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Original poster

Is it OK for puppies to go up and down stairs?

31 replies

Romanarama · 03/12/2009 06:03

My golden retriever pup (8 wks tomorrow) can bound up and down the stairs. Is this OK? I'm concerned about the health of his hips.

OP posts:
BellasSparklyBaubles · 03/12/2009 08:48

You're right to be concerned - no he shouldn't be going up and down stairs, or jumping in and out of cars etc.

Carry him if he needs to go up stairs

Original poster
Romanarama · 03/12/2009 11:32

Thanks Bella - is that right until he's a grown-up? We have our TV room upstairs and my study. I've decamped to the kitchen to keep him company for the time-being, but would like him to join me in the study idc when he's more reliable about toileting and not chewing the sofa. So no real hurry for now, and I'm about to put up a stair gate, but there's no way I'll be carrying a 6-month old retriever up the stairs!

OP posts:
BellasSparklyBaubles · 03/12/2009 14:56

And why not?!

As far as is practicable, don't let him go up and down stairs.

5 mins exercise per month of life, large breed puppy food, no ball chasing games etc until fully grown (approx 18 months) - you probably know my hip dysplasia mantra as well as I do by now

Original poster
Romanarama · 03/12/2009 22:15

Oops, will stop the ball chasing forthwith . Darn it, that was our fave game.

He's so bouncy, he's always jumping on chairs, and up on his hind legs. It's difficult to get him to stay down.

No stairs then. Good. That will save the carpet and my best sofa.

OP posts:
BellasSparklyBaubles · 04/12/2009 08:09
Grin
Buda · 04/12/2009 08:15

Thanks for this thread Romanarama! I have been meaning to ask Bella for ages about how much exercise pups need.

Hi Bella!

So Codie is now 7 months so should be getting around 35 mins only? That makes me feel MUCH better!

She doesn't like our stairs as they are very open. She got half way last week and turned and went back down!

Hadn't really realised about the ball chasing. We don't do it much as she hasn't gotten the 'give back' bit so it's a bit boring!

Is tug of war ok? That is the latest thing she likes. And boy can she pull!

She is about to cost us a fortune - just realised now that the garden is bare that she has destroyed the landlord's sprinkler system. The sprinkler system that had to be replaced just after we moved in due to previous tenant's dog!

BellasSparklyBaubles · 04/12/2009 08:37

Hi Buda

There's some good info here:

here

Yes, don't feel bad about not taking pup for 2 hour hikes! That's what a lot of people don't realise is so hard with the bigger breeds - you get a big energetic puppy but you can't do much exercise with them.

Minimu's advice that mental stimulation tires them out (e.g. by clicker training) is right.

Tug of war is okay - it's the running and stopping suddenly in ball chasing games that can jar the joints (similar to going up and down stairs, jumping on to furniture) and does the damage.

Yikes at the sprinkler system though Is there any way the landlord would agree to a patch of bare earth as a dedicated digging area for her - you can hide bones in there and divert the digging away from where it can cause damage?

Buda · 04/12/2009 08:42

Thanks Bella - will have a look at that.

And will try the mental stimulation. She is very clever. Was a bit sick in the night and I didn't realise so she went and got her mat from her cage and brought it too me - I think she was trying to tell me it needed washing!

Not sure about the patch of bare earth really although there are lots of areas where we could do something I'm sure. We have an enormous garden with lots of undergrowth/bushy areas is great for her but makes it hard to keep an eye on her.

MmeLindt · 04/12/2009 08:42

oh, I did not know that. Daphne has been bounding up and down the stairs and onto the couch for ages now. Shit.

And we did lots of chasing and ball play in the garden.

MmeLindt · 04/12/2009 08:46

And Bella, can I just ask about lack of exercise.

I normally walk to school and back with Daphne, quick trip around the vineyards, about an hour. Sometimes we go out for longer at the weekends.

If it is really bad weather she will not go out at all, she hates rain. Is it ok if she does not get walked much for a couple of days?

And is it normal that she sleeps so much? She goes to bed at around 8pm and would gladly sleep 12 - 13 hours. She also snoozes a lot during the day. She is still asleep now at almost 10am.

Is she just lazy?

Original poster
Romanarama · 04/12/2009 09:49

Mine spends more than half the day asleep. I'm glad as it makes me feel less bad about crating him to go out - on one day of the week it's 3 hours when the dcs have swimming. I felt terrible and sped back, but he didn't seem in the least fussed. Just strolled out and got on with whatever he'd been playing 3 hours previously.

OP posts:
Original poster
Romanarama · 04/12/2009 10:26

First, thanks so much to Bella, Minimu and Valhalla for dispensing so much doggy wisdom here.

Second - any best tips to stop puppies jumping up and biting? It's driving me nuts. My current strategy is to get up and walk off when he does it, or shut him out of the room, then let him back in when he stops whining. But it's very tiresome.

OP posts:
iggypiggy · 04/12/2009 10:37

Bella has good advice doesn't she

I would have said all the same stuff

mmelindt When my lab was little he used to crash out at 7pm - he slept loads - that does decrease as they get older. I think because they grow so quickly they really need their sleep. I wouldn't worry.

romana for jumping up there are two things you can do - one is to turn away immediately and ignore - can take a while but does work.

Another is to give a command every time they jump up - eg. jump! and then another command eg. fourpaws (for four paws on the floor) as they get down. To start off with you'll need to wait for them to do the action and then say the word immediately so they begin to associate the two - then you will have 'jump up' and 'get down' on command. Would suggest you don't use the owrd 'down' if you use this menthod as it will confuse the dog if you already use down for lie down..

Do you also have the 'leave' command? Becuase if you say leave before they jump up - that can also nip it in the bud?

Not sure I've explained this well...

Bella?

iggypiggy · 04/12/2009 10:41

oh - you also asked about biting - do you mean at the same time as jumping up or separately?

Original poster
Romanarama · 04/12/2009 11:16

biting is really at the same time as jumping up. We haven't got many commands yet, as he's so new - I'm still working on housetraining, and coming when called (these are going well so far). Is "leave" a good thing to do next? I'll try that and the 'jump' and '4paws' thing. I may also start wearing leather gloves and a boiler suit! (Tights were a totally stupid choice today....)

OP posts:
iggypiggy · 04/12/2009 11:37

yes - he's still so young I can imagine you haven't got all your comands yet.

With the biting - you can squeal if he bites you and combine that with turning away and ignoring him. But that didn't work very well for my lab - I found a 'ah ah' in a slightly stern voice made him realise he was doing something wrong and he would stop whatever it was immediately.

bella may have better advice on that one.

We are getting our second puppy in March - my lab is now 3... we have been doing gundog training with him - would highly recommend something like that for yours as it really helps with general training.

BellasSparklyBaubles · 04/12/2009 12:03

Excellent advice from IggyPiggy

Yes, folding your arms and turning your back on them should stop the jumping up - it will take time though and, as with any behaviour you're trying to extinguish, it can suddenly get worse before it gets better. Perseverance and consistency are the key. Speaking of which, dh has been complaining that our pup still jumps up on him, whereas she never does it with me. Then I caught him holding pup by her front paws, talking to her eye to eye (just about) while pup stood on two legs Mr Bella is on serious time out now!

Also important to teach an alternative, acceptable behaviour in place of the behaviour you're extinguishing - if you'd rather your dog greets you by sitting down, then teach him to do that.

MmeLindt - Daphne is, iirc, a maltese cross? So she's a little lap dog who will like to sleep a lot, and you don't really need to worry about her joints. It's the big, heavy breeds who take a long time to grow fully who are really at risk. Will swap you for 3 big energetic dogs on cold, wet, windy days if you like?

Are you getting another lab, iggypiggy?

iggypiggy · 04/12/2009 12:05

yes - am getting a relative of my current lab as i love his temprament

They have just mated his full sister for the first time - just waiting to hear scan result - very excited!

BellasSparklyBaubles · 04/12/2009 12:07

oooh- fingers crossed!

BellasSparklyBaubles · 04/12/2009 12:18

MmeLindt - reading again what you describe in terms of exercise: that's plenty for a little dog like Daphne. She was bred to be a companion, not a cross country athlete like the springer you had as a child (iirc).

No wonder she likes to sleep

Enjoy the 'duvet days'

MmeLindt · 04/12/2009 12:48

Since I last posted, she has been going daft, running around the garden.

We are both due a nap about now

She is the perfect dog for me, I like the couch and dislike rain too.

Thanks for the advice.

luckyblackcat · 04/12/2009 13:00

Buda, I'm so glad to see a post from you I was wondering how things were. Ages ago you posted that your pup had got out at night and you were really, understandably, stressed.

I'm glad things worked out.

op, You want to try carrying a wriggling 6 month old pointer up the stairs for a bath (and down again when she is all wet!) madness devotion, I tell you!

BellasSparklyBaubles · 04/12/2009 13:20

Did you get your dog walking gear sorted, LBC?

Original poster
Romanarama · 04/12/2009 13:35

The problem with the turning around, arms folded thing, is that often the beginning of the game is the jumping and biting as far as pooch is concerned. If I just turn round and walk off every time, then I'm afraid he'll think I'm just that boring old cow who walks off every time he wants to play!

OP posts:
BellasSparklyBaubles · 04/12/2009 13:38

tsk! tsk!

You're as bad as my dh, Romanorama!!!

If puppy gets to play as result of jumping up, then puppy is going to jump up even more becuase you're rewarding that behaviour (by playing).

Play, by all means, but only let games start when he's not jumping up!