OH BOY...we're in trouble now!!!

[Kerri B. & Zoey]

This evening I was sitting in the family room & Zoey was sleeping on the tile in the entry (or at least that is what she wanted mommy to think). I heard a faint whimper and thought "oh how cute, she's dreaming again" and turned to look over into the entry. NO ZOEY! I walk into the kitchen, she's not in her ex-pen I go back over to the powder room (the door was almost closed, so don't know how she could have gotten in there). I start frantically looking behind furniture (even though I have blocked off so she can't get behind the couch). STILL no Zoey. I run upstairs and check my bedroom (the only other room she has been in, but has always been carried up there). I come back out of the bedroom calling her name again and again. When all of the sudden she comes trotting out of the hall bathroom. Phew...she's safe. But OH BOY...who would have thought she would conquer the stairs in one fell swoop! She has not even been interested in them before now. I think it might be out of boredom. It's going to be a LONG 8 weeks. She is basically on quarantine as Parvo is rampant in our community, so taking her beyond my backyard is really risky. I think I am going to have to get a baby gate after all (and maybe a few more toys to keep her entertained). For those of you with stairs in your home, how long did it take your doodle to master them?

[Amy and Truman]

Truman went up the stairs within the first few days of being home.  He was 8 weeks when he came home.  He came down the stairs yesterday for the first time at 9 1/2 weeks.  Probably not the best on his legs/ hips so I'm thinking I may need to block the stairs too!

[Barbie]

Yeah, I read somewhere (maybe a book in .pdf file on Petfinder) that puppies should not climb stairs until a certain age - not only because of safety issues, but it can cause hip and joint problems later in life. So, I'm going to wait until Zeus is at least 1 year old before I allow him to even see the upstairs area. I've had it gated since Day 1 and only go up there myself to get a change of clothes or whatnot. Hercules suffers from arthritis, so he's never even been up there either. My only bedrooms are upstairs, but I sleep downstairs on a sofa sleeper just so I can be with my hairy kids as much as possible.

[Jennifer & Kai]

The stairs were pretty easy....Good Luck.  If they are carpeted probably sooner, mine are painted wood, took a little longer to learn not to slide on them...

 

[Carla, Lucca and Izzy]

It took Lucca until he was 6 months but Izzy was running up and down at around 3 months. Her legs were hardly even long enough!!! Now she flies up and flies down and leaps off the last 3 steps:) I put one of those hinged wood double gates on the stairs. She can't get up the stairs if I have it closed but humans can go up and down easily.

 

[Camilla and Darwin]

Darwin learned the stairs within the first couple of days, thank goodness. :-)

[Traci -Bexter & Maggie]

Bexter was 3 months old, which was at least 9 weeks after I got him.  Up until then, I carried him up & down because I was scared he would hurt himself trying.  Then, I posted a discussion about this topic on DK & everyone made me feel better that he could safely do it.  So... I enticed him with treats to go up & down.  That took ONE DAY; now he's fine.  But, he's 4 months old now & still hasn't gone up or down unless he's following me (so far...)

[Kerri B. & Zoey]

Well she has mastered going up but then runs wild up & down the hallway barking at the edge of the stairs. They are carpeted, but there is tile at the bottom and they are still tall enough that she really would have to slide down on her belly. I think for her safety (and my sanity) I am going to get a gate. Don't know why I thought it would take her longer to figure it out (they are smart little buggers LOL).

[Carla, Lucca and Izzy]

I use this gate from Orvis. I put it between the posts and we can swing the gate open and closed. It's worked really well.

http://www.orvis.com/store/product.aspx?pf_id=0G9P&dir_id=1633&...

[Lynda Kamrath]

Baby gates are great, and can be used later in a doorway when you want to leave the door open for some fresh air.  We use ours all the time when we want to dogs inside or outside and none of our dogs have ever tried to jump or hop over it.  Our goldendoodle is 30 inches tall, so it would be no problem for him, but they seem to know the gate means stay in or stay out.

About stairs - we don't have them inside the house, but years ago (when I was in college), I had a hermit crab that mastered the stairs also.  They were carpeted, and he would take ahold of the carpet and pull himself up to the next level.  But he could not come down, so once he was upstairs, he would have the wait on the top to hitchhike down.  (Just  for a little added humor).

[Carla, Lucca and Izzy]

Lynda, I agree with you. we use gates all over the house and mine are only 24" high but my "kids" know that's a boundary line for them and they have never tried to jump them.

BTW....what a hermit crab you had. Ours just sat in the bowl and smelled!!!!

[Lynda Kamrath]

He was huge and I got him as a birthday present.  He had the run of the house and always was cleaning up the kitchen floor after dinner.  He sometimes went to sleep in the ashes in the fireplace and we would always have to check to see where the hermit crab was before starting a fire.  And, the cat was fascinated with him.

[Carla, Lucca and Izzy]

That is incredible!!!!! Yours definitely had personality and intelligence!!!!