Question...... I have an odd question......Teeka is 6 1/2 months of age. She doesn't jump up on the couch or bed and won't jump off either. Also won't go up or down our basement steps, but will use the deck steps. She will just stand and whine for me to lift her up or down. I don't think their is anything physical.... I don't have doggy steps as my house is really small and their is limited space. At her age, shouldn't she be able to accomplish this by now? Any suggestions or input would be awesome! |
Can you reassure her and help her learn. Take her favorite food or treat and do one stair at a time. She can do it if she uses the deck stairs. Sounds like she has you trained just like she wants. :). Good luck |
I had a Maltese like that. Once, when she was about five years old, she looked up at the seat of a recliner, squatted and leaned back (like they do before they are about to jump), and then proceeded to hop up in the seat of the chair, sniff around, and then the jumped back down to the floor. Dh and I just sat there puzzled, she had never done it before (and never did it again for the rest of her 15-year life). The vet just said that she was "a princess." |
:D You are probably right that she has me trained! I have a fear that she will hurt herself if she jumps down, right from the start. I will try that as she does love her treats! Thank you! |
I probably do have a very spoiled "princess"! |
I agree, I don't think it is that she can't do it, more like she won't. As for the stairs, my GSP would NOT go down our basement steps for a long time (he would come up them just fine, though.) He was scared. We had to train him that it was safe. We would put treats down a couple of steps or would throw his toys a little ways down and "make" him go get them. He eventually would grab the treat or toy, then wouldn't turn and come right back up (even if it was on two steps down) he'd go all the way to the bottom, turn around, then come back up. It was pretty funny and it didn't take long at all for him to start running up and down the stairs without issue. |
Depending how many steps there are, it might be safer she doesn't. Might just be me I carried my almost 20 pounder up and down stairs, however I was then risking falling with dog in arms, mine just flew down and it scared me after the first missed step chin wipe out. I can't remember who but a long time nember here broke their arm carrying their yorkie while going down stairs because they held their furbaby up not protecting themselves. The things we sacrafice for them! |
I really don't mind that she won't go down the basement/porch stairs as I feed my other dogs in the porch area. That way she can't get to their food! I do have a fear that she will fall. I guess I am being overly-protective. I guess their is the pros to her not attempting the stairs :) |
I think if she doesn't feel safe then she probably isn't. I would leave it to her judgement as you would fee terrible if you encouraged her and then she fell.:eek: |
How big is she? A small dog can really cause an injury to its delicate joints, muscles/tendons and sometimes fragile bones and/or repetitive stress to its joints from a lot of jumping and that is why most of us use a doggy ramp or doggie steps for our little ones. Tibbe is 5.3 lbs. and I make him use steps or a ramp and would if I lived in one room. Jilly dislocated a shoulder just using her doggie steps but she was just over 3 lbs. in weight and was almost 13 years old when it happened. Also your dog could have discomfort or flat out pain from jumping so you might get some joint x-rays in case there is malformation of one or more joints, even spinal joints, etc., that the force of jumping might exacerbate. Maybe a vet check is in order with x-rays to see if she was born with a congenital problem or has an injury. It could be fear and nothing more. Most Yorkies, however, are fairly reckless and would jump off very high things when they are highly motivated so unless your little one fell off something high or hurt herself during a jump, fear might not be the issue though it sure could be. Starting with treats and working with urging her with a high-value treat to jump off lower things and then working up to slightly higher things could work - though unless she is a pretty big Yorkie, I don't think I would ever coach her to jump off a couch, chair or bed. |
Rily is exactly like that and he does have mild LP. Does she ever lick her legs? |
How about a small ramp? I have Spud who will stand there and look at me and I put him up. You do have to be afraid when they jump. Legs can get broken and Spud is not a jumper. I would pick that little lover up and put him by you. |
My first thought was that it is a good thing, actually. I wish I could keep Mandie from jumping on and off the couch and bed. I got her steps and she gets so riled up playing that steps aren't quick enough for her. UGH Also, after reading the last few replies, I am thinking it might be good just to get a vet to check her legs to make sure she isn't having some pain issues (such as associated with LP). |
She just had a check up 2 weeks ago. She doesn't have any pain and her knees are fine. She stands 7 1/4" and weights 3.6 oz. I am thinking that maybe, the furniture is too high for her to jump on to and maybe she is scared to jump down. |
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Oh she's just tiny! For some reason I thought she was a lot bigger than that! I'm glad that medical issues have thus far been ruled out and hope that it is just more of a fear thing. |
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A dog that age should be able and very willing to jump. Yorkies do have a tendency to have some joint issues. It may be a good idea to have your vet check her knees and hips for any irregularities just to be sure. Gracie was very tiny at that age also but she was an ace jumper. |
After reading all this, I will have her joints checked! I will continue to be her"elevator" as I don't want anything to happen to her! She is a handful at times and that is why I thought it odd that she doesn't try it herself as she has never fallen. Thank you for the support and input as I never thought that she might have joint problems. I hope not, but will get it checked out! |
Kyra is not a jumper which I love because she is smaller and I don't want her to be. She can if she wants but doesn't. It took her till she was a year old before she even tried to jump up on the sofa. She will jump of if I don't watch her closely now but not often. |
None of mine can jump on furniture. They go down one step to go outside but would not know how to go down a flight of stairs. I live in a ranch house, no stairs and I trained them from day one to use a ramp. So they never even thought to jump up on anything. I prefer it that way as they all have knee problems. |
Be grateful you don't have a jumper. My dog, Tyson, jumps like crazy. We have hardwood floors and he would go skidding when he dives off the bed. I had to put ugly rubber backed bath mats next to the bed so he would have a place to land! He does use the doggie steps coming up though. Now my daughter's yorkie, Rin (who lives with us) is a little princess. She always uses the doggie steps for the beds but she insists on being picked up and put down from the couch or recliner. However, if I turn my back and walk into the kitchen and she just HAS TO get up there to look out the window, then she is perfectly capable of doing it herself. Little brat!:D |
Wow, sounds like I should count my blessings that she is not a jumper! Max is very stout and runs and jumps on everything. My female, that passed was tiny, and she too would jump up on things with ease. I did not realize that it is hard on their joints. This YT site, still amazes me as to how much I have learn since I joined in November! Thank you everyone and I truly enjoy hearing about all your babies! :) |
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Trixie is 6 months, 4.5lbs, she will go up there stairs super fast....scares the heck out of me but she will not go down them. She did fall down the stairs on the front porch at about 3 1/2 months so that may be why. She also does not jump on or off the bed or couch yet. If there is something like a ramp she will go down it other than that she will let us know she wants down in other ways. I figure it is just cause she is small and a little scared. |
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Without reading any of the other responses (cus I only have a minute before I have to leave the house and do chores...), I think it's a great thing that your dog doesn't jump up or down couches or stairs. You could be asking for trouble in the joints if that were to be the case in the future. I had a dog that developed very bad joints and had to retrain her in order for her to not have to be put down due to her pain and further disintegration of her spine and joints. She was only 3 pounds full grown. I was devestated! Luckily she was easy to retrain and went on to live and long and happy life. My advice to you would be to FIRST go have a vet check to confirm there are no joint or spine issues and then I'd celebrate with the good news and keep your dog from jumping...look at it this way...when you take her out to visit with friends she won't have bad manners and jump up on their couches and chairs. PLUS you can avoid all and any possible health concerns in the future (which usually begins to show up by 4 years of age). Good luck and just know that retraining is easy if you're consistent. I was not a good trainer back in my 20's when this issue happened and I quickly learned to tame her inner kangaroo... ;) |
Troy was about 5 months when he decided it was time for him to go up and down stairs. And venture to jumping from the bed and sofa. I was worried, because at the time he was very small. 2.5 pounds. But he never seemed hurt. I never tried to encourage him but if she won't do it, I say leave her alone one day and I'm sure she will come around. |
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