help him and ignore his fear for more than a week (supposedly a dog trainer, I am unwilling to admit how long :lol ) but in time he learned .

[Guest Greyt_dog_lover]

Houndworks - 6es they are, and we're planning on installing carpet stai treads this weekend, so thanks for confirming that this may help. We are keeping our fingers crossed.

 

Msjpk - Yes, we've tried both of those & on several occasions. But no improvement, infact she seems to be doing worse than better.

 

you need to do it EVERY SINGLE time she goes up the stairs, not just several occasions. I have recovering broken leg fosters in my house, it takes about 2-5 days of walking up the stairs manually every time before they get it on their own. I use the method of standing behind them, and putting one foot up a stair, then the next and so on. Also, be sure to have a leash so that if they get half way up and decide to try to leap up, you can stop them. My stairs are open faced wooden stairs, about as difficult as they get. As I said, EVERY single greyhound that has ever been through my house learns the stairs in less than 1 week. You just have to take the time to walk them up and down the stairs each time, over and over.

[Jimbuck]

When I visit my folks with my boy I'll bring rubber undermats (I think that's what they are called) that keep rugs in place. I cut them to size on each stair so he feels more comfortable with hiking up and down the stairs. This might be something to consider in the meantime?

 

We don't have stairs at my place so it took my boy a while to understand how to use the stairs. Lots of encouragement and I always stood behind him while going up and in front while coming down. Treats at the top and bottom always worked well too.

[Guest Wasserbuffel]

Here's the kicker: she's going down the stairs like a pro, unassisted & safely paced for a couple of days now. Which has left us scratching our heads as to why she won't learn to go up. Any guidance you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

 

Up does take longer than down sometimes. My grey learned down with only two repetitions. Up took a few days, meanwhile she was enjoying getting to go down the stairs . . . then getting stuck in the basement.

 

Others have given good suggestions above. Time and practice, he'll learn.

[Guest kelsosaurus]

Here's the kicker: she's going down the stairs like a pro, unassisted & safely paced for a couple of days now. Which has left us scratching our heads as to why she won't learn to go up.

 

My girl I got a month ago was the exact opposite: she would go up, but not down. I also have hardwood floors, so I just put on some little carpet treads and she has no problems now.

[Guest Patton]

Trying to put myself in the dog's head here so........ I'm wondering if it's that actual climbing act, visual aspect or close quarters that is the scariest for these guys to attempt. I am wondering if visiting a public place with large cement stairways..... thinking public courthouse type steps..... and being asked to climb alongside their owners in an open space might introduce them to stairs in a less threatening/scary manner. Good way to get in shape too

[GeorgeofNE]

Oh my, this takes me back!!

 

It took my boy FOREVER to learn the stairs at my old condo (black, metal, enclosed in a stairwell). I got very frustrated, but kept on. Then one day I bravely steeled myself to try going down and the darn dog pranced down three flights with no problem like a debutante descending stairs for a ball!

 

He only learned them well when I moved to a place with carpet on the stairs, and he followed my movers right up the first time!

[Guest Snazzy_Chloe]

What they said -

have the dog walk next to the wall with you on the side -I guess it gives them security. Traction makes a big difference, if they feel their feet slipping once they push off I think they lose confidence, remember their back feet go where their front feet used to be, and if their front feet are slipping a little - they can't be sure where their back feet are gonna land. Hope they are not open backed stairs which freaks out all dogs. Mine had trouble with the stairs - it seemed to be the visual image -looking up 10-12 steps looks like a hige mountain. Once she got the idea that she could jump up two stairs at a time for the first couple of hops and walk the rest it was easy. What I did that helped was take her to a park that had steps with a long tread 2-3 feet and we walked and ran up and down those which really seemed more like a corrigated hill. I think this helped her and then I worked to progressivly narrower and shorter in height steps. My trouble was going down - up stairs only took 2-3 days. My prior dog was used to carpeted stairs and when we moved to a new house with wooden stairs she had a couple of slips and trips on the stairs, skun her shins -but it freaked her out -so I bought the stair treads and she was better but she never really trusted those stairs again she was an older hound. I think the stair treads will be a great help. I always use caution going down, even after they know how, if something goes wrong they always jump - which can be a serious accident-so I usually hold onto the collar when we go down.

[Guest jmckeone]

We just adopted another grey 3 weeks ago. We have hardwood stairs going to the 2nd level as well and we put treads down in hopes they would help but they didnt. She goes down like a champ but still can't go up on demand. It will take some time, our older grey took 3 months to learn the wood steps. Our basement steps are carpet and both dogs run up and down them like nothing. Its all about the traction and how safe they feel. Give it time!