Training yorkie to go down the stairs - YorkieTalk.com Forums

reese10 · 04-03-2006, 05:54 AM

my 13 week girl yorkie reese can go up the stairs in our house and the staris from the backyard to the deck (very helpful) but she can't do down them. she usually follows me around everywhere so when i have to go upstairs she follows and i always carry her down. she learned how to go up the stairs by herself so i'm hopeful that she will learn how to go down them but it seems harder. she watches the older golden retriever go down the stairs but she doesn't attempt to do it herself. is there anyway to teach her? i really want her to learn because she loves to run around and play with our cat and when they run upstairs she can't get down and she wines and cries until i realize where she is. any suggestions would be appreciated.

hle_625 · 04-03-2006, 06:13 AM

My girls learned to go up before they learned to go down too! It is nothing that I taught them they just eventually started going down them on their own! I dont think that you really need to teach her bc it can be kind of dangerous! I always block off my stairs when Im not around so that they wont get hurt on them! Just give her time and she will get it eventually.

hunniebunnie · 04-03-2006, 06:18 AM

mine learned to go up stairs before going downstairs too. which was actually fine with me. they stand a greater chance of hurting themselves if they try to come down stairs and off furniture before they're ready. my puppy didn't really learn to go down stairs until he was nearly 5 months old. i didn't push him or teach him. he just summoned up his courage one day and tried it with me by his side, slowly, one step at a time.

chachi · 04-03-2006, 06:21 AM

I got mine to go down the stairs with treats.

Madvelazquez · 04-03-2006, 06:28 AM

I have a three story house and Dezi is able to go up the stairs, but not able to come down. I don't want to push her because I am afraid she will hurt herself. I always block the stairs off with a gate because she looks like she is trying to make the attemp and I don't have carpeting (hard wood floors) so I am afraid she is going to fly down the stairs. We are considering putting carpet on the stairs. I think it would be easier for her. I am hoping she will learn at about 6 months. She is about to be 4 months now.

reese10 · 04-03-2006, 06:50 AM

thanks i'll find some way to block off the stairs it seems like the best solution,i don't want her to hurt herself.

sandraj · 04-03-2006, 01:08 PM

My Holly learned to go up the stairs first too.Not a problem for us as the living areas are mainly upstairs.She gradually learned to go down as she got bigger--she is still a tiny dot-- and now at 5 months trots up and down with ease.To encourage to go down, put her on the bottom stair and get her to hop off it to come to you.Then build it up. I didn't need to do thid but it is just an idea!

Patti · 04-03-2006, 01:24 PM

Cali is 9 1/2 months old and has used staris by the bed since 9 weeks of age, but will not go down the 2 stairs into the garage or if she's at someones' house with stairs she won't go up them. We live in a one story ranch house so she doesn't have to go up and down stairs in the house but uses then all the time by the bed?

Baileys_Momma · 04-03-2006, 01:28 PM

Bailey too learned to go up before he was able go downstairs and I coaxed him downstairs with treats and an exciting tone in my voice.

Marie · 04-03-2006, 01:37 PM

We live in an apartment bldg and Gucci won't go down the stairs, she freezes up. So I just carry her down. She will go up sometimes thou.

stinky · 04-03-2006, 01:45 PM

Ginger was the same way. She would go to the top step and cry until I went up to get her down.

She learned how to play “fetch” really young, so to help her overcome her fear, I started throwing her toy up the stairs, just one step at a time. Pretty soon she was going up the whole staircase and bringing the toy back.

You just have to get her mind on a goal and off her fears. If she’s won’t fetch, then maybe you could use a treat. But keep in mind, once you teach her to go up and down freely, that’s a whole other part of the house she’ll have access to. Lol.

hunniebunnie · 04-03-2006, 01:49 PM

oh i just wanted to add, it's good to keep an eye on the little ones as they climb up the stairs too. although bunjee can go up and down most stairs, i carry him up and down the stairs at my parents because the hardwood stairs are so slick even going up proves to be a challenge for bunjee. he climbed up 5 steps once only to lose traction and slid 5 steps down. he wasn't hurt but he refused to go up those steps again to this day. all other steps he likes to race me to the top.

but those, he just stays on the bottom waiting for me to carry him up.

SnowWa · 04-03-2006, 06:14 PM

Some of this probably has to do with the size of your Yorkie. Stairs are a "big thing" to a very little Yorkie. And going down is more worrisome than going up. I think if your little pup is big enough - it will be going down the stairs on its own before long. I know I had my Yorkie for several months before it was brave enough to tackle going down the stairs. But once it did, there was no stopping it.

Good luck! Carol Jean

bren · 04-03-2006, 06:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chachi

I got mine to go down the stairs with treats.

Me, too

Jaxon's mom · 04-04-2006, 07:21 AM

Same thing for us. Jaxon will go up the stairs from the basement (carpeted) but not to the next level which are hardwood. He hasn't ever gone down and we always just carry him. He's 6 months now and definitely becoming more agile (up and down from the bed, sofa, etc). I'm sure it will just be a matter of time. I worry about him on the hardwood though and don't mind carrying him if it means keeping him safe.

04-03-2006, 05:54 AM	#1
reese10 Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: ohio Posts: 50	Training yorkie to go down the stairs my 13 week girl yorkie reese can go up the stairs in our house and the staris from the backyard to the deck (very helpful) but she can't do down them. she usually follows me around everywhere so when i have to go upstairs she follows and i always carry her down. she learned how to go up the stairs by herself so i'm hopeful that she will learn how to go down them but it seems harder. she watches the older golden retriever go down the stairs but she doesn't attempt to do it herself. is there anyway to teach her? i really want her to learn because she loves to run around and play with our cat and when they run upstairs she can't get down and she wines and cries until i realize where she is. any suggestions would be appreciated.

04-03-2006, 06:13 AM	#2
hle_625 Donating YT 4000 Club Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Missouri Posts: 4,637	My girls learned to go up before they learned to go down too! It is nothing that I taught them they just eventually started going down them on their own! I dont think that you really need to teach her bc it can be kind of dangerous! I always block off my stairs when Im not around so that they wont get hurt on them! Just give her time and she will get it eventually. __________________ Heather, Chloe Lynn and Daisy May

04-03-2006, 06:21 AM	#4
chachi I Love My Yorkies Donating Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana Posts: 37,147	I got mine to go down the stairs with treats. __________________ Chachi's & Jewels Mom Jewels http://www.dogster.com/?132431 Chachi http://www.dogster.com/?132427

04-03-2006, 06:28 AM	#5
Madvelazquez Donating YT Addict Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: New Jersey Posts: 520	I have a three story house and Dezi is able to go up the stairs, but not able to come down. I don't want to push her because I am afraid she will hurt herself. I always block the stairs off with a gate because she looks like she is trying to make the attemp and I don't have carpeting (hard wood floors) so I am afraid she is going to fly down the stairs. We are considering putting carpet on the stairs. I think it would be easier for her. I am hoping she will learn at about 6 months. She is about to be 4 months now. __________________ Madeline Dezi's Mom 12/12/05 www.dogster.com/?392658

04-03-2006, 01:08 PM	#7
sandraj YT Addict Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: New Zealand Posts: 370	My Holly learned to go up the stairs first too.Not a problem for us as the living areas are mainly upstairs.She gradually learned to go down as she got bigger--she is still a tiny dot-- and now at 5 months trots up and down with ease.To encourage to go down, put her on the bottom stair and get her to hop off it to come to you.Then build it up. I didn't need to do thid but it is just an idea! __________________ Sandra J and Holly

04-03-2006, 06:18 AM	#3
hunniebunnie Follower of Yorkietology Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Cali-fo-nee-ya Posts: 1,325	mine learned to go up stairs before going downstairs too. which was actually fine with me. they stand a greater chance of hurting themselves if they try to come down stairs and off furniture before they're ready. my puppy didn't really learn to go down stairs until he was nearly 5 months old. i didn't push him or teach him. he just summoned up his courage one day and tried it with me by his side, slowly, one step at a time.

04-03-2006, 06:50 AM	#6
reese10 Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: ohio Posts: 50	thanks i'll find some way to block off the stairs it seems like the best solution,i don't want her to hurt herself.

04-03-2006, 01:24 PM	#8
Patti Donating YT 30K Club Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Illinois Posts: 35,509 Blog Entries: 6	Cali is 9 1/2 months old and has used staris by the bed since 9 weeks of age, but will not go down the 2 stairs into the garage or if she's at someones' house with stairs she won't go up them. We live in a one story ranch house so she doesn't have to go up and down stairs in the house but uses then all the time by the bed? __________________ Cali Pixie Roxie : RIP Nikki; RIP Maya;RIP my sweet Dixie girl 1/17/08 http://callipuppyscastle.bravehost.com/index.html

04-03-2006, 01:28 PM	#9
Baileys_Momma And Morgan Too! Donating Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Puyallup, WA Posts: 1,180	Bailey too learned to go up before he was able go downstairs and I coaxed him downstairs with treats and an exciting tone in my voice. __________________ Courtney Bailey Morgan KICKING CANCER'S BUTT, ONE CHEMO TREATMENT AT A TIME!!! Member of the SSLS (Secret Sisterhood Ladybug Society)

04-03-2006, 01:37 PM	#10
Marie Mom loves Gucci Donating Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: New York City Posts: 6,427	We live in an apartment bldg and Gucci won't go down the stairs, she freezes up. So I just carry her down. She will go up sometimes thou. __________________ Huggies, Gucci and Marie http://www.dogster.com/?132187 "I have been egged"

04-03-2006, 01:45 PM	#11
stinky YT Addict Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: New Mexico Posts: 491	Ginger was the same way. She would go to the top step and cry until I went up to get her down. She learned how to play “fetch” really young, so to help her overcome her fear, I started throwing her toy up the stairs, just one step at a time. Pretty soon she was going up the whole staircase and bringing the toy back. You just have to get her mind on a goal and off her fears. If she’s won’t fetch, then maybe you could use a treat. But keep in mind, once you teach her to go up and down freely, that’s a whole other part of the house she’ll have access to. Lol. __________________ Liz & Ginger

04-03-2006, 01:49 PM	#12
hunniebunnie Follower of Yorkietology Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Cali-fo-nee-ya Posts: 1,325	oh i just wanted to add, it's good to keep an eye on the little ones as they climb up the stairs too. although bunjee can go up and down most stairs, i carry him up and down the stairs at my parents because the hardwood stairs are so slick even going up proves to be a challenge for bunjee. he climbed up 5 steps once only to lose traction and slid 5 steps down. he wasn't hurt but he refused to go up those steps again to this day. all other steps he likes to race me to the top. but those, he just stays on the bottom waiting for me to carry him up.

04-03-2006, 06:14 PM	#13
SnowWa YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: USA Posts: 2,992	Some of this probably has to do with the size of your Yorkie. Stairs are a "big thing" to a very little Yorkie. And going down is more worrisome than going up. I think if your little pup is big enough - it will be going down the stairs on its own before long. I know I had my Yorkie for several months before it was brave enough to tackle going down the stairs. But once it did, there was no stopping it. Good luck! Carol Jean __________________ http://tinypic.com/ipxhmb.jpg A Yorkie is worth a thousand words.

04-04-2006, 07:21 AM	#15
Jaxon's mom Love my handsome boys Donating Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Windham, NH Posts: 1,821	Same thing for us. Jaxon will go up the stairs from the basement (carpeted) but not to the next level which are hardwood. He hasn't ever gone down and we always just carry him. He's 6 months now and definitely becoming more agile (up and down from the bed, sofa, etc). I'm sure it will just be a matter of time. I worry about him on the hardwood though and don't mind carrying him if it means keeping him safe.