question re: allowing cats and dogs upstairs

[SobaSoma]

We have a resident cat, a lovely calm 10 year old female and are bringing home a delightful 5 year-old rescue JRT on Saturday (he's been tested with the cat and they seem fine together).

We want to allow the cat upstairs but not the dog (at least not for the time-being until we assess how they get on)as we want her to have her own private space. Does anyone have any ideas for restricting access for the dog to the stairs but not the cat? Would the cat be able to jump over a baby gate or could the JRT do that too? I've seen high baby gates with cat-flaps advertised so that may be an option. Or just a piece of hardboard with a whole big enough for the cat to fit through? Or would it be possible to train the dog not to go upstairs?
Thanks!

[suburbandream]

We have a baby gate on the stairs to stop our pup - the cats manage to jump it easily but I suppose it depends on your cat . Can you restrict the JRT to other rooms (ie put gate on kitchen so he stays mostly in there) until he is trained?

[SobaSoma]

Thanks SD, cat is still quite agile, easily jumps to the top of a 6 foot fence! Layout of house doesn't allow gates anywhere else (it's all open-plan) so might try it on the stairs.

[pimmsgalore]

our cat used to squeeze through the baby gate when it was feeling too lazy to jump over, I wouldn't imagine a JRT could jump over one of the high gates but your cat would be able to.

Do you have a spare room upstairs that you could make the cats? Maybe put a cat flap on the door, the magnetic ones wouldn't allow the dog through.

[Birdsgottafly]

You are in charge of the dog, so you set that as a boundery that he doesn't cross, if that is what you want, from the start.

I have GSD's, in theory they can do anything that they want to,in practice they do what i have trained them to.

JRT's are lovely, lively dogs, but they need strong leadership. Set the bounderies on day one and be consistant.

My cats have always gone upstairs but my dogs don't.

[SobaSoma]

Birds that's fantastic, I love the idea of being able to train him not to go upstairs. May I ask how you went about training them not to take the stairs? Were they puppies? Our JRT is an adult aged 5 and is a stray so have little idea of how much training he's had although so far he's responding pretty well to the basics.

And Pimms I was thinking the cat might be able to squeeze through, although she does have a bit of an under-carriage these days!

[SobaSoma]

ps Pimms yes there's already a spare room upstairs where she loves to sit and look out of the window so a cat flap on the door there could be another option.
What a lot of good ideas, thanks!

[longjane]

dogs/puppies can get though stair gates
so watch out

[Catsmamma]

I'd think a JRT would easily go through a babygate, so maybe a solid one or a bit of board?

When we get new pups we just barricade stuff on the bottom step and try not to kill ourselves as we go up and down One of the GSDs goes up and down as he pleases, he can step over all the crap, and the other cannot manage big cissy, and is a bit freaked by the whole stairs thing....but the pups are NOT ALLOWED upstairs. But as time goes on the pups just know they are to stay down stairs. Current pup still hasn't quite cottoned on mind you, but we are getting there.

Dogs do remember cos one of ours came back for a visit and he was allowed upstairs in his own house, but he never attempted ours.

[SobaSoma]

Thanks for all your advice, I'll see how we get on for the first few days and report back!

[hoodoo12345]

None of my dogs have been allowed upstairs, i haven't ever needed to put a gate up.
A firm "no" when first brought home always seemed to do the trick.

[AllOverIt]

Our dog isn't allowed upstairs, we have a stair gate, but I try I leave it open I we're in so she gets used to not going upstairs. She sneaks up sometimes and looks so shifty. She knows she's not allowed and scurries down as soon as I see her, but she's only 9 months and I make sure I shout no and chase her down. Think she's just testing the boundaries. I leave the gate shut when we go out.

[lazymum99]

None of our dogs are allowed upstairs. If a firm No is not working we used to get a large bunch of keys and when the dog started to go upstairs you drop it from the landing. Don't hit the dog! Just drop the bunch of keys onto the stairs so it makes a noise. The dog must not see that you did this. It gives them a bit of a fright (nothing serious) and they do not venture up the stairs after about twice.

[albertswearengen]

Get a travel stair gate like the Lindam flexi-gate where it is a solid mesh panel rather than bars then the cat jumps over but the dog can't (hopefully)