New puppy and steps

[Rzim]

Someone mentioned to me that a 8 week old puppy shouldn't be going up and down steps - is there any basis to this please? X

I have heard this in the past too , but imo as long as they are walking up and down steps / stairs they are ok. Playing on them risks joint injury and obviously falling down them isn't good.
My dog was 2.5 stone at 4 months old and no sodding way could I carry him up and down stairs!

Can’t you research/google this yourself? I don’t mean to be rude but mumsnet isn’t really the prime dog training/health expertise.

took one google search to find that there is a basis for this

I think it depends on the puppy's size surely? Also if they can do it safely?
Obviously if they're tiny it could be dangerous but a larger breed would be ok

I was told this too by our dog trainer. I think it's because their bones are more fragile while they're growing and can easily break. I think going up steps is ok, it's going down that can be problematic, especially if they are tearing down at high speed as my spaniel tends to do.

Also, I'd ignore the self-appointed MN police PP who claimed to not be rude. This is a public forum and you can ask any question you like. It's up to other people to then decide if they feel like answering or not. You could probably google the answer to most questions on here, but it doesn't mean people can't also ask for other peoples opinions or experiences.

Completely wrong.

They definitely should not be going up or down steps - particularly large breeds. Most dogs it should be six months before you let them do this, but more for bigger breeds (such as Goldens, Labs, Bernese, GSD) where some trainers/breeders/vets advise you wait until they are roughly 16-18 months. Otherwise you risk serious (and painful) joint issues (dysplasia) - essentially the dogs put to much pressure on their growth plates.

They also shouldn't be allowed to jump on/off furniture or encouraged to jump over fences or logs for the exact same reason. Or encouraging a puppy to stand on it's hind legs etc.

A good breeder of dogs prone to dysplasia should make this clear upon purchase of the puppy. A good breeder of any dogs not prone to dysplasia, should also flag this as a risk.

It's actually pretty much the opposite. It's especially dangerous for large breeds s they're more prone to joint problems anyway.

My dog was 2.5 stone at 4 months old and no sodding way could I carry him up and down stairs!

My pup is just over 5 stone now and I'm still carrying her upstairs and downstairs for a bath 🙈 It's definitely a struggle though!

My dog was 2.5 stone at 4 months old and no sodding way could I carry him up and down stairs!

That's what ramps are for :)