Can't go down stairs! - YorkieTalk.com Forums

Jacsmama · 11-19-2005, 10:51 AM

My 8 month old baby still can't go down a flight of stairs! I have to pick her up and take her down to the front door to go pee. (no wonder potty training is taking so long!) She is very tiny @ 2.5 lbs. Will she ever be able to go down the stairs on her own? (I've tried bribing w/ food...doesn't work) The stairs scare her.

chachi · 11-19-2005, 10:52 AM

My quess is that she will never go down the stairs. Mine didnt when they were thst size. She is just tiny and stairs are scary to her.

amspoelstra · 11-19-2005, 10:58 AM

I would be scared to going head first down the stairs on four legs if I was that small. Trixie is 5,5lbs and does go down the stairs by herself once in a while (she's fearless, I swear!!), but most of the time I carry her. I don't want to take the risk of her hurting herself if she trips and falls down the stairs...

browniesmom622 · 11-19-2005, 10:58 AM

Mine Chihuahua Is 10 Pounds And Just Started Going Down The Staires The Other Day I Wouldnt Let A Tiny One Got Down The Stairs

Jacsmama · 11-19-2005, 11:05 AM

l don't think she's going to get past 3 lbs! I guess we will stick to the potty pads! My other dog, Jac, is 6 lbs and runs up and down the stairs like it's nothing! Beanie, on the other hand, is VERY scared.

She can't do the doggie door either... I guess one if fearless and the other is very cautious. That must be why they get along so well!!

Opposites attract!

amspoelstra · 11-19-2005, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jacsmama

l don't think she's going to get past 3 lbs! I guess we will stick to the potty pads!

I think you can still train her to go potty outside if she can't get down the stairs by herself. It's just going to take more work on your part, because you have to carry her outside every time. Trixie is potty trained. She just starts whining when she has to go outside and I just carry her down and let her out.

Jacsmama · 11-19-2005, 11:14 AM

Good idea. I do try and take her outside to go potty when Jac has to go but she is not happy because it is either too cold or wet outside! (remember, i live in Seattle) Maybe I'll try again in the spring...

amspoelstra · 11-19-2005, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jacsmama

Good idea. I do try and take her outside to go potty when Jac has to go but she is not happy because it is either too cold or wet outside! (remember, i live in Seattle) Maybe I'll try again in the spring...

I know what that's like!!! Here in Wisconsin it's getting colder by the day. Trixie just experience the first snow... and she didn't want to go potty in the snow at first (she's used to grass). So she went potty in the middle of the sidewalk

She doesn't like rain much either. But I taught her the 'potty' command. So now we run out, I tell her to 'go potty', she squats down and we run back inside

Works pretty well. I always have a towel laying inside by the door to get her dried off right away.

hinten · 11-19-2005, 11:40 AM

My baby is still under 2lbs and the first night we got her, she went down our back porch stairs to go potty. She doesn't seem to be afraid at all. She does have a problem going up the stairs bc she is so small.

bravodarling · 11-19-2005, 12:08 PM

I put a blanket down months ago when mine were little and scared of the steps. They were much less afraid to try going down and up them with the extra support the blanket gave. maybe it would help her?

Jacsmama · 11-19-2005, 02:59 PM

Good idea! I have hardwood floors and bare steps...a rug would be very helpful! I will try it and see what happens. Thanks!

HisNameIsHarley · 11-19-2005, 03:05 PM

Awe! I can't blame your little girl for me so scared! She's so teenie, the stairs are probably sooo creepy looking to her! The rug might help but she may never get used to using the stairs.. IMO I would be too scared to let a little one like her up and down the stairs anyway!

bravodarling · 11-19-2005, 03:52 PM

Your welcome and good luck it has worked wonders here. My little 2.10oz boys fly up and down the stairs like race cars. They started slowly with the blanket to a day or two for the confidence to build. Then WOW off they go.

Patti · 11-19-2005, 06:07 PM

Cali was 1.1 lb when we got her and I was so afraid she would jump off my bed that I ordered these stairs online. They were so steep and narrow that she would start to go back end over front when she tried to go down. My husband made stairs that are only two steps and very wide and carpeted them and we worked with her for about a 1/2 an hour using treats and she aced the stairs and will only get up and down off the bed via the steps. I would keep trying but make sure you put rugs down.

Jacsmama · 11-20-2005, 12:29 AM

Thanks for all the great ideas! I will go out and look for a runner for my stairs tomorrow! I would never have thought to carpet my stairs if it weren't for my Y/T pals

! Thanks again

!!

11-19-2005, 10:51 AM	#1
Jacsmama Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Seattle Posts: 121	Can't go down stairs! My 8 month old baby still can't go down a flight of stairs! I have to pick her up and take her down to the front door to go pee. (no wonder potty training is taking so long!) She is very tiny @ 2.5 lbs. Will she ever be able to go down the stairs on her own? (I've tried bribing w/ food...doesn't work) The stairs scare her. __________________ Jac & Beanie's Mama http://www.dogster.com/?328747 http://www.dogster.com/?328752

11-19-2005, 10:52 AM	#2
chachi I Love My Yorkies Donating Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana Posts: 26,868	My quess is that she will never go down the stairs. Mine didnt when they were thst size. She is just tiny and stairs are scary to her. __________________ Chachi's & Jewels Mom Jewels http://www.dogster.com/?132431 Chachi http://www.dogster.com/?132427

11-19-2005, 10:58 AM	#3
amspoelstra Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: US Posts: 955	I would be scared to going head first down the stairs on four legs if I was that small. Trixie is 5,5lbs and does go down the stairs by herself once in a while (she's fearless, I swear!!), but most of the time I carry her. I don't want to take the risk of her hurting herself if she trips and falls down the stairs... __________________ Trixie

11-19-2005, 10:58 AM	#4
browniesmom622 Donating YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: New york Posts: 10,739 Blog Entries: 3	Mine Chihuahua Is 10 Pounds And Just Started Going Down The Staires The Other Day I Wouldnt Let A Tiny One Got Down The Stairs __________________ Lenora Brownie- Kayko- Austin & the rest of the zoo! We Love our Yt Angel! My Flickr!! My Picture's I've taken. http://www.flickr.com/photos/41183440@N04/

11-19-2005, 11:05 AM	#5
Jacsmama Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Seattle Posts: 121	l don't think she's going to get past 3 lbs! I guess we will stick to the potty pads! My other dog, Jac, is 6 lbs and runs up and down the stairs like it's nothing! Beanie, on the other hand, is VERY scared. She can't do the doggie door either... I guess one if fearless and the other is very cautious. That must be why they get along so well!! Opposites attract! __________________ Jac & Beanie's Mama http://www.dogster.com/?328747 http://www.dogster.com/?328752

11-19-2005, 11:14 AM	#7
Jacsmama Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Seattle Posts: 121	Good idea. I do try and take her outside to go potty when Jac has to go but she is not happy because it is either too cold or wet outside! (remember, i live in Seattle) Maybe I'll try again in the spring... __________________ Jac & Beanie's Mama http://www.dogster.com/?328747 http://www.dogster.com/?328752

11-19-2005, 11:40 AM	#9
hinten Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Crown Point, IN Posts: 211	My baby is still under 2lbs and the first night we got her, she went down our back porch stairs to go potty. She doesn't seem to be afraid at all. She does have a problem going up the stairs bc she is so small. __________________ BRIE http://www.dogster.com/?224946

11-19-2005, 12:08 PM	#10
bravodarling Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Ca Posts: 134	Try putting a Blanket over the steps? I put a blanket down months ago when mine were little and scared of the steps. They were much less afraid to try going down and up them with the extra support the blanket gave. maybe it would help her?

11-19-2005, 02:59 PM	#11
Jacsmama Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Seattle Posts: 121	Good idea! I have hardwood floors and bare steps...a rug would be very helpful! I will try it and see what happens. Thanks! __________________ Jac & Beanie's Mama http://www.dogster.com/?328747 http://www.dogster.com/?328752

11-19-2005, 03:05 PM	#12
HisNameIsHarley YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: West Virginia Posts: 1,119	Awe! I can't blame your little girl for me so scared! She's so teenie, the stairs are probably sooo creepy looking to her! The rug might help but she may never get used to using the stairs.. IMO I would be too scared to let a little one like her up and down the stairs anyway! __________________ LeeAnn Harley Remember.. Dog is God Spelled Backwards

11-19-2005, 03:52 PM	#13
bravodarling Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Ca Posts: 134	I bet she gets brave overnight Your welcome and good luck it has worked wonders here. My little 2.10oz boys fly up and down the stairs like race cars. They started slowly with the blanket to a day or two for the confidence to build. Then WOW off they go.

11-19-2005, 06:07 PM	#14
Patti Donating YT 10000 Club Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Illinois Posts: 23,790	Cali was 1.1 lb when we got her and I was so afraid she would jump off my bed that I ordered these stairs online. They were so steep and narrow that she would start to go back end over front when she tried to go down. My husband made stairs that are only two steps and very wide and carpeted them and we worked with her for about a 1/2 an hour using treats and she aced the stairs and will only get up and down off the bed via the steps. I would keep trying but make sure you put rugs down.

11-20-2005, 12:29 AM	#15
Jacsmama Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Seattle Posts: 121	Thanks for all the great ideas! I will go out and look for a runner for my stairs tomorrow! I would never have thought to carpet my stairs if it weren't for my Y/T pals ! Thanks again !! __________________ Jac & Beanie's Mama http://www.dogster.com/?328747 http://www.dogster.com/?328752