puppies up and down the stairs - YorkieTalk.com Forums

MYC · 08-15-2007, 04:04 PM

My puppies learned to climb up and down the stairs two weeks ago. They seemed to be doing great! It amazed me how they came down the stairs one step a time. smart puppies! I am still worried though. They ran ahead of me often, especially when they get excited and the fact two of them play fights before they hit the stairs. I am afraid one day they might not pause and go flying down the stairs. My carpeted stairs turns in the middle at the platform, but there are 10 steps before the turn. It scares me to think they might get seriously hurt one day. ... plus the hallow space in between the stair railings ... if they tried to sqeeze themselves through them (I don't know if they can actually squeeze through?) ... they would fly and hit the marble floor ... this would have been worse .... I read the tragic story of the other yorkie "Zack" on yorkie talk today (he didn't fall from stairs though) and I am very concerned now.

Does anyone have the same worries? any suggestions from experienced owners?

snoopy42 · 08-15-2007, 04:31 PM

I have the same worries. I recently purchased a little girl for my sister and bought a little boy for myself. They are tinies and will probably remain tiny. I don't think climbing up and down the stairs would be a problem, but they could easily slip through the railings. That's what scares me the most.

daisysis · 08-15-2007, 04:55 PM

I think I would get a baby gate..I have them every where.
I also have ramps and doggie steps everywhere
I worry to much about them breaking a leg

MYC · 08-15-2007, 04:55 PM

Like I said, I don't know if mine will be able to slip through the railings. Hopefully, they aren't small enough and they don't seem to show the interest of squeezing through the spaces. I don't want to bring them there and size them to see if they can actually go through (it would be crazy to give them the idea!). My puppies are already 7 1/2 pound, and 4 pounds at 4 1/2 month-old. Hopefully, we are going to get some ideas from experienced yorkie lovers.

sassytooyou · 08-15-2007, 08:21 PM

We have a really thick foam mat at the bottom. now tede likes to crash on it.
I try to settle him but, he gets excited, theres no holding him back, hes thinks he's mighty mouse.
jg

ILUVSADIE · 08-15-2007, 09:09 PM

Sadie squeezes through the rails of puppy gates just like they aren't even there - but she only weighs 4 pounds. I use screens to keep her out of certain rooms and have had good luck with them. Fortunately, we live in a ranch house and don't have to contend with stairs!!!

JoyRenee · 08-15-2007, 10:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daisysis

I think I would get a baby gate..I have them every where.
I also have ramps and doggie steps everywhere
I worry to much about them breaking a leg

I completely agree

celstu1 · 08-16-2007, 04:37 AM

I have 2 boys and a stair set up like you do. Where its about 10 steps then a platform, I have a railing with bars like you do and they will stick their head through but they never went through the railing! They never fell down the stairs and they have been going up & down them since they were 2 months old.

I don't think you need to worry about it too much. If the stairs were wood Id worry, they skid on wood, but with carpet they have plenty of traction.

Teryn · 08-16-2007, 04:48 AM

I empathize with you completely. When I got Yoshi about a month ago he could barely go up and down stairs. One day, he fell down some stairs and almost gave me a heart attack! Needless to say, I started carrying him up and down the stairs and I bought an Evenflo Soft and Wide gate to block the stairs off. It is made with soft mesh so their precious little paws won't get stuck and they can't hurt themselves!

It's definitely worth getting a soft gate!

TinyBit · 08-16-2007, 04:54 AM

My bedroom is downstairs so mine don't seem to want to go up.
If I'm not home and my sons let Gizmo out of his area, he will follow them upstairs but won't come down yet. He won't even try. He sits at the top of the stairs and cries until someone comes and gets him. I hope he doesn't decide to try when I'm not home.
I am also thinking of adding a gate at the bottom so he can't go up, I think that is best. My stairs are hard wood and their are 15 of them.

ryorkies · 08-16-2007, 04:58 AM

We constantly tell everyone that we live in a Gated Community.

Okay, but it's just a little white lie.

We have gates everywhere...
But the most important thing we did to protect them is on the outside stairs from the deck. I was always afraid that they would bolt out the door ahead of me, or sneak past, and the possibility of falling through the railings gave me a heart attack. So, my husband put up mesh on the outside of the railings so that it will eliminate the possibility of any kind of accident as they are hurrying down the steps.
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yorkieusa · 08-16-2007, 06:48 AM

I wouldn't gate them off from the stairs. They are carpeted and that's great. I would use the rail mesh, though.

http://www.amazon.com/Dorel-Junenill.../dp/B000056OUX

08-15-2007, 04:04 PM	#1
MYC Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Arizona Posts: 46 Blog Entries: 2	puppies up and down the stairs My puppies learned to climb up and down the stairs two weeks ago. They seemed to be doing great! It amazed me how they came down the stairs one step a time. smart puppies! I am still worried though. They ran ahead of me often, especially when they get excited and the fact two of them play fights before they hit the stairs. I am afraid one day they might not pause and go flying down the stairs. My carpeted stairs turns in the middle at the platform, but there are 10 steps before the turn. It scares me to think they might get seriously hurt one day. ... plus the hallow space in between the stair railings ... if they tried to sqeeze themselves through them (I don't know if they can actually squeeze through?) ... they would fly and hit the marble floor ... this would have been worse .... I read the tragic story of the other yorkie "Zack" on yorkie talk today (he didn't fall from stairs though) and I am very concerned now. Does anyone have the same worries? any suggestions from experienced owners? __________________

08-15-2007, 04:55 PM	#3
daisysis YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: michigan Posts: 1,074	I think I would get a baby gate..I have them every where. I also have ramps and doggie steps everywhere I worry to much about them breaking a leg __________________ Sissy..Lilly..Maggie..Lucy

08-15-2007, 04:55 PM	#4
MYC Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Arizona Posts: 46 Blog Entries: 2	puppy up and down the stairs Like I said, I don't know if mine will be able to slip through the railings. Hopefully, they aren't small enough and they don't seem to show the interest of squeezing through the spaces. I don't want to bring them there and size them to see if they can actually go through (it would be crazy to give them the idea!). My puppies are already 7 1/2 pound, and 4 pounds at 4 1/2 month-old. Hopefully, we are going to get some ideas from experienced yorkie lovers. __________________

08-15-2007, 08:21 PM	#5
sassytooyou YT Addict Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: santa rosa Posts: 365	yes very scarry We have a really thick foam mat at the bottom. now tede likes to crash on it. I try to settle him but, he gets excited, theres no holding him back, hes thinks he's mighty mouse. jg

08-15-2007, 09:09 PM	#6
ILUVSADIE Donating Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: New York Posts: 363	Sadie squeezes through the rails of puppy gates just like they aren't even there - but she only weighs 4 pounds. I use screens to keep her out of certain rooms and have had good luck with them. Fortunately, we live in a ranch house and don't have to contend with stairs!!! __________________ Sadie's Mommy

08-15-2007, 04:31 PM	#2
snoopy42 Donating Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: OC Posts: 684	I have the same worries. I recently purchased a little girl for my sister and bought a little boy for myself. They are tinies and will probably remain tiny. I don't think climbing up and down the stairs would be a problem, but they could easily slip through the railings. That's what scares me the most.

08-16-2007, 04:37 AM	#8
celstu1 Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 10,534	I have 2 boys and a stair set up like you do. Where its about 10 steps then a platform, I have a railing with bars like you do and they will stick their head through but they never went through the railing! They never fell down the stairs and they have been going up & down them since they were 2 months old. I don't think you need to worry about it too much. If the stairs were wood Id worry, they skid on wood, but with carpet they have plenty of traction. __________________ “Petting, scratching, and cuddling a dog could be as soothing to the mind and heart as deep meditation and almost as good for the soul as prayer.” ― Dean Koontz

08-16-2007, 04:48 AM	#9
Teryn YT Addict Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 250	I empathize with you completely. When I got Yoshi about a month ago he could barely go up and down stairs. One day, he fell down some stairs and almost gave me a heart attack! Needless to say, I started carrying him up and down the stairs and I bought an Evenflo Soft and Wide gate to block the stairs off. It is made with soft mesh so their precious little paws won't get stuck and they can't hurt themselves! It's definitely worth getting a soft gate! __________________ Mother to 2 gorgeous & intelligent little yorkies, (Chica) Mia and Yoshi , and 1 chinchilla Posh !

08-16-2007, 04:54 AM	#10
TinyBit It's a Yorkie Thing Donating Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Walton KS Posts: 1,529 Blog Entries: 1	My bedroom is downstairs so mine don't seem to want to go up. If I'm not home and my sons let Gizmo out of his area, he will follow them upstairs but won't come down yet. He won't even try. He sits at the top of the stairs and cries until someone comes and gets him. I hope he doesn't decide to try when I'm not home. I am also thinking of adding a gate at the bottom so he can't go up, I think that is best. My stairs are hard wood and their are 15 of them. __________________ Loving Gizmo, Teddy, Duchess,and Faith : In Memory of My Duke of York 7-24-06 ~6-21-07 and Victorian Lacie Pearl 3-1-07 ~ 4-22-11

08-16-2007, 04:58 AM	#11
ryorkies No Longer a Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Yorkieville Posts: 2,860	We constantly tell everyone that we live in a Gated Community. Okay, but it's just a little white lie. We have gates everywhere... But the most important thing we did to protect them is on the outside stairs from the deck. I was always afraid that they would bolt out the door ahead of me, or sneak past, and the possibility of falling through the railings gave me a heart attack. So, my husband put up mesh on the outside of the railings so that it will eliminate the possibility of any kind of accident as they are hurrying down the steps. </IMG></IMG> </IMG></IMG></IMG></IMG></IMG></IMG>

08-16-2007, 06:48 AM	#12
yorkieusa Crazy about Kacee! Donating Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Kansas Posts: 21,173	I wouldn't gate them off from the stairs. They are carpeted and that's great. I would use the rail mesh, though. http://www.amazon.com/Dorel-Junenill.../dp/B000056OUX __________________ Karen Kacee Muffin 1991-2005 Rest in Peace My Little Angel