When Can A Lab Puppy Walk Stairs

Some dogs won’t go down stairs anymore due to age, illness, and fear. If you see your dog wanting to go down the stairs to be with you, but seems scared, there are some things you can do that will make life easier. Understanding why your dog is having difficulty with stairs is the first step. Sometimes, the problem can be something treatable.

When can a lab puppy walk stairs. Stairs are one of the worst things for causing injuries to dogs. We used to have five steps up to our back door but have now replaced them with a ramp because the dogs were running and jumping up and down the steps and two of them injured their shoulders necessitating a visit to a chiropractor. mmelindt When my lab was little he used to crash out at 7pm - he slept loads - that does decrease as they get older. I think because they grow so quickly they really need their sleep. I wouldn't worry. romana for jumping up there are two things you can do - one is to turn away immediately and ignore - can take a while but does work. That can make a lot of stress on their joints. You should carrry your puppy in and out of the house (if steps are involved) and similarly carry indoors if steps are required until you can't easily lift him anymore (like Mick's Mom said). He may seem able to climb the stairs - but in the long run it could produce a problem. Watching the other dog navigate the stairs without issue can also show puppy that the stairs are safe. Make It a Game. If your puppy is not motivated by food, try practicing a game of tug-of-war at the bottom of the stairs and using the toy to motivate the puppy to walk up the stairs.

Is your dog afraid of the stairs? Some dogs are afraid of going up and down stairs. This is a fairly common fear or phobia, especially in young dogs who may not have encountered them while they were puppies.Fortunately, you can help your dog get over this fear and go up and down the stairs with confidence. Imagine you are a little dog or a puppy. Now, look at the height of the risers on your staircase, and imagine how you would feel looking down the staircase from the top. It can be pretty daunting and frightening. Even large dogs may have trouble walking down stairs if the steps are too narrow to accommodate the length of their bodies easily. After all, your clumsy pup can’t trip or tumble on the stairs if he can’t climb them in the first place! One of the best ways to stop your dog scampering up the stairs is with a pet gate. With a pet gate installed at the base of your staircase, it will be impossible for your dog to climb the stairs. We all look forward to the day we can take our new puppy for a walk.. Id love to know about this too as I have a 16 week lab pup who has to go up and down stairs several times a day to get into the garden and have been taking him on a couple of short walks a day too plus a longer walk occasionally but we do stop for lots of rests.

My lab puppy is nearing 3 months and he is unable to climb stairs.. 1 decade ago. Favorite Answer. Don't encourage him to climb stairs just yet. Climbing stairs at his age can play havoc with his joints and hips. He needs to be 6 months at least before he attempts to climb stairs - then there'll be no stopping him!. you should not let him. To climb down stairs, you pup should to be able to comfortably reach a lower step with his front paws while his hind paws are on the step above. The safest place to begin the learning process, according to Guide Dogs for the Blind, is at the bottom of the stairs, with front paws on the ground and hind paws on the first step. Your concern about walking up the steps with your Labrador is understandable — dogs and stairs can be a downright dangerous combination. According to the Centers for Disease Control, falling over a dog or cat results in an average of 86,629 visits to the E.R. every year in the U.S. alone. Walk them slowly up the stairs on a tight leash so they learn the correct pace to safely walk up. Treat the puppy when it is a job well done. Going down the stairs is much more precarious and is the part that can cause injury because gravity wants to drag all of their weight straight down.

It is strongly recommended that you keep your puppy away from the stairs and steep drops, as running up and down stairs can damage a puppy's delicate growth plates, causing long term damage. Even jumping off chairs, sofas and beds can cause unnecessary damage, and puppies are best kept off these. A toy puppy on a full-scale staircase is going to feel hugely intimidated, while a giant breed may struggle to physically fit on the stair. When starting out, adapt the size of the step to suit the puppy's stature. Once the dog has learned how to coordinate his legs you can then introduce more regular types of stairs. Fear of Stairs. Many a puppy finds stairs daunting, especially small-breed puppies and especially steep stairs. This should come as no surprise if you compare the height of the puppy with the height of the riser; now imagine being that small and looking down a flight of a dozen stairs. It must be like looking over the edge of a cliff. This is just a guideline, to help those who are not sure how to exercise a puppy, it isn’t backed up by studies or evidence, but is a common sense principle that will help you avoid overdoing it. Avoiding steps and stairs. One study has shown that puppies climbing stairs at an early age were more likely to develop hip dysplasia.