# Puppies and Stairs



## Redgrappler (Jan 22, 2010)

I have a 5 mos GSD and a mos GSD. Both of my dogs ran up the stairs this morning to greet me when they were let out of their kennels this morning. It was so nice of them. I don't have them routinely going up and down the stairs, but my question is....is it a "no no" to have pups climbing stairs? What is the deal with this? I told my buddy who raises GSD's about this and he was so emphatic that I could be injuring my boys by allowing them to climb the stairs. Any thoughts or information would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

John


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## Jason L (Mar 20, 2009)

I let Ike go up by himself. I still carry him down 90% of the time but this will not last long (2 flights of stairs to get to ground floor and he is 44 lbs so ...). When I let him go down stairs by himself I always leash him up and make sure he takes it slow and does not skip steps. No launching off with three steps to go ... that kind of deal.


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## littledmc17 (Apr 9, 2008)

its fine and its good for them to learn 
just wait until they are bigger and you have Nascar derby when you are trying to go down them 
Now that is fun!!!


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## TitonsDad (Nov 9, 2009)

Titon has been taking stairs up and down since the day he arrived. He learned a way to go down really fast by keeping his front legs stiff and sliding down the stairs. It is comical to watch sometimes.


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## TitonsDad (Nov 9, 2009)

> Originally Posted By: littledmc
> just wait until they are bigger and you have Nascar derby when you are trying to go down them
> Now that is fun!!!


I don't need to wait... He's already doing this at 11 weeks old. I was wondering why he couldn't just take one side of the stairs while I go down the other side. Instead, he likes to cross back and forth as I go down. Watch for my next thread to be something like, "re-arranged my face due to Titon's Nascar tactics"


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## Jason L (Mar 20, 2009)

> Originally Posted By: TitonsDadTiton has been taking stairs up and down since the day he arrived. He learned a way to go down really fast by keeping his front legs stiff and sliding down the stairs. It is comical to watch sometimes.


That I would not let Ike do.

But then I again I'm more paranoid than most about this kind of stuff. Every time he jumps I kind of wince. So ... it may just be me.


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## StryderPup (May 16, 2009)

Stryder started conquering our steps the week we got him. When he was younger, he would slide down on his belly. Now, he cruises up and down the stairs 50 times a day. My only advice would be that as a pup, they are still clutzy and they will try to race you down the stairs. I have taken a tumble a couple time with Stryder. I would also caution you with small children, the pup/dog may knock them down accidentally.


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## Redgrappler (Jan 22, 2010)

Is there any concern for possible skeletal damage? My buddy was telling me that it was dangerous because of this. I can't imagine God creating such an athlete of an animal with a propensity for damage from climbing up and down stairs.


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## Jason L (Mar 20, 2009)

This is just a personal thing. I just choose to play it very conservative with a young pup. I don't let him do any jumping (if I can help it) and I don't let him run on hard surfaces and I don't take him on a lot of walks on concrete pavements. Like I said, I do occasionally let him walk down the stairs himself but always on leash, with me nearby, so I can control his speed and to prevent him from jumping off.


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## StarryNite (Jun 2, 2009)

Lulu scares me to death with the stairs! She finally got over her fear of going up them at about 6 months old and now she just flies up and down them. I don't mind the up part, but the down worries me. They are pretty steep and she is pretty clutzy! One time she tumbled down the bottom two because she was going too fast and yelped but then she was fine. I think it just scared her. I need to try to train her not to run at top speed down them but I'm not really sure how! I don't think the leash would help in my situation as I am pretty sure as soon as I took it off her she would do it again. The stairs are open (with nothing under them and open space under each stair) so when she goes up and down it sounds like an earthquake hit!


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## Zoeys mom (Jan 23, 2010)

Mine slides down on her belly as well and it is adorable. She is only allowed up and down 2 a day being when we wake up and go to bed. Other than that our upstairs is off limits during the day until we know she's out of the crazy puppy faze. I agree with no running on concrete or jumping to be on the safe side though.


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## middleofnowhere (Dec 20, 2000)

They are dogs. I wouldn't send them up and down stairs fast repeatedly but they are dogs and big dogs at that. We've been doing stairs a lot once she learned stairs. at least 6 times a day.


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## elisabeth_00117 (May 17, 2009)

I let Stark go up the stairs by himself but carried him down until he was too heavy for me to carry.

I also, like Jason leashed him or walked infront of him so he couldn't skip steps or jump off of them.


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## Jason L (Mar 20, 2009)

They're dogs but they are baby dogs. Why push it when you don't have to? There's plenty of time later for Ike to jump and climb (well, provided he can drag his jumbo butt over the jump when the time comes, that is). But at the age where they have more energy/drive/craziness than brain, I would rather have the pups do less than more. Just me.


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