Alfie has problems with stairs

[justin73]

Hi everyone,
Today Alfie climbed the stairs spantaniously, just like that . However, we've been having problems getting him down the stairs. He literally wont go down them. He gets stressed and scared. Being beside him wont help :-(

Dad got Alfie down but he had to drag Alfie. We praised and cuddled Alfie afterwards. He needs stairs training.

Does anyone have any tips for teaching Alfie the stairs and getting over his fears of coming?

We'd so appriciate your experiences and triumphs here.
Thank you :-)

[kateymh]

You should never drag or force a greyhound when teaching him the stairs as they can be dangerous. You need to be coaxing him gently using a praising voice and I'm sure the lure of treats wouldn't go amiss either. If Alfie wants to take it slowly then whoever is guiding him down the stairs is going to have to have the patience to match. Of course plenty of encouragement and praise is important during and after the training.

We decided to keep our upstairs a dog-free zone and simply didn't train them to go up or down stairs, but I have read somewhere that on the way down you are supposed to guide them step by step if they are nervous with a hand on their chest to prevent them from jumping and breaking their legs.

[sueb]

I'm sure there are plenty of people who can advise about the stairs, but I would ask:
do you really need to get Alfie upstairs?
It may help him settle to know that you are all close by at night, but they can equally learn that even with the family upstairs at night, they do always come down in the morning!

Like Katey, our hounds have never been upstairs in our house!

[suethejam]

Most of our hounds have worked out the stairs with a bit of encouragement - Lou had to be taught how to go up a leg at a time, with lots of treats as an incentive. Katey gave good advice on helping them down - I think that's far more difficult - I'd walk down a few steps in front of Lou just so that I could put a hand out to steady her if needed.

Having said that, our old girl Poppy never got the hang of stairs and that was ok too!

[justin73]

Thanks a lot for the advice. Dragging him wasnt really a good idea. It was done more out of desperation. We made sure ge was praised and cuddle to ease the exoerience. We werent sure what to do about the stairs and Alfie. We didnt encouage as wr hadnt decided on that. He came up last night while we were asleep. I had to have him in my room. He settled in there fine. Dad got him down stairs the first time without any hassle. It wad the second time Alfie froze and wouldnt budge.

Now that he's gone one step ahead of us (excuse the pun), we'll to teach him now. The advice came very handy :-)

He has been sleepong downstair, in the hallway by the stairs. He stayed there all night the first night. Then came up stairs last night.

In the main, he's doing well :-)

[suethejam]

Glad that he's doing well - thanks for being patient with him - you will be rewarded by his love and devotion.

I think that you got Alfie (Sam) from Dillymore - if so, you might want to join their forum also - they'd love to hear how he's doing - many of us are members of both...

www.greyhoundhomer.org.uk

[Ian]

You could try bringing Alfie down on the lead, but that doesn't mean drag \ pull him down. Our Sean wouldn't go up or down stairs when we first got him, however we discovered that he would go up and down on the lead, and we used this technique to get him doing it by himself. We then treated him with cheese at top and bottom, and be prepared to give your hound the full length on the lead up or down if he decides to run up \ down so he's not strangled. After a short while we found he would go up and down by himself, but usually had to be called.

He now doesn't go up and down though since he's getting a bit old for all that, so we just keep him downstairs. So be aware that as Alfie gets older (by "older" personally I'd say 10 years or older, but this can vary dog to dog) you may need to change his habits and routines a bit depending on his general health.

[justin73]

Thanks Suethejam and Mark Wilson. Will join the other forum gladly. I didnt realsied they had their own foum.

Dad's gonna guve proper stairs trsining tonight. See how Alfie gets on. We'll develop a proper ruetine for helping Alfie by then.

Thanks for further advice. I think he came upstairs last night as he still is a bit anxious and needs to be near us. Hopefully with confidence he won't have that urgency. we'll get thrir :-)

[prince]

hi justin
My prince was use to stairs as the track he raced at had them. My foster girls i`ve had in my home have all been different. They all need to learn stairs as that is the first obsticle they come across when going though my door. when i first bring them home we are out for a walk along the sea front where there are steps which are wider and not as steep as the ones indoors to see how they are with those. some are a little clumsy and others are confident but it gives me an idea of how they are going to be indoors. Mostly the foster hounds are good going up but unsure going down so i take them up and down on the lead until they are confident. My last girl got the going up with in a week looking after her for three weeks she still needed to be led on the lead going down. if you can find steps when your out and about use them to practice on. Alfie will get confident, and be running up and down in no time.

[Deleted]

You could install a stair lift with a couch attached!!!!! lol

[justin73]

Hi everyone,

Just an update here. Alfie isnt quite cured of his oroblem with going down atairs. However, we've been talking him up and down on the lead. He's only just starting to come down with kead confidently. He's decending a lot smoother than he was on monday. I've just remenbered that we have steps by our cemetary. I'll work him on these as well.

[prince]

Thats good progress Justin well done. All you have to remember is your greyhound has entered the unnone world. And everything is new. in time with patience and practise Alfie will over come the obsticles and you as a new greyhound owner will show him how. With help and advise from use.

[pumalass]

Hi Justin
My first boy Bart went up the stairs the very first day and I had to put a towel under him to try and get him down, after the next three times of going up I like others have said put his lead on him, he soon was flying up and down the stairs, Mersey took 3 weeks and Beau took longer, as others have also said they will go up when they want to I never encouraged Beau or Mersey or even Bart they found their own way up and down with a little help from us on the down part.
You sound like you are doing really well with Alfie he will give you so much pleasure when he is totally at home with you all.
Chris

[paulinespack]

having lost my big old crossbreed Buddy a few months ago I sat one morning 3 weeks ago ,drinking coffee perusing the "Dogs In the Oldie's Care" ,having also decided to reduce my Numbers --now down to 4 ,all Grey's ,Annie ,15 ,Rosie ,12 ,Trisha ,11 ,Beau ,9,

what should I see But "Jimmy "a 9 yr old boy .very badly neglected ,always lived in yard on concrete ,not been exercised for YEARS so had no muscles he must have been used for breeding as had never raced having broken his leg ,he had never been indoors so knew nothing,he had been taken in by a kennels very close to ours ,

so long story shortened ---Jimmy was a few hours later experiencing the "UNKNOWN",should I stay downstairs with him ? no ,I thought ,start as you mean to go on ,

Jimmy wasn't going to be left again ,so FIRST night ,no muscle condition ,he decides he will tackle the stairs ,collapsed halfway up ,managed the rest ,a bit tricky getting him back down ,but held his collar ,now just 3 weeks on ,he is amazing

these Greyhounds are the most amazing dogs ,Beau is the 9yr Gentleman ,Jimmy is the Joker of the pack ,throwing toys ,coming for walks and cuddles ,

so we are now a pack of 5 again with absolutely NO REGRETS

Pauline and 5

[sueb]

Well done on taking on another, Pauline.