up and down stairs...

how long was it before your pup could handle stairs and did you have to teach them or do they just learn themselves? i think boo is too small really, but she can jump into the patio (but not out lol!) which is the same height as a step.

Can't really remember the exact age Gus "got it" with the stairs. Sure I posted something similar somewhere else on here. I think the topic was called "what goes up must come down" or something like that...
Anyway - we have a flight of about 20 stairs then a landing, then 6 more for him to get up! Goung up was easy - he was really scared of coming down! No wonder at that size - I would be too!! But I just practised with him on the smaller set of stairs, rewarding him every time he got down a step, and eventually he got it. I think once they get a bit bigger it's not as daunting for them. Hope that helps a bit!!

yeah i think its way too much for her as she is only little but i was just thought maybe i should be trying to help her rather than just picking her up to go up and down but i think maybe wait until shes grown a bit! im scared of heights so imagine what they must feel!

Peerie mastered going up much sooner than going down! I used to put her on the bottom stair and then use treats to ecourage her, then the second and so on. Funnily enough, she never seemed to even notice the three steps in my mum's garden which she'd go zooming up and down without even thinking about!

Princess Daisy has never done stairs has to be carried up and down although she doesn't have any trouble with the countless steps we use out on our walks methinks she has her fur mummy on a poece of string

Hattie has done them almost since day one

Wispa is just the same she will not do stairs either up or down, just cries at the bottom until you feel sorry for her, I think she has me trained too well!

We have 3 steps from our back door down to our patio in the garden. Willow will not go up or down them, although they are chunky steps! She just sits or lays there looking up at me, as if to say "I ain't gonna go up/down them, you best pick me up right now!!" Hopefully she will learn soon, as I don't want her to become a dog who is carried a lot, which she may be in danger of at this rate!!

molly mastered the stairs quite quick and so has my puppy chihuahua ellie, Lucy now 5 months old is a pain she can go up but will not come down, it drives me mad cos when they are all playin they sometimes run up stairs then run back down and lucy will just sit at the top of the stairs barking, its funny the first time but after about the forth time of fetching her down it becomes anoying.

TBH I would never encourage a shih tzu to go up and downstairs if they don't want to as they are lowriders - they have long backs with short legs and are not really designed to stairs. The breed does have tendency to back problems so if any of mine have shown a disinclination to go up, or (usually) down stairs I have carried! Its not pampering to their whims it is being safety conscious.

As for the annoying going up after them to carry them down that is why I had so many baby safety gates (anyone want one lol??)

Molly has just learnt to come down, but not go up.

Well I started a post of "what goes up wont come down" explaining that Harvey will go up stairs but wont come down them. Well I`m chuffed to bits with him as he has now mastered the art of coming down stairs, YEAH!!

simbalove wrote:TBH I would never encourage a shih tzu to go up and downstairs if they don't want to as they are lowriders - they have long backs with short legs and are not really designed to stairs. The breed does have tendency to back problems so if any of mine have shown a disinclination to go up, or (usually) down stairs I have carried! Its not pampering to their whims it is being safety conscious.

As for the annoying going up after them to carry them down that is why I had so many baby safety gates (anyone want one lol??)

Ooooooo good cos I just thought I was pandering to Princess Daisy now I can just say I am protecting her

simbalove wrote:TBH I would never encourage a shih tzu to go up and downstairs if they don't want to as they are lowriders - they have long backs with short legs and are not really designed to stairs. The breed does have tendency to back problems so if any of mine have shown a disinclination to go up, or (usually) down stairs I have carried! Its not pampering to their whims it is being safety conscious.

As for the annoying going up after them to carry them down that is why I had so many baby safety gates (anyone want one lol??)

quite right!!!
as well as hip troubles ....
i've found a better kind of gate..
in my local garden center they have those thingies to for climbing plantes...
i use those.... they are lower than children gates

Poppy wont go upstairs it takes her all her time to go up and down the front door step. My back door is two steps she sits on the bottom step and just looks at me. what i do is I put her front paws on the step and shout her. she sometimes manages it but sometimes i have to give in and help her up.