A recent episode of a television program showed a self proclaimed dog behavior expert treating a dog afraid of stairs by dragging the dog up and down the stairs. This type of forcible approach is not condoned by educated behavior professionals. Check out our Facebook page to watch videos using a humane approach to dealing with fear of stairs:
Click here to see videos on our Facebook page.
I just recently moved to a split-level home with stairs. My three year old black lab mix is terrified of the stairs. He stays in the basement, which is finished and nice, but will not join me upstairs. I have tried training with treats, being loving and positive, etc. The stairs are closed-in, not open. I am thinking about buying a ramp but I hate to spend alot of money if he won’t use that.
He is a dog that is anxious about many things, but the stairs are a biggie. Any suggestions would be wonderful. Thank you.
Linda, if your dog is anxious about many things, it may be very helpful to have an evaluation done to address this. As for the stairs, clicker training is very helpful to work on this type of problem. There are many approaches to dealing with such fears. One way is to do the reverse of what we do in the videos shown on our Facebook page in teaching the dog to go down the stairs. It is important that you do not rush the process or try to lure or bribe the dog up the stairs with treats. This generally asks too much of the dog and then the dog may learn to distrust you and the presence of food. I would recommend that you hire a reputable professional to help you. If you would like to call our office, we can work with your or refer you to a knowledgable trainer in your area.