When Can My Labrador Puppy Climb Stairs

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! Source(s): Golden Retriever Breeder 37 yrs experience Own 10 Goldens & 1 Rescue Springer

When can my labrador puppy climb stairs. At What Age Can Labrador Puppy Climb Stairs. You cannot allow the Lab puppy to go to the stairs when he is just a kid. There has to be a specific age when you want to allow it. Allowing it too soon can create problems of various types like accidents. This is the same as we handle our babies when they are starting to learn to walk. So, when can Labrador puppies climb stairs? Labrador puppies can climb stairs around 4 or 5 months old. At this age, the puppies are old enough to safely navigate them without falling. Going up and down stairs at this age will not cause hip dysplasia. Climbing stairs too soon, however, can exacerbate the condition if it is already there. What age can Labradors climb stairs? Labradors should only start climbing stairs after 12 months of age, or when they become too heavy for you to carry them up and down yourself. In some instances, fairly young adult dogs with genetic dispositions can also end up with hip dysplasia if caution isn’t practiced. What Age Can Puppies Climb Stairs Safely? In most instances, a healthy puppy should not be introduced to stairs until he is at least 12 weeks old. However, for some large dog breeds like the retriever, Labrador, Staffordshire terrier, and some shepherd dogs you should wait a lot longer. These large breeds are prone to hip problems.

The same study showed that puppies that had to climb stairs on a regular basis during the same period were at increased risk of HD. You can read about this study in Science Daily.. Pippa Mattinson is the best selling author of The Happy Puppy Handbook, the Labrador Handbook, Choosing The Perfect Puppy, and Total Recall.. Since walking stairs can be bad for puppies and small dogs, and might lead to problems later on, I was advised to not let my puppy climb stairs until he is about 6 months old. Is 6 months old a safe age to allow a puppy to climb stairs, or should I wait a bit longer? At the moment I have to carry him up and down the stairs. The fear of going up and down stairs can affect puppies, rescues, adults, and senior dogs, and it poses specific challenges for both the dog and their owner. Regardless of the dog’s age or size, there’s always a reason for the trembling, crying, and backing up that happens when faced with a threatening staircase. Sometimes it’s only a particular staircase that puts the dog on edge, and. 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 suitable gate at the bottom of the staircase.

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. My Dog Can Go Downstairs but Not Up. Sometimes, dogs can develop a fear of going up the stairs, but not down. This can also happen the opposite way, too. As stated above, when a dog is sitting at the bottom of a staircase, think about what they might see. 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. 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.

I'd say carry him as long as you can. But let him climb up and down once in a while so he knows he is capable of it and does not develop any fears. Buck initially was not allowed upstairs. So I never encouraged him to use the stairs. Now that my parents have come around and are ok with him coming upstairs...he won't. He is 10 months old. If you have already bought your pup, there is nothing you can do about the first, so just skip down the page and read up on what you can do when you bring your puppy home. Before your puppy is born. Every Labrador used for breeding should be tested for hip dysplasia. This includes your puppy’s mother and father. There are no exceptions. The Lab puppy can climb stairs depending upon his energy level. If you think he will be fine, you can give it a try under your supervision and then think about whether to continue or not. The age should be a minimum of 4 months old and there is no such danger of getting hip dysplasia disease by just climbing up. I carried him up and down stairs as a puppy until he got too big. I think I'd still carry a very small puppy, but not after 3 months or so. I've got a dodgy knee, and I just can't have my dog pulling me down steps (obviously, I don't want him pulling me anywhere, but down steps could have dreadful consequences).