Stair walking?

[Traci -Bexter & Maggie]

We have a 2 story house and a 3 month old pup.  When is it ok for him to start going up & down the stairs?  I have baby gates & I haven't even had to use them yet because Bexter is too scared to try to go up the stairs when I do (I'm glad about that...I'd be nervous).  He just stands at the base of the stairs and cries for me.  He's never upstairs without being contained because I'm afraid he'd fall down them.

We do have a deck with three low stairs & he can go up & down those just fine to go potty.

 

Also - furniture...we will allow Bex to get on the furniture, so those of you who allow that...When can they safely get up & down on their own?  Bexter is just now starting to (he's done it a couple of times unexpectedly on his own) get on the couch or chair.  I don't want him to hurt himself so I always lift him up or down.  He is a mini (but he'll be a big mini - vet thinks close to 50 lbs full grown/right now he's 15 pounds).  Thanks for advice!

[Chelsea and Bailey]

We never really thought about the stairs factor.  When we got Bailey she would not go up or down the stairs, she did exactly what your pup did.  I think it is just when they are ready, I cant remember the exact age she started.. I think it was around 13 weeks, but once she got good all she wanted to do was run up and down, so those baby gates will come in handy then!

 

We started out with not letting her up on the couch, but that gradually changed and we wanted her up there.  I think the way we did it though worked because now she knows she has to be asked up. We figured that way when we have guests she wont be able to just jump up on the couch and smother them. Again we just waited until she was able to jump up and that should be fine, just move the sharp edges from the coffee table far enough away so she wont tumble onto it. 

 

Dont worry too much, puppies are quite adaptable and tougher then they look... I dont remember how many times B rolled off the bed or couch, and it didnt even faze her! Your pup is beautiful!

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Our Sophie is 3 y/o and still will not come down a flight of stairs.  She will go up just fine.  She isn't presented with that many opportunities to practice, but DH has had to carry her down several flights of stairs.

[Michael Gurley]

I never thought about the stairs either. We got Sunny when she was 9 weeks old, and she would not go up and down stairs (probably because I carried her if I wanted her to go, and left her in her crate if I didn't want her to go with me) but she caught on to the idea pretty quickly. Now we have a gate at the base of one flight of stairs because my other dog has become un-housetrained (she's 14 years old).

 

I wouldn't worry about stairs!

[Jane Smith]

The first time Lucy conquered the stairs was in a cabin we were renting.  It was a wooden stair case.  She was very careful going up with me, but when it came to coming down, she just stood up there looking down at the stairs.  When she saw us putting our coats on, she knew she didn't want to stay.  She took each step very slowly, but barked once for each step.  It was quite funny.  When we got back that night it became her new intertainment. Up and down and up and down.  Pretty noisey with wood stairs.

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Peri had to go up and down stairs from day 1. We lived in a condo when she first came home to us and we were on the 2nd floor...she was fine.

Peri jumped on furniture early on too. I never worried about her.  Now it's different if you don't want him on furniture. I personally don't care.  I like my dogs sitting with me.

[Jess and Pippin]

We have stairs everywhere, some carpet, some hardwood, so learning to navigate them safely is a must.  Pippin started doing up stairs his first night home with us (11 weeks old).  It took him a few days (can't remember, maybe a week??) before he could go up and down without any assistance.  We just followed him up closely and had someone go down ahead of him.  Kylie (our maltese rescue) was terrified (petrified to the point of not moving) of stairs when we first brought her home.  We took this really gradually.  First, just us sitting on the bottom step and encouraging her to approach for treats and petting.  Once she was comfy with that, we put a treat on the bottom step for her to get.  She would snatch and run. When she was comfortable and would eat the treat from the step, we wouldn't give her the treat until she put her paws on the step.  Then lengthened the time she had her paws on the step.  Then increased to 2 steps, then 3 etc.  After about a week of this, my daughter ran up the steps to the family room (with a liver treat in her hand) to play with our other dog and Kylie followed her all the way up!  So, time and lots of patience.  Work at a level that Bexter is comfortable with then gradually ask him to do more.  He'll get it and soon will be going up and down without any problems.  The advice we got from our vet re: stairs and jumping.  Monitor them, teach them to do it safely, avoid excessive jumping until the bulk of their growing is done to protect their joints.

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

That's the advice we received too.  I tried to prevent peri from flying off furniture in the beginning. Did the best we could and she is 2 1/2 and fine so far.

[Barbara B., Sasha & Oliver]

My two doodles were totally different with stairs. When I first got Sasha she did not want to do stairs, up or down. I live in a ranch house but you need to go down 3 stairs off the kitchen to get out side and of course my front steps are 8 steps high. Sasha was 3 1/2 month old when I got her and carried her up and down for about the first month. I would work with her every day, at first she mastered going up but hesitated so much going down. She started getting heavy and I was afraid that I was going to fall carrying her down. I gently coaxed her down a few times and after that she was fine. The funny thing is I have basement stairs that are 6 stairs down from the first landing to go outside. Sasha has yet to go down the basement stairs and very hesitant to go up as well. I do my grooming in the basement and my poor Sasha still needs to be carried down. On the other hand my Oliver went up and down the stairs the second I got him home at 10 weeks with no hesitation what so ever. I am glad because Ollie is 75 pounds at the moment and it would be a bit difficult to carry him - LOL

I would let Bex practice on carpeted stairs (if possible) which is much easier for him than hardwood or tile. Use his favorite treats and he will learn real quick, let him learn in his own time and don't force the issue. As far as jumpin on and off the furniture..... I had Shih-Tuz and they were constantly on and off the couch with no problems even when they reached 14-15 yrs. old they still wanted to sit next to Mommy and would do anything to do that :) Bex will be fine just let him learn at his own pace. Good luck... oh BTW....he is such a cutie pie !!!!

[Traci -Bexter & Maggie]

Thanks for the suggestions guys!  I love the idea of treats to coax him up or down.  Barbara - Yes, I know what you mean about the dogs getting heavy.  That's my concern for Bex.  I don't know if he's safer trying it on his own or me carrying him - I am a clutz (LOL).  My mom was watching my boys the other day & she had to go upstairs to get Bex out of his crate & she is very worried about having to carry him.  She doesn't have the arm strength or the coordination. 

Also - I was worried about his joints though too.  I don't want him to do it before it is safe for him to do so.  I maybe will continue to carry him as long as I can without it getting too dangerous.  Then, I'll try the treat idea.  Our stairs are carpeted, which is good.

[Kaytlin and Cooper]

50lbs is not a mini..... thats a large medium - small standard. Cooper is a slightly big standard labradoodle and shes 60lbs. For a goldendoodle, which are usually larger, 50lbs is a medium. Alot of goldens top 100lbs..... with an F1 you never know what you can get, it varies from the size of a golden, to the size of the poodle (im assuming it was a mini poodle), most likely you will get something in between the 2. He sure is super cute no matter what size he gets to!

[Traci -Bexter & Maggie]

Kaytlin - My thoughts about his size exactly!  The breeder said (and these 2 parents have had previous litters, so you'd think they'd know???) that he would be around 40 pounds.  But...he was the biggest in his litter (I picked him on temperament & would NOT give him up if he grew to 200 pounds!).  The mom is the GR & weighs around 65 pounds and the dad is a mini poodle who weighs about 10 pounds (which is why they called the pups "minis.") .  So I averaged the weights & came up with basically what the breeder told me.  But, my vet seems to think he will get to about 50 pounds.  Which, as you said, I'll love him no matter what.  I do feel funny calling him a mini though, knowing how big he'll probably be.  You say that would be considered a medium?  Maybe that's what I should call him when describing him.  Do you know what weight ranges are considered a mini? 

[Jennifer,Chloe & Myla]

We have 2 mini goldendoodles-26# and 19#