Lately, David has noticed his dog, Bunny, hesitating to climb the stairs of his townhouse. With a flight of stairs leading to the front door and two flights inside, this fear is on its way to becoming a major problem.
Stairs are things your dog has to learn to use. There are no instincts naturally propelling them to higher places, like mountain goats thousands of feet up in the Rockies.
Dogs can quickly learn to climb stairs comfortably, but certain things in the environment around the stairs or the dog’s physical condition can trigger the fear of doing so.
Fortunately, there are several ways to help your dog overcome that fear and make your home and other places fully accessible again!
The Characteristics of the Stairs
Sometimes, the fear is about the stairs themselves:
- Some stairs are steep enough to give even a human a case of vertigo.
- Some stairs consist of smooth stone, wood, marble, tiles, or other hard, smooth surfaces, making them slippery for canine paws.
- Spiral or other specially designed staircases may require help to navigate.
- A staircase with an open design — the kind without risers—can be frightening to a dog. Their weaker binocular vision makes it harder for the dog to see this kind of stair.
Further, some staircases are cluttered with tripping hazards or unstable and need repair. That’s risky for both dogs and humans!
What You Can Do
If you live in a place with a lot of stairs, you can do a few things to make the stairs you do have friendlier for your dog and reduce or eliminate their fear:
- If the stairs are a convenient landing place for things that belong elsewhere, those things become trip hazards. Clear up the clutter, both for the dog and the people in the house.
- Cover slippery surfaces with carpet pieces or other non-slip textures.
- Repair any loose or broken parts.
- If the stairs have an open design with no risers, consider filling in the vertical space to help your dog see where they are going. You can add risers to the structure or fill the space with cardboard or a temporary visible barrier.
The Dog Has Never Seen Stairs Before
Puppies facing stairs for the first time are understandably scared — the stairs are big and high up! Of course, puppies must learn from scratch how to deal with stairs safely, just like toddlers do, so there’s plenty of room for fear.
Older dogs may have the same issue. If they have lived in single-level homes, outside as strays, or in pens all their lives, stairs will be a new concept. For example, people who have adopted retired racing Greyhounds have probably encountered this problem as the dogs learn to live indoors for the first time.
What You Can Do
Place the dog on the first stair and use a few treats to lure them to move up or down to subsequent stairs. Praise them when they reach a new step. Remain patient, and don’t force them to move faster than they can manage, given their fear.
The Stairs Don’t Square With Their Medical Condition
Illness or Injury
The sudden fear of stairs may mean the dog is dealing with an injury or condition that makes climbing stairs painful. Arthritis or an injury to a leg or hip can make the force exerted to climb or descend steps no longer bearable.
Sometimes, you can’t tell when your dog is injured. Dogs and other animals tend to be good at hiding injuries and pain. It comes from their survival instinct; in the wild, an injured animal is vulnerable to attack or being left behind. So, you may have to check for injury.
Age
As they age, dogs become more susceptible to ailments and injuries, their muscles and joints weaken, their vision may be impaired, and they gradually lose the ability to move around comfortably. There was recently a story online about a family whose elderly dog lost his ability to climb stairs. A family member slept downstairs with the dog each night to keep him from becoming lonely.
Size
Stair risers, the vertical part that defines the distance between one stair and the next, are typically 7 to 7.75 inches high. This height can seem huge for a puppy or a small dog with short legs. The climb up will take more effort and energy than it would for a larger dog. The descent may present an even bigger challenge, as dropping from one stair to a lower one while looking all the way to the bottom can feel unsafe.
What You Can Do
Talk to your veterinarian about the dog’s condition and ask what improvements or changes you can expect. Then decide how to accommodate them, either temporarily while an injury heals or permanently.
If the dog cannot climb the stairs on their own, there are slings with handles that allow you to support some of the dog’s weight as they slowly climb the stairs with you. Some dog parents have built stair lifts for their dogs to ride up and down.
Ask your veterinarian to recommend what else you can do to help your dog.
Their Nails are Too Long for Comfortable Climbing
Imagine letting your fingernails grow several inches. To work with your hands (e.g., picking up and moving things, typing, handling a steering wheel), you’d have to position them differently to accommodate the extra nail length.
If a dog’s nails are too long, they have to place their feet in a slightly different position, which can change their balance and give them less traction. As a result, they can more easily trip or fall. Longer nails can also get stuck in the carpet on the stairs or in small gaps in the stair parts.
They’ve Associated the Stairs With a Traumatic Experience
We once had a client who fell on his dog as they were going up the stairs, breaking the dog’s leg! From then on, she was terrified of the stairs and wouldn’t go anywhere near them. She had associated stairs with something terrible.
Perhaps a dog tripped on or fell down some stairs in the past. Maybe they sense something at the top or bottom of the stairs that they don’t want to go near. It’s also possible that a pet parent has unintentionally taught the dog to fear stairs. If, for example, they don’t want the dog in one part of the house while at work, they might block the stairs with a baby gate. This can create for the dog a negative association with stairs as something not allowed and to avoid.
What You Can Do
This kind of fear runs deep, which is why it may be more challenging to remedy. It’s not because climbing the stairs is physically demanding or impossible. This fear is deeply rooted in experiences that have taught the dog that stairs are something to avoid. It requires changing the way the dog thinks. It requires positive reinforcement through desensitization and counter-conditioning.
Desensitization teaches the dog to unlearn the “stress trigger = harm” equation. You gradually expose the dog to the stairs, from just being near them to going up and down one stair, and so on.
Counter-conditioning changes the dog’s response to the stairs from stress to desirable behavior. You associate it with something positive.
Both require a great deal of time, persistence, and patience. If not done right, either can backfire.
Help Your Dog Overcome Their Fear of Stairs With K9 Basics!
In some cases, professional help is an excellent idea if you’re unsure what to do. Desensitization and counter-conditioning can be difficult, or you may have a particularly stubborn or fearful dog. Your veterinarian can clarify your dog’s physical issues and define any limitations you have to deal with.
A professional trainer can help you get to the bottom of the issue and determine the best solutions for you and your dog. The talented trainers at K9 Basics know how to give your dog the confidence to tackle the stairs in your home and elsewhere. And we will make sure you know how to follow up and keep your dog moving from floor to floor with ease. Contact us for an appointment. We are here to help!
Give us a call at (866) 592-2742 or, if you’re from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, or New York, visit us at 131 Kenilworth Road, Marlton, New Jersey 08053, to learn more about our dog training services. Also, browse our blog and social media for various topics about dogs and their lives with us!
References
- “Help! My Dog Has Developed a Fear of the Stairs.” Journey Dog Training, 29 Oct. 2019, journeydogtraining.com/dog-scared-of-stairs/. Accessed 8 Feb. 2023.
- King, Amber. “4 Reasons Dogs Are Afraid of Stairs and How to Help Them with Their Fear.” iHeartDogs.Com, iheartdogs.com/4-reasons-dogs-are-afraid-of-stairs-and-how-to-help-them-with-their-fear/. Accessed 8 Feb. 2023.
- “Is Your Dog Afraid of Stairs? Here’s How to Fix It.” Top Dog Tips, 29 Mar. 2020, topdogtips.com/dog-afraid-of-stairs/. Accessed 8 Feb. 2023.