# No Stairs Allowed



## Jrenkie (Jun 9, 2004)

My breeder explained that my new pup shouldn't be allowed to climb or descend stairs until she reaches 8 months old. She stated that the rocking motion of using stairs could interfere with the proper development of her hips and elbows. Her complete explanation made sense to me so I've been carrying Izzy up and down the stairs. However, I had never heard this admonishen before; has anyone else heard of or done this? Thanks.


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## dc9137 (May 12, 2017)

Oh wow. I'm definitely interested in this too. I just got 8 week old and he's climbing the stairs like a champ. Never considered it could be bad for him


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## DutchKarin (Nov 23, 2013)

While the theory might hold, I just think this is excessive. You might kill your back and your knees carrying her at 6-8 months anyway. What animal doesn't climb as a youngster? I can see a recommendation that you don't be excessive and run laps... maybe carry her as a little pup like for 2 more weeks down slick stairs and try to get her not to jump down great expanses, but that is were I would personally stop. We live in snow country and most of us have multi-level houses all the dogs around me would have problems and they don't. Just sounds excessive to me. One note, the search and rescue dogs are trained/socialized/exposed to a variety of surfaces, heights, agility from young ages. We need dogs that are confident with that all and you have to start them as young pups. Now again, we aren't running agility courses and we are being safe but exposure as young pups to surfaces and "things" is one of the most important parts of socializing/exposing.

Good luck with your decision. Just my two cents.


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## Daisy&Lucky's Mom (Apr 24, 2011)

Never heard that befor.


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## JessicaR (Oct 25, 2016)

I was told the same thing with my pup, but she only has 3 steps to go down I don't really worry about it. Also I think I read somewhere that it is harder on their joints going down the stairs, than it is going up?


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## Sunsilver (Apr 8, 2014)

PFFT!! By 4 months old, Eska was not only jumping DOWN the 4 stairs from the back deck to the ground, she was also jumping UP them! By one year old she was leaving nose marks 6 1/2 feet up on my patio door! How are you going to stop a dog from doing something like that, which happens due to its natural exuberance/puppy energy??

The only pup I've ever had that had problems with stairs was a shiloh shepherd that was overangulated (and therefore WEAK) in the rear. She also had issues with confidence.

I say let the pup do whatever it is comfortable doing. Just avoid letting it do things that might hurt it -repetitive jumps on hard surfaces, jumping or falling from a height. They need to strengthen their muscles, and learn how their bodies work. If the pup has trouble with the stairs, supervise it going up and down until it can do them easily on its own. 

My thoughts on this are: It's a PUPPY, not a fragile piece of bone china! And if it's SO fragile, it can't do stairs, there's something wrong with our breeding practices!


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## car2ner (Apr 9, 2014)

you can't guard them from everything, and trying to carry a 6 month old puppy down stairs could end up with both of you taking a fall. Personally we held off on stairs as long as the pup would let us. Then we did more ups than downs out doors and indoors, going down slowly. I also read not to let your pup race around the yard making tight turns. OOPs, no one told my she-pup. But at least I limited how long that game went on each day. While my big boy did the zoomies growing up, my she-pup lives to zoom! .

So rule of thumb I guess would be to avoid anything sudden and jolting. It can be hard on their joints, but also ours.


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## Whiteshepherds (Aug 21, 2010)

Breeder has it wrong. You carry that dog up and down stairs until it's 8 months old and YOU'LL have hip problems


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## Steve Strom (Oct 26, 2013)

I let them go up from day 1. What you don't want is them jumping off. Besides the pounding, its almost always going to be awkward and just setting them up to get hurt. I'm not sure exactly when I start walking them down stairs, it depends on how they are on leash so that it can be calm and under control, but by 4mos, I'm not carrying them anywhere other then lifting them down from the car and that's done by 6mos. 

Avoid repetitive pounding and awkward, out of control running and sliding on slippery floors and you shouldn't have any trouble.


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## Pytheis (Sep 23, 2016)

When I got my pup, my breeder said to limit stairs completely until 3 months, then take it slowly from then on. She said the dog should never jump off stairs, but going up and down slowly around and after 3-4 months wasn't a big deal.


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## sebrench (Dec 2, 2014)

One of our breeders told us no stairs in puppyhood as well. Eh. I would have complied, but it just wasn't practical or possible for us. We have a multi-story house and stairs on our back porch leading into the yard. I carried him up and down the stairs until it became awkward and seemed silly, then I just let him go.


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## Jrenkie (Jun 9, 2004)

Whiteshepherds said:


> Breeder has it wrong. You carry that dog up and down stairs until it's 8 months old and YOU'LL have hip problems


I had to carry my 85 lb GSD during her last days and I was Ok. Unfortunately, we have a lot of stairs, it's a good thing I work out ?


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## dc9137 (May 12, 2017)

I just called my vet and they said it would be perfectly ok for them to do stairs. Makes sense not to let them jump and go slowly to me though...


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## BlitzRomman (May 24, 2017)

8 months is just wayyy too much. I understand being careful the first 2-3 months but come on, this is an animal not an ice sculpture.


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## Bramble (Oct 23, 2011)

While I would not along a puppy to run up and down stairs a lot, going up and down slowly a few times a day should not cause an issue. I'd rather teach a puppy how to properly navigate stairs than wait until they are 8 months old. IMO it is a good way to teach them how to use their body and build confidence by navigating a new surface. I'd wonder if your breeder is trying to cover their butt if joint issues arises, they can blame it on the puppy doing stairs vs a genetic issue. I could understand a warning not to let them race up and down them, but caring them until they are 8 months seems extreme.


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## Kayla's Dad (Jul 2, 2007)

I agree not to allow a puppy to run down the stairs and jump off. I used a leash to control the descent. Otherwise I start with the climbing right away. We have two flights to the back yard (fenced). The puppies start stair climbing from the day they come home.
the pics below are Lancer at 9 weeks and Tory (with Lancer showing the ropes) at 10 weeks


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## Femfa (May 29, 2016)

We have a crazy amount of stairs in our place. My girl is 10 weeks and I'll carry her when she's tired, but other than that I've been teaching her how to navigate them. Yesterday was her first time going down them, and she was nervous and so was I. But I just sit one to two stairs below her, tap each step, and encourage her with words. That way she can't barrel down and if she falls I can immediately catch her. So far she takes each step carefully, and we'll continue to do it that way until I'm comfortable letting her do it herself. 

A wriggling, bitey, heavy puppy isn't fun for anyone to carry! Just like Steve said, just watch her and make sure no crazy twists and turns or crazy zoomies down the stairs. We're all crazy about joint health, but there's only so much you can do.


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## eddie1976E (Nov 7, 2010)

Jrenkie said:


> My breeder explained that my new pup shouldn't be allowed to climb or descend stairs until she reaches 8 months old. She stated that the rocking motion of using stairs could interfere with the proper development of her hips and elbows. Her complete explanation made sense to me so I've been carrying Izzy up and down the stairs. However, I had never heard this admonishen before; has anyone else heard of or done this? Thanks.


That is insane. 8 months! I carried my puppy for a few weeks. Then every time we went to the stairs he started to whine and back away from me. He did not want to be picked up...He went down the stairs on leash and in a controlled manner. I think using common sense is critical. No jumping up and down on the furniture, no running on concrete, etc. It is unrealistic to not allow a dog do do stairs till they are 8 months old.


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## Jrenkie (Jun 9, 2004)

Well, so much for no stairs. Izzy has figured them out and I can't block them all! So for now, she goes up the stairs freely but I am still carrying her down because that is more difficult for her. I'm sure she will figure out how to go down shortly as well! As an aside, my vet also did not see a problem with her doing stairs at this age, she's 16 weeks and will hit a month old on Sunday, Father's Day.


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## Sunsilver (Apr 8, 2014)

*she's 16 weeks and will hit a month old on Sunday, Father's Day.*

You mean 4 months... >


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## Jrenkie (Jun 9, 2004)

Sunsilver said:


> *she's 16 weeks and will hit a month old on Sunday, Father's Day.*
> 
> You mean 4 months... >


Oops, yes I did!


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## dc9137 (May 12, 2017)

My guy is 10 weeks now and I couldn't stop him from taking the stairs if I wanted to lol. He pushes his ball down the stairs and brings it back up as a game


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## [email protected] (Jan 16, 2018)

*What a relief!*

We have a standard flight of steps down to the basement, and a 7-step flight of concrete steps to the basement's outside entrance. I've been concerned that our 3-mo. old pup Boon is getting too much stress on his joints from using the stairs at home _and_ walking on the paved bike trail near us. I asked my husband to carry him downstairs as needed and avoid paved surfaces as much as practical. 

When the pup was around a month old, maybe two, carrying him up and down stairs was not a huge deal. (Truthfully I was more concerned about Boon going _down_ stairs than I was going up them, because of the fall risk.) Now that he's older, he's more bitey and wriggly and I think that my husband and I face greater danger of a) dropping him or b) being distracted and falling, and therefore also dropping him.

After reading these posts I'm much more inclined to let the pup take the stairs as he likes, with help as needed going down. I'll also make the stairs more slip-resistant. Our backs and faces (in nip range) thank you all.


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