Dog Community

safe for 10wk pup to walk up and downstairs?

Posted : 4/12/2006 3:55:11 PM

im training my pup to stay indoors, its a 10wk chihuahua/maltese, was wondering at what age will it be safe for the pup to walk up and down my stairs withought me helping or watching it?

its carpetted stairs...

forpaws

Posted : 4/12/2006 5:24:49 PM

Welcome to the Dog.com forum.

Firstly, we need pictures as a requirement to post here. We love puppy pic's!!!! Hint hint...

Secondly, to answer your question: A- helping a ten week old puppy up the stairs and watching will be required to do. Then again when they are older in age and do require a helping hand now and again.

B- Watching an adult dog of his/her size will always be required since they are little dogs and accidents can and do happen from time to time. To include lending a helping hand every once in a while, when needed or required.

Hope that answered your questions.

I have a little one also. She is a geriatric dog and does require more attention, hands on attention too and that is ok with me. She has earned that title. I will be glad to be her guide human.

angelamarie

Posted : 4/15/2006 8:26:45 AM

Hi and don't forget to post a picture of your little one.

I think 10 weeks old is way too young to think of allowing the little one to do stairs. Not only from a safety viewpoint, but from a developmental one. His little bones and joints and ligaments aren't nearly ready for that type of stress. Give them a chance to grow strong and get set in place without any added stress on them. These little ones are very prone to patella luxation and giving the ligaments surrounding the patellas a good chance to grow strong and healthy without strain on them early on will help avoid any future problems.

Stephanie Book

Posted : 4/15/2006 10:57:40 AM

Are you meaning that for little dogs it's too young to go up and down stairs? Or for all puppies? I just wondered, because my puppy ( Lab) was going up and down stairs since she was about 9 weeks ( I carried her at first, because she was scared of them.....spoiled puppy [

] ), and even goes by herself sometimes. I didn't see a problem with her doing it when she was that young; she would have to go down ( 16 carpeted steps) to get to my room for bed, and then up in the morning. I did wait until she was older for her to learn going up and down the 'open' wooden stairs we have on our deck.

angelamarie

Posted : 4/15/2006 8:32:21 PM

I meant for little dogs, I'm not sure about the rules with larger dogs.

huskymom

Posted : 4/15/2006 8:48:50 PM

Ya my dogs have been going up and down stairs since they were brave enough to try it. But they are huskies and the jump down each step was more like it is for us and not a huge hurtle. I think its more important for a small breed puppy to help.

kito

Posted : 4/16/2006 8:24:24 AM

I never asked my vet about this but..
12 years ago, My females breeder told me not to let my puppy go up and down stairs, the same was told to me by my males breeder 6 years ago
stating the same thing not to let the puppy go up and down stairs while
they are so young. (In fact it is written in my first contract)
They were afraid of injury to the pups growing bones.
I would assume it would be for all size dogs since my dogs are of the
large breed. That would be a good question for the vet.

toby dude

Posted : 4/16/2006 6:49:26 PM

Not sure about 10 weeks as I wasn't allowed to take toby from the breeder until he was 14 weeks old. But Toby could do stairs the first time he tried them at about 15 weeks. If they're brave enought to try and they can do it, I don't see why not!~

christina

Posted : 4/17/2006 1:44:30 PM

Winston could go up the stairs at 4 months old, but was TERRIFIED of going down the stairs. At 6 months, which was about a month ago, he went down the stairs for the first time (we have a 3 story townhouse) and now he's up and down all day long. We never forced him, he did it when he was ready.

christina

Posted : 4/17/2006 1:45:11 PM

Oops - forgot to mention, he's a small dog, a havanese, about 9 lbs.

christina

Posted : 4/17/2006 1:46:13 PM

Here's my baby!

jennie_c_d

Posted : 4/17/2006 1:53:51 PM

Emma went UP wayyyy before she went down. I was carrying her down at 4 months. I still carry her a lot... She's a little dog. I don't think there's any reason to rush things. Of course, now, she likes to give me a heart attack by doing flying leaps from the porch, not using the steps.

Stephanie Book

Posted : 4/17/2006 10:59:55 PM

I don't know.....if the dog is old enough to go down the stairs, there's really no reason to be carrying them. That's my opinion of course, but in just 15 minutes or so my puppy learned how to go up and down the stairs. I would have a treat and get her to follow me, prasing her and everything. It did take a little longer for her to go down the stairs, but what I did is I picked her up and put her in the middle of the stairs, facing down, so she would not have as long to go, and didn't really have a choice than to go down, and she learned it was ok. If they're scared, teach them not be scared, by getting them used to it.