Puppies and stairs

[Enni2S]

I have a 12 week old water dog puppy who will grow to about retriever size. Our house has (carpeted) stairs, and Ennpup has somehow figured out how to climb up and down without me teaching him.

He's getting bigger every day and will soon be too big for me to carry him. My question is, how bad is it really to just leave him to it? I'm worried about his joints as the breed is prone to hip dysplasia, but on the other hand, Ennpup sleeps upstairs and he's getting heavy!

I'm torn between trying to protect him and thinking he'll be alright... Advice seems to be conflicting. Thoughts?

[Soubriquet]

If he’s only doing it once a day he should be ok. Just don’t over do it.

Same to jumping up and down the sofas. Try not to let him do it too often as it can be bad on their joints.

Mine is nearly 6 months and she has been doing all the above for about 10 weeks now. But she is a tiny chihuahua and can only reach now

[missbattenburg]

I let the springer do stairs at that age - once or twice a day, when calm. Not rushing down them, excited, or running up and down, etc.

[Lonecatwithkitten]

Hip dysplasia is genetic. Studies show that being overweight is the single biggest factor that affects the progress of hip dysplasia.
Going steadily and quietly up and down the stairs once or twice a day. Bowling madly up and down the stairs several times a day makes them prone to injuries that are not genetic such as ligament damage.

[adaline]

Mine went up and down the stairs from about 5 months - like you he was just too heavy to carry but it was only twice a day - he came down them in the morning and up at night.

The latest research shows that hip/elbow dysplasia is primarily genetic with the other main factor being weight. I wouldn't let a puppy charge up and down stairs due to the risk of injury rather than the risk of developing dysplasia.

[BiteyShark]

I think I would take a pragmatic view point (can't discuss stairs as my bungalow doesn't have any ). If you stopped your puppy doing everything on the off chance it might develop a condition you would have to stop them doing everything and it would be a miserable existence for both of you.

I would let him up and down stars but minimise running and jumping up and down them simply to reduce the risk of him hurtling down, tripping and injurying himself.

[Frenchfemme]

Strangely, neither of my 2 Spanish Water Dogs (6 & 2) will have anything to do with stairs! They will both go up 2 or 3 steps and then stop. This is quite convenient as it means the cats are safe in their downstairs kitchen and when my sister’s tiny dog visits she has the run of the top floor. Steps outside, however, are no problem for them.

We need a picture of the puppy!

[Enni2S]

As requested

[Frenchfemme]

He’s so gorgeous!

[Lucisky]

We put a stair gate up for ours. She loved playing on the stairs and I was frightened of her falling -she was very small and could have slipped through the banisters. Would that be an option?

[nellieellie]

I wouldn’t let a large ish breed go up stairs at this age. With my dog, I carried him, then when he got too heavy, I took him up step by step on my lap, then when he got even bigger, his bum went on my lap and I held his front in my arms. Took a long time. Then we got a stair gate and he wasn’t allowed upstairs.
Honestly, I wouldn’t take a risk.

[Enni2S]

Ennpup sleeps upstairs. If I kept him downstairs it would be cruel as I spend the majority of my time in my office. I could try a Stargate, but ultimately, when he gets too heavy he will have to walk. I'm not risking a hernia just to get my 20 kg 4.5 month old pup down the stairs He goes down carefully, and I'll supervise and limit his access as far as possible. He might not like that very much though haha

[Enni2S]

Stairgate, not stargate though a stargate would definitely be more interesting

[adaline]

Hip dysplasia in most animals m is primarily caused by either genetics (which is why you should buy dogs where the parents and grandparents are hip-scored) or obesity. The latest studies show that things like stairs, jumping into furniture etc. aren't going to cause issues in a dog that's otherwise healthy.

My pup is ten months now and has been using the stairs since he was about 5 months - he was too heavy to carry safely at that age, and he hates being picked up and held too. And sorry but to the PP who bum-shuffles their way up and down stairs carrying a dog on their lap - I think that's utterly mad and definitely not something I would ever do unless the dog was injured and physically couldn't walk himself.

Dogs have survived for years without human intervention and I'm sure they've managed stairs and jumping on things just fine in the past. Of course you stop them catapulting themselves off things and charging up and down the stairs ten times a day but twice a day? It's not something I can really bring myself to be concerned about.

I'm pretty sure ours is at far more risk of injury catapulting himself around the sand dunes on the weekends or chasing the cat across the sofa on a daily basis!