# Do puppies know about height?



## thor wgsd (Jun 18, 2008)

Again I am going to raise a newbie question;

My house is a one story house with a terrace on the roof. The terrace covers the whole house so it's big and has loads of room, my pup loves going up there but I have only had him up with a leash because there are some parts where he could fall off if he is not carefull (and he never is). 

I have friends with similar terraces and they just let their dogs up there without problems but since I am a worrier (man I don't want to think how I will be when I have kids) I wanted to ask if anyone has tips regarding this. Do they know/understand heights? 

It's a great place where he would love to hang out during the day watching the world go by while I am working, but I need to be sure he is not going to do something stupid and fall off (it's just a small part that's not fenced - I could probably fence that off though).

Anyway, I am rambling again, just wanted to know if anyone has similar setups and have any tips.

Cheers,

-Thomas-


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## 3K9Mom (Jun 12, 2006)

My experience is that puppies are wary of heights. But if they're playing and distracted, they can go right over the edge too. It's just too easy to tumble and fall when you're uncoordinated busy pup! 

So I'd set up some sort of webbing or fencing to keep pup away from the edge, just to be safe.


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## Riley's Mom (Jun 7, 2007)

I don't feel qualified to venture a guess as to whether or not dogs are height-conscious. I can't imagine leaving my dog(s) unattended on a roof. I might consider it if I had about a 6ft high fence set securely up there but I don't know too many people who would want a fence sitting on top of their house.


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## Lisa&Diesel (Jun 8, 2008)

I doubt that a pup would jump off but if was running around or chasing a bird overhead then he wouldn't look where he was running too.


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## Chris Wild (Dec 14, 2001)

How old?

Younger pups don't have very good depth perception compared to adults... so while they're aware of heights, they can't much tell the difference between a drop of 2 feet and a drop of 20 feet. Adult dogs can tell the difference, but that doesn't mean they understand the repercussions. Not all dogs have an instinctive fear of heights and will avoid them.

Regardless of age, getting excited, playing, chasing could easily lead to a fall if the dog isn't paying attention. I know a K9 who was killed when he chased a kong off the roof of a building because his (stupid!) human partner decided to reward the dog on the roof after a find, rather than go back down to the street, kong took a bad bounce and dog followed......

So even with an adult this would be a concern.


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## JeanKBBMMMAAN (May 11, 2005)

Dogs do not. I live near a state park with gorges and they have many, what they call dog suicides every year, with family pets being allowed off leash (not supposed to be) chasing squirrels right off the gorge.







I have one dog I won't even take there on a leash because of this.


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## thor wgsd (Jun 18, 2008)

He is 7 months now. 

Thanks for the replies all. I will fence in the area that's missing fence and only take him up there when I am with him.

Btw: I forgot to say in the original post that I do work from home, it's not like I would leave him up there - or in the backyard - when I am out.

Cheers,

-Thomas-


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## Pennst1972 (Apr 24, 2021)

Tough to find information on a pet's awareness of height, but thankfully these 13 year old posts will suffice. I live in Idaho and want to go on a sightseeing trip with my GS, but wasn't sure how instinctive she'd be while I'm looking over cliffs, canyons, and gorges. Based on what I'm seeing, I'll play it safe and use a leash.


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## tim_s_adams (Aug 9, 2017)

Actually, if you post a new thread with your specific question it will garner more attention.

I agree that fencing in the small area that isn't is a good idea. That being said, raising a puppy will require risks. If you always play it safe, you'll likely never know what your puppy is capable of! JMHO...


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## WNGD (Jan 15, 2005)

We walk in ravines where at several spots there are severe drop offs (50 feet?) and I have a sheer drop off waterfall right on my driveway (~20 feet). We literally walk along at least one of these several times per day. 

With a young pup I'm careful/watchful as they tend to inch up and carefully look over. But it's not long before they are running up and down these ravines, scaling near vertical walls are far more surefooted than we are on all surfaces. 

Rooftops? I'd be very careful with a pup as there's no second chances


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