Refusal To Do Stairs, Related To Broken Hock?

[charbess]

Cooper does not have problems with ALL stairs/steps but she fearfully refuses to do the 13 step staircase (no landing) in our house. It is carpeted and she has seen our other grey and a Yorkie go up and down with nary a problem. My husband and I tried walking her up together, securely holding onto her and using her harness, not dragging her by her collar. Tried tossing treats on the steps...tried positioning her front paws one step at a time and picking up her rear and placing them on the steps...all the time holding and reassuring her. Now she puts the brakes on if we even steer her over to the staircase and yelping like she is in pain.

 

Maybe she is? Her hock was broken in Florida, reset and recuperated before we got her. Does a hock figure into the stepping motion? Doesn't look it to me but she does have a rod in there...could this be causing the reluctance and fear? P.S. She also refuses to jump in our SUV...we have to lift her, front legs first, followed by rear. My back can take it no longer...!

[Guest twoskinnydogs]

Rita had a severely broken hock and had surgery to repair it, leaving a plate and screws in her leg. She runs up an down stairs and goes crazy in the yard. If you think she is actually in pain have a radiograph taken of the hock to rule out any complications. She could just not like the stairs, but she can be taught how to do them The other option is that she is just playing you and she owns you instead of you owning her lol......

[rascalsmom]

We got Phoebe in early September--she had broken her leg in her final race at the end of June (right hock). The vet told me it looked like a 'really nasty break', but that we could teach her the stairs. She had no cast or anything when we got her, don't really know if she was casted or not....anyway, it took a few days to teach her the steps, and we were mindful of that leg when we were stepping her up the stairs. Once she 'got it', she was fine. At first she tended to leap the stairs in a few bounds, but now she goes up and down nicely.

 

Maybe you just need to go back to square one, and teach her how to go up and down. It can be scary for them, I think, but once they get it, they're good to go.

[Guest Greyt_dog_lover]

Continue to do the stairs with her. It sounds like she is scared. I foster broken leg hounds and they all do stairs from day one in my house, so I doubt that the break has anything to do with the issue, its fear I would guess. With fear, you need to be aware that she could try to jump or act unpredictable when you are doing stairs, so be ready for anything.

 

Going down (my preferred method, there are other ways):

1) Loop hand through loop of martingale and hold like a suitcase

2) slowly but firmly walk to top of stairs, she will most likely balk and scream. Be sure to stay very calm. No jerking, yelling, or other noises. Just tuck her head against your hip and walk over the edge of the stairs.

3) when she realizes that she is going over, she will release and stop fighting, but be sure to keep her head at your waste and support her body. Typically I will not walk in the middle of the stairs, but keep the hound on my right side and walk closely to the right side of the stairs so the hound cannot turn around or move in any direction except the direction I want them to go.

4) hold the collar against your hip like a suitcase the entire way down, realize that when you are about half way and the hound can see the floor, she will probably try to leap down to the bottom, DO NOT LET HER. This can cause injury as well as set you back in training if she hurts herself.

5) continue to hold until you are at the bottom then treat and make a HUGE deal about what just happened.

6) repeat, repeat, repeat.

 

 

Up the stairs (my preferred method, there are other ways to do this):

if you have 2 people, one should be a few stairs above the hound with a very stinky treat

1) the person in front should lead the hound with the stinky treat at all times, just keeping the treat out of reach to encourage the hound to go up the stairs. The person with the treats can give a treat every few stairs, depending on the determination of the hound (the less determined, the more treats that are handed out).

2) the person behind should put their chest against the hounds butt and not let the hound back down, or turn.

3) lift rear right leg up one stair, then front right, then rear left, then front left.

4) walk the hound up one paw at a time going up each step.

5) do not let the hound back down or turn, once this starts, you MUST complete the stairs.

6) repeat, repeat, repeat.

 

Typically it takes about 3-5 days 5-10 trips up/down the stairs to get going down at the proper speed and not jumping as well as going up tends to take longer for them to try on their own.

 

Have patience and consistency with the training and you will do fine. remember at all times to not become frustrated, keep your mood calm until they have gone up or down then throw a party.

[Batmom]

If you have any doubt about her leg, wouldn't hurt to get an x-ray. But if she does a short flight of steps without difficulty, it's probably a fear thing.

 

We teach steps @ like Greyt_dog_lover does.

 

Most of my girls have been willing to jump in/out of the SUV but I prefer to use the side door, which doesn't open that wide. I have a set of foamboard steps that we use to get in/out of that door -- dog can just walk up/down instead of having to jump, and the steps are lightweight enough that they don't make a projectile hazard when stowed in the back area with the dog(s).

[charbess]

If you have any doubt about her leg, wouldn't hurt to get an x-ray. But if she does a short flight of steps without difficulty, it's probably a fear thing.

 

We teach steps @ like Greyt_dog_lover does.

 

Most of my girls have been willing to jump in/out of the SUV but I prefer to use the side door, which doesn't open that wide. I have a set of foamboard steps that we use to get in/out of that door -- dog can just walk up/down instead of having to jump, and the steps are lightweight enough that they don't make a projectile hazard when stowed in the back area with the dog(s).

If you purchased the foamboard steps do you remember where?

[greysmom]

Our Toni had a broken hock before she came home and it's not a factor in her doing the stairs (and wasn't from day one). Though as everyone has said, if you have any doubt, take her in for an xray.

 

You said the stairs are carpeted, but are they "closed" steps? ie - do the stairs have risers or is the flight open so they are see through? Most dogs have a *really* difficult time with those type of stairs.

 

If she's food motivated at all, you may need to up your treat value considerably for stairs - a treat you only use for this purpose and really, really, really yummy/stinky. Since she's already resistant, you'll probably have to get her used to going near the stairs first, by throwing treats close to bottom - we make it a game for them. Do it several times a day for short periods - 2-4 minutes, 4-5 times a day - until she's OK at the bottom of the stairs. Then begin with the instructions as above.

 

There are a ton of options for helping dogs in and out of the car - stairs, ramps, etc. Just google it, or search on Amazon.

[Batmom]

I made our steps out of 2" insulation foam board stuck together with Liquid Nails. I had the instructions here in T&B at one point. If I can find them again, I'll bump that thread up so you can find it. Something like "homemade steps."

[Guest Scouts_mom]

You say she does not have problems with all stairs, just your staircase with 13 steps. I would have her practice on other stairs to help her confidence when doing them. Do your neighbors have stairs up to their porch (and would allow you to use them for a few minutes)? Are there any parks around that have stairs? The more practice she can get, the better she will do on yours.

 

Also, do not adjust your activities to always be downstairs with her. If your bedrooms are all up stairs, go to bed as usual. A short time later, you will probably hear a major commotion as she flings herself at the stairs to get up there with her people. Above all, DO NOT give in and carry her upstairs. Once she learns that elevator service is available, she will be much more difficult to get to try it on her own.

Edited December 21, 2013 by Scouts_mom

[Batmom]

If she hasn't done a long flight, I wouldn't put her in the position of wanting/trying to do it on her own (you upstairs, her downstairs). She needs to learn how first. A full flight of steps is different from a short flight. You don't want to risk her falling and hurting herself, let alone making herself MORE frightened.

[Guest Scouts_mom]

Batmom you are correct. Make sure she has been up and down a few times with assistance before you leave her downstairs while you are up stairs. Just don't carry her upstairs--it doesn't do anything to encourage her to learn. I know one family where the dog had her family convinced she could not climb the stairs. Why should she? Dad faithfully carried her up at night and down every morning. This went on for several months and he developed back problems from doing it. Then the brother-in-law visited and decided the situation had to change. He spent an afternoon training her with treats, guidance, praise and firmness. She never had to be carried again.

[charbess]

No chance of me carrying her up or down, that ain't gonna happen! Nor do we sleep downstairs with her, our bedroom is upstairs. She is fine with sleeping alone. It is we who want her upstairs with us. We just lost our Bess who used to fly up the stairs, even toward the end and Cooper had seen this for the 3 months she lived with Bess. It was only in the last days that my husband would carry Bess up because the poor little girl couldn't do it.