TM Puppy and Stairs

[Sheena5305]

So my little boy is now nearly 16 weeks old and at the vets this morning is now weighing in at a hefty 20.4 KG.



(excuse the inflatable ring, we recently had his umbilical hernia repaired and he looked so pathetic with the cone of shame on we had to find an alternative)

When we first started speaking to breeders we were advised that stairs were a no until puppies were at least a year old but I'm getting to the stage now where when I'm at home on my own (the other half works nights so this is most nights) carrying him up and down stairs at night time is a struggle. How do/did you guys/girls cope?
I am not unaware of the repercussions strain on a puppies joints (one of the breeders we spoke with advised us of a condition called Carpal Valgus that one of the puppies he bred was treated for) I'm just looking for a solution to a 3 stone plus wriggly problem

We have tried having him sleep downstairs but that just does not work for us or any neighbor within a half mile radius!

 

[Doggyhelpplease]

Bring him down on a leash, nice and slow. You are not going to be able to carry him down the stairs at all soon enough and he is not even half a year yet. I mean my husband can carry ours still (15months - not that he has too but he could if he wanted too) however, she weights as much as me and there would be no way I could do it now and haven't been able to for a long time. Its better he learns now but control it and don't let him play on them etc. If you have slippery stairs get something that allows traction for now so its easier for him.

 

[Sheena5305]

Thank you. I've been having nighmares about having to have a stairlift installed!!

:slapme:

 

[ruthcatrin]

Any breeder who seriously expects you to not expose the pup to stairs till they're a year old is an idiot frankly. Or else they need to seriously limit the households they'll sell to to single story ground level homes (which is what, less than 1 in 100?).

The big issue is to avoid jumping and running down stairs, the impact can do things to their growing joints. You're far better off teaching a pup how to handle stairs correctly at a young age then trying to avoid stairs entirely.

 

[Cyndnelson]

Any breeder who seriously expects you to not expose the pup to stairs till they're a year old is an idiot frankly. Or else they need to seriously limit the households they'll sell to to single story ground level homes (which is what, less than 1 in 100?).

The big issue is to avoid jumping and running down stairs, the impact can do things to their growing joints. You're far better off teaching a pup how to handle stairs correctly at a young age then trying to avoid stairs entirely.

Agreed. We carried Caesar until he was brave enough to try the stairs on his own. He seemed to tell us when he was ready and it was probably around 4 months or so. We didn't use a leash, but walked in front of him and blocked him from barreling down the stairs. We were especially careful because we have narrow laminate flooring as well. I barely remember these days - seems like so long ago!

 

[broccolini]

We kept ours downstairs with a baby gate. Teaching them to navigate the stairs is a good idea, but we have cats and I didn't want them to try to chase one down the stairs.

Our puppy is 19 weeks and his crate is downstairs. Our older TM is 15 months and she sleeps upstairs in our bedroom. I think we kept the baby gate up until she was about 7 months old.

The puppy just realized that he can go upstairs so I put the gate back up. He doesn't even try to go down and nobody wants to carry him.

I guess if you really don't want him on the stairs, you should teach him to sleep downstairs. You can spend the first few nights down there with him. That might help. Our new puppy spent the first month in a crate in our bedroom because he was lonely and it was easier to hear him when he needed to go out. He didn't complain when we moved him downstairs.

Good luck.

 

[Hector]

Leash him up and down the stairs so you control the pace and so he knows the drill.

 

[looby73]

We used a baby gate to stop unsupervised stair expeditions and then at night and in a morning it was a slow and steady walk up/down. I think it's about limiting the use of stairs and overly enthusiastic running rather than avoiding completely as that's just not practical.
Your boy is very cute btw

 

[Sheena5305]

We used a baby gate to stop unsupervised stair expeditions and then at night and in a morning it was a slow and steady walk up/down. I think it's about limiting the use of stairs and overly enthusiastic running rather than avoiding completely as that's just not practical.
Your boy is very cute btw

Thanks. He looks like butter wouldn't melt but I'm convinced he's an undercover devil dog
We have a gate on the stairs as he can (when he feels like it) get up the stair but makes no attempt to come back down and will sit barking at one of us to come get him.

 

[Catia]

I agree it's ridiculous to have a pup avoid stairs for a year, what should be said is that they are limited, baby gated, & not done unsupervised until they are old enough to navigate themselves.

That being said--Sheena5305's dog recently had an umbilical hernia operation.

I'd personally be limiting & completely avoiding anything that can add stress to him healing until I was absolutely sure he was fully healed, internally--& then some, maybe an extra month or so after--even if it were not a complicated hernia.
He IS a VERY big boy & that is enough stress on his healing to begin with. Stairs, up & down put a tremendous amount of stress on stomach & abdominal muscles & that is what you do not want at this point.

 

[ruthcatrin]

I guess I consider that part and parcel of teaching the pup to handle the stairs correctly. But, you're right, its worth saying!