How do you teach a dogw ho's capable of going down strairs but refuses to, to do it?

How do you teach a dogw ho's capable of going down strairs but refuses to, to do it? (Full Version)

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Toppingfrmbottom -> How do you teach a dogw ho's capable of going down strairs but refuses to, to do it? (8/15/2012 11:46:52 AM)
I'm thinking next time we're there, get some treats and just try and coax her down the stairs with the treats, taking our timeand being patient.

LadyConstanze -> RE: How do you teach a dogw ho's capable of going down strairs but refuses to, to do it? (8/15/2012 12:16:24 PM)
Pretty much what I would do, sit there with some treats and she has to come and get them, there isn't much dogs won't do for food....

Toppingfrmbottom -> RE: How do you teach a dogw ho's capable of going down strairs but refuses to, to do it? (8/15/2012 12:18:50 PM)
Well some dogs are not foodies, but some, or lots are lol. There's a few such dogs at the rescue, bring out a treat and w/ith a lil time they're putty in your hands for that treat lol.

LaTigresse -> RE: How do you teach a dogw ho's capable of going down strairs but refuses to, to do it? (8/15/2012 12:20:46 PM)
When that dog gets hungry enough she/he will come down the stairs. I've also 'encouraged' them, at the end of a leash. She had no choice but to go right down them with me.

OsideGirl -> RE: How do you teach a dogw ho's capable of going down strairs but refuses to, to do it? (8/15/2012 12:24:49 PM)
My lab/dal was like that. What finally worked was leaving her there and ignoring her until the urge to be with me was strong enough to make her use those stairs. When she did, I praised her very enthusiastically.

yourdarkdesire -> RE: How do you teach a dogw ho's capable of going down strairs but refuses to, to do it? (8/15/2012 12:27:52 PM)
With a foot............ ..............kidding!!!!!! Geez people! The leash, with a treat and lots and lots of encouragement, but it doesn't always work. My cousin ans a purebred collie years ago, and it was dumb as a door nail. Too much inbreeding. I mean, this dog even had that (excuse the phrase) mentally retarded "look". My cousin had to lift him off and onto the deck, and in and out of the truck, because the dog wouldn't jump that few feet.

LaTigresse -> RE: How do you teach a dogw ho's capable of going down strairs but refuses to, to do it? (8/15/2012 12:31:32 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: yourdarkdesire With a foot............ Not quite......not that I wasn't tempted. And yes, this is our Sandy, the ditzy blonde. Sweet thing but not the brightest bulb in the pack. I just put her on a short leash, told her to come, and walked down the steps. She had no other choice but to go with me. I kept telling her she was a good girl and she got a treat at the bottom. Two or three days of doing that a few times a day and she went up and, more importantly down, with only a little trepidation but no hesitation. The key is to stay calm and not make it a drama laden big deal. You just fucking do it.

LadyConstanze -> RE: How do you teach a dogw ho's capable of going down strairs but refuses to, to do it? (8/15/2012 12:50:36 PM)
Essentially they just want to please you and be with their pack, a bit of encouragement and it's fine. The excuse that the dog is too stupid to learn something doesn't hold water, basic commands is something every dog can learn, it's usually an incompetent owner going "Oh my dog is too stupid..." A daft dog might not be able to do tricks, but the whole stay, come, etc. stuff is basic pack behaviour.

LaTigresse -> RE: How do you teach a dogw ho's capable of going down strairs but refuses to, to do it? (8/15/2012 1:14:31 PM)
Ahhhhyup.

DomMeinCT -> RE: How do you teach a dogw ho's capable of going down strairs but refuses to, to do it? (8/15/2012 1:21:44 PM)
I just had the same problem with the puppy. I was constantly carrying him downstairs every time I went to work, enforcing the behavior (DO NOT DO THIS). Hah. Basically broke up little dog treats and he knew I had them. Then, each time I went downstairs, I'd stop at the bottom 3rd step and put him on it, then go down to the bottom and he'd come flopping down and get a reward. Started working up higher and higher where I'd leave him and I had him doing the entire thing by the end of the week. Good luck.

ARIES83 -> RE: How do you teach a dogw ho's capable of going down strairs but refuses to, to do it? (8/15/2012 1:29:14 PM)
I've actually had this problem with my current SOOK of a dog. With him I didn't try to teach him, I just got him familiar with the stairs carrying him up and down, then I'd Put him down a little from the top so he would have to come the rest of the way. It depends on your dog, but with mine I found he is a attention whore, so all the encouragement in the world just had him standing there watching me, butttt.... If I went around the corner with him already most of the way up the stairs, he would grow a sack and come up, especially if I was making interesting sounds. Eventually your dog will get use to them, my dog is still a bit slow and sometimes stops and looks around before continuing the rest of the way... I guess he just doesn't like stairs which is weird because he can run up and down really steep rocky hills without a thought. One note, I would recommend trying to get him use to comming up first. And be patient, some dogs just are weird about stairs. -ARIES

limpshorty -> RE: How do you teach a dogw ho's capable of going down strairs but refuses to, to do it? (8/15/2012 7:53:30 PM)
Age of the dog is an important thing, as well as size and breed. Many elder dogs are reluctant to go down stairs because it hurts. Hip displaysia is very common in larger animals even before age related problems. Some breeds are very likely to develop it as well. Be sure you know, before you assume that the animal just needs training. limpshorty (who has trouble kneeling, and finds it embarrasing)

TheBanshee -> RE: How do you teach a dogw ho's capable of going down strairs but refuses to, to do it? (8/15/2012 8:09:52 PM)
I agree with limpshorty - also, a dog may not feel secure going down stairs - are the stairs a little slippery? Is it well lit? Eyesight isn't a dog's best sense. I suppose its quite possible some dogs have a simple fear of heights. They may not notice it while they are climbing up the stairs but they are afraid when they are looking down.

BambiBoi -> RE: How do you teach a dogw ho's capable of going down strairs but refuses to, to do it? (8/15/2012 10:08:46 PM)
How big is the dog, what material covers the stairs, is it a whole flight or just a few? Smaller dogs have to make a comparatively bigger jump, so it could be like asking you to jump off a house. They take longer to make peace with the fact that they're capable. Fewer stairs have carpet these days in favor of wood. Wood is slippery for furry paws, so that sliding on the landing, however subtle, can be petrifying. Looking down a long flight of stairs is also intimidating for dogs. I suggest sitting on the stairs,close to their start, so its like they could only "fall" 1 or 2 stairs worth before landing on you. Once they do that correctly, repeat it at least three times rewarding them verbally and with treats if they like that. Every day work on 1 more step. I presume the dog is fine with going up stairs? They usually learn that faster because the instinct against falling isn't there. Try plopping the dog down in the middle of the staircase and doing the above. This robs them of feeling like they're jumping down from the safety of the upper floor. And they'll get bored/claustrophobic of "living" on that 1 step forever.

Tumblweed -> RE: How do you teach a dogw ho's capable of going down strairs but refuses to, to do it? (8/15/2012 10:17:06 PM)
You know, if the dog is able to get down the stairs simply put the food AND WATER downstairs and wait. It will happen. If not bury this one and get another one. In fact tell this one that you intend to. "You can go down there and eat and drink, or die". But then some people are not capable of "tough love". Hey, don't get guilty over this, if they were down by the river or whatever, they wouldn't get shit. Coddling animals is bullshit, just like kids. It doesn't work and it makes them fucked up. I know. I KNOW. Weed

Tumblweed -> RE: How do you teach a dogw ho's capable of going down strairs but refuses to, to do it? (8/15/2012 10:18:22 PM)
"How big is the dog, " MICE jump down stairs. Weed

TNDommeK -> RE: How do you teach a dogw ho's capable of going down strairs but refuses to, to do it? (8/15/2012 10:38:52 PM)
With a foot, Haaaaaaa!

BambiBoi -> RE: How do you teach a dogw ho's capable of going down strairs but refuses to, to do it? (8/15/2012 10:51:00 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Tumblweed "How big is the dog, " MICE jump down stairs. Weed Stairs are an interesting size. To a mouse, a stair is huge. Once the mouse learns that it can stumble amazing heights with no damage, the stair seems like a big landing zone. To lap dog, one stair is just deep enough to stand on (tail toward the back of the stair, face outward), but the step is the dog's entire height downward. That would be like me asking you to jump from a ladder into a shoebox. I bet you'd do the silly "lift one foot-lean back and forth-trial jump" thing too. I agree that an animal will learn to go down stairs before it starves, but it doesn't need to be such a cataclysmic decision. You call it coddling, I call it shaping a behavior and training through positive reinforcement. Edits: Typos like you can't believe. The kind of typos you read about. (I actually just wrote typo as "ypo" and "tupo" twice...)

Toppingfrmbottom -> RE: How do you teach a dogw ho's capable of going down strairs but refuses to, to do it? (8/15/2012 11:24:48 PM)
She goes up perfectly. Its down that she doesn't seem to have a clue about lol. Intact one of our last dogs was that way too, but it was never an issue since she didn't go out with us to a lot of places with stairs. quote: ORIGINAL: ARIES83 One note, I would recommend trying to get him use to comming up first. And be patient, some dogs just are weird about stairs. -ARIES

Toppingfrmbottom -> RE: How do you teach a dogw ho's capable of going down strairs but refuses to, to do it? (8/15/2012 11:28:42 PM)
Is going down more painful than going up? She'll go up. But she sat down and refused to go down. She's 10 and a goldenretriever, and has no problems with her hips or anything yet. quote: ORIGINAL: limpshorty Age of the dog is an important thing, as well as size and breed. Many elder dogs are reluctant to go down stairs because it hurts. Hip displaysia is very common in larger animals even before age related problems. Some breeds are very likely to develop it as well. Be sure you know, before you assume that the animal just needs training. limpshorty (who has trouble kneeling, and finds it embarrasing)

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