Stair Training

[Guest Greylover3803]

Curious if anyone has examples of stair training tricks that have worked. We have a foster Bob who is having trouble learning to go up stairs. Once up he is able to go down with a little encouragement, but when we try to go up he just plants his feet and resists. We are using the same process as with our girl where one of us was in front with the leash and the other behind moving her feet up the stairs for the very first time and then just support and maybe a little nudge the times after until she caught on. She learned to go up by herself after about 3 tries and now flies up the stairs to get to her bed. Bob has a family waiting for him so we need to accomplish this so he can go to his forever home.

 

Appreciate any ideas.

[Jerilyn]

I found it helps to get them used to stairs on some really easy, non-threatening ones. Like big, wide, solid concrete ones on the exteriors of buildings. Public buildings (after hours if necessary) like schools, libraries, offices usually work. I took Lila to a local college with all kinds of buildings and steps. Once she got used to making her legs work on the easy steps we tried more and more increasingly difficult ones and by the end of our walk around campus she was a stair-master.

Good luck!

[NeylasMom]

I found it helps to get them used to stairs on some really easy, non-threatening ones. Like big, wide, solid concrete ones on the exteriors of buildings. Public buildings (after hours if necessary) like schools, libraries, offices usually work. I took Lila to a local college with all kinds of buildings and steps. Once she got used to making her legs work on the easy steps we tried more and more increasingly difficult ones and by the end of our walk around campus she was a stair-master.

Good luck!

 

Coaxing with some dogs is also likely to have opposite the intended effect. Tossing some treats on the stairs and then walking away for Bob to "find" (on the lower stairs so he doesn't have to go far up to get them at first) may also help. Basically anything that creates a positive association without him feeling forced or coaxed. If you want to do an actual training session, toss a treat so he has to put his paws on teh first step to get it, then toss one behind him so he can move away from the stairs (ie. get "relief"). Work in very very short sessions and over time, reward him for going up more stairs.

[Guest Houston1219]

I found that putting your knee between their back legs and just offering a boost helped them get the momentum going and seemed to give some confidence, like something to keep them from falling back. Be the somebody to lean on and a push in the right direction all at once

[Guest Jesse12789]

bossman was the same way he was going down the stairs but when it came to go up he froze i litteraly had to lift both front paws up and be behind him then kinda wrap my arm around is stomach lift his butt up and push his back legs up... did this for the first flight when i got to the top just praised like crazy and then off to the 2nd flight. i did this maybe 6 or 7 times before he started to do it himslef. now after a week he has no problem.. still a little clumsy but hes doing good.

Edited June 3, 2014 by Jesse12789

[Batmom]

Once he's been up a few times: Put some really good treats on the stairs, @ every 2nd-3rd stair. One hand on collar, one hand free to move feet. Your knees behind his butt. Nice cheerful, "All the way up!" Make sure he notices the treats, keep your knees firmly behind that butt, and wait for him to notice the treats and try to get one. You might have to move feet to get him started but usually they'll start trying on their own after the first treat. Be ready to help him if need be -- keep your knees pressed right to his buttsky all the way.

[Guest UnFROGettable]

I got very lucky. We represent our adoption group at track events and after it gets too hot outside we go up to the 2nd floor in the a/c. Took Devina and Stryker to the stairs and Stryker looks up the flight as if he's judging whether he can make it in one leap and practically drags hubby up to the top! Next was my turn with Devina...her nose started to drip....she starts to back up.....tail is tucked & ears are down...I'm thinking, "Oh boy, I'm going to have to get Joe to come back as there is no way I can carry 55lbs up a flight of stairs" and she looked at me for reassurance I said "Up we go Devina" and up we went!

 

On the other hand, I had to get a mini-van as NEITHER one would jump into my suv....not even for a chicken foot!

[Guest Dorian_Grey]

I live upstairs and the stairs are enclosed, but narrow and tall. Dorian started with me standing behind him and moving his front feet and back feet to teach him (walking next to him and narrowing the space between him and the wall didn't work, he wouldn't move). Then I progressed to moving his front feet and sort of pushing his butt up so he had to move his back feet on his own.

 

After 7-8 times of this (it was very exhausting), we tried encouraging him up and offering treats, but it only worked once. Then he remained afraid.

 

What really worked was closing the foyer door so he had nowhere to go at the bottom of the stairs. We'd all (people and dogs) come up and just leave him at the bottom. It made me sad but I powered through because I believe he had enough opportunities that he almost certainly knew the mechanics of the movement, and that the only obstacle now was his fear. As a behaviorist, I knew accommodating his fear probably wouldn't be very helpful. So we all would come up, encourage him cheerfully, and move on to our activities. The first time it took him about 20 minutes to come up. The second time about 15, and two days later he was hopping awkwardly up the stairs. A week later, he was flying up and down.

Edited June 8, 2014 by Dorian_Grey

[Guest Jesse12789]

I live upstairs and the stairs are enclosed, but narrow and tall. Dorian started with me standing behind him and moving his front feet and back feet to teach him (walking next to him and narrowing the space between him and the wall didn't work, he wouldn't move). Then I progressed to moving his front feet and sort of pushing his butt up so he had to move his back feet on his own.

 

After 7-8 times of this (it was very exhausting), we tried encouraging him up and offering treats, but it only worked once. Then he remained afraid.

 

What really worked was closing the foyer door so he had nowhere to go at the bottom of the stairs. We'd all (people and dogs) come up and just leave him at the bottom. It made me sad but I powered through because I believe he had enough opportunities that he almost certainly knew the mechanics of the movement, and that the only obstacle now was his fear. As a behaviorist, I knew accommodating his fear probably wouldn't be very helpful. So we all would come up, encourage him cheerfully, and move on to our activities. The first time it took him about 20 minutes to come up. The second time about 15, and two days later he was hopping awkwardly up the stairs. A week later, he was flying up and down.

great tactic. that kinda how i got bossman to really start going up by himself.. he started to get it but i actually ended up leaving him downstairs and i knew he was just curiously looking up the stairs thinking... "boy i really want to go up there.. should i do it... yes ill do it.. " LOL good work that awesome.