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02-04-2022 01:10 PM
After years (?) of a lot of "at home" time and attention, I'm out more or in my art studio...upstairs, not carpeted and she's freaked out not willing to give the stairs a shot. She's a bit heavy to carry upstairs, but she does have a dog bed set up in my studio.
I tried the breadcrumb strategy leaving small goodies on each step leading to that room, but she passed it up after first few steps. Beagle not going after treat means really skittish.
She's quite clingy when I'm near her. Any suggestions to get her to try the stairs?
02-04-2022 01:57 PM
Sit on the steps and put a treat on the second step. Put your hand behind her neck and help her. One step at a time. Never had that problem but thought it might work.
02-04-2022 02:10 PM
Maybe she needs a doggy companion to keep her company. That probably wouldn't help with steps but it might make her a happier, less clingy and lonely pup. If another dog ran up the steps, she might follow. She may have some arthritis that causes her discomfort on the stairs. I can relate to that.
02-04-2022 02:13 PM
How old is Molly?
02-04-2022 02:29 PM
Try that strategy again, sit one step above, entice with a treat and when they move up a stair to get the treat, you move up a stair with treat in hand, to get them to move up another stair for their treat.....over and over till they learn the routine.
Animals learn through repetition, I learned that early on, when I trained to be a dog behaviorist.
02-04-2022 03:02 PM
02-04-2022 03:14 PM
My Cocker loved to sleep next to my bed but after falling down several times from the 4th bottom step - she just stopped stairs. Her joints just weren't stable enough for it anymore. Stairs are carpeted but at 14 it was too much - so she slept in LR at foot of stairs.
02-04-2022 03:40 PM
@Shanus are your steps wood or other "slick" surface? My Doxie wouldn't use our steps after a fall until we installed stair treads so he could get better traction.
02-04-2022 05:26 PM
@Shanus When I rescued my Chihuahua blend/mix she was 6 yrs old & apparently never seen or been on stairs. Anywhere near stairs, she would stop cold & do the chi shake. I did not know her back story. Took me 3 months straight to get her to walk down a flight of stairs.
I live in a highrise & walk down. I got tired of the added weight 8-12 lbs of carrying her down the stairs. What I did.........
Twice a day, I took her to the stairs. I went down 2 steps & sat down. She would get all excited & get the chi shakes.
I held out her favorite treat. She wasn't having it.
I did this every day.
After about a week, very slowly she stepped down the 2 steps to retrieve her treat. I praised her highly.
Each week I added another 2 steps.
After the 2nd week, I realized the trick was to train her near the wall instead of the railing. If she stood near the railing, she could look down the stairwell which scared her. If I placed her next to the wall, all she saw was the landing for each floor.
Now she beats me down the stairs & waits for me at the back door.
Now taking the elavator back up is anothe story!
"Never argue with a fool. Onlookers may not be able to tell the difference."
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