Scary Stairs – Dog Training Newtown

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How to Teach a Dog to Climb Stairs

Stairs can be very scary to dogs, especially if they aren’t solid. Therefore, teaching your dog to go up and down stairs is a useful exercise. And definitely necessary if you notice your dog being unwilling to use them. The key is to take it slowly if your dog is hesitant to climb up. And to avoid making the stairs even scarier.

Going Up – And Down

It’s easier to start by going up the stairs. What you need to remember is that going up is one thing, and coming down is entirely another. Coming downstairs requires your dog to climb down face first – and the view can be scary! Use some delicious, high value, treats your dog loves, such as cheese or chicken. Place a few treats in the middle of the stairs, within your dog’s reach. If you are teaching a young puppy, start with the first stair. As he stretches to eat them, praise him. Repeat this a couple times, on the same stair. When your dog is happily eating the treats off the stair, place more of them on the next stair. He should have to put a paw or two up on a lower stair to reach these ones. Every time he climbs, praise!

Scared Dog

If your dog starts to whine, go back and forth or even bark, ignore this completely. Instead, praise and reward him for any movement towards the stairs. And most importantly, be patient! It may take one session, it may take several. It all depends on your dog.

Avoid Carrying Your Dog Up and Down

If your puppy is too young to climb up stairs yet, and you’ve got a lot of them, block the puppy’s access to them. Start teaching them when your puppy is a little bit older. And if your dog has health issues that prevents them using stairs, block them. If your dog is simply scared of using the stairs, avoid carrying him up and down. This doesn’t help your training at all, but in fact makes the climbing even more difficult because the dog learns that they don’t have to. Take your time and teach the stairs in a positive way and don’t put your dog in a situation where they are stuck going through the stairs no matter what.

Eazy Dog Training – Dog Training Newtown