Has anyone got a freestanding pet barrier at the bottom of their stairs?

[Lostearrings]

We’re getting a puppy in a couple of weeks so are getting all of the gear. We’ll need something to go at the bottom of the stairs and, ideally, I’d avoid a stair gate. Has anyone tried one of the freestanding pet barriers? It seems much easier but I can’t see it being effective. Surely an enthusiastic dog can just push it over? It also looks cumbersome to move out of the way if I am trying to go up or down the stairs with, say, a load of washing in my arms, particularly if the dog is also trying to get up the stairs at the same time

I used an airer on its side with a blanket over it. Not stylish but it did the job short-term.

Yeah, it'll get knocked over. And you don't really want your puppy learning to hurl themselves at things until they give way.

We have a retractable stair gate, like a stiff roller blind that pulls across

We had a hinged free-standing gate; it had 2 sets of hinges, so it wrapped around the staircase, but we could open it up when going up and down the stairs, similar to this. Worked well for us, but it may not be as good with a different stay layout or a bigger, more determined dog.

We had a wooden 'sausage stopper' for our dachsund. Was good for about eight months.

I have a wooden one that has feet that make it stand and my large Staffy has yet to get passed it

We also had that but unfortunately our cat just walked straight through the spindles! Might work better with a dog.

We have this type as well. They come in different sizes. It has also yet to be knocked over, by our boisterous jack russell

We have that wooden type with feet too. I found putting it a few steps up works better as our dog can hook it if it’s at the bottom!

We have similar to Groovjet’s picture. We did have a proper stair gate with the freestanding one round the tv so pup wouldn’t toddle behind and chew wires. As it was she never did that. It’s at the bottom of the stairs but one side is jammed between the staircase and a bookcase and the other side, next to the wall, has to have a heavy object blocking it - our dog treat, chew, box, because she will use her large snooter to push the gate aside.

We had a Jack Russell staying recently and used a towel rack with a blanket over it, did the job.

It almost entirely depends on the dog. My cocker can open the stair gate. My golden retriever puppy is much bigger and could bash through easily but she’s so soft and daft that even the slightest suggestion of a barrier stops her.

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I like the look of the wrap around one too but it sounds like this barrier type set up might be more effective than I anticipated!
Thanks, too, for the comment about how to prevent access to TV wires as that is also necessary!

https://www.chalkboardsuk.co.uk/stair-stopper?srsltid=AfmBOoqP9HlM-pIXZL6GHJojhJgMwJQ1tnklp6Sd4xHESfRw2h24YxsJ

Sorry for the long link. I have this one, made in the UK and you can personalise it

edited to say: it it on the first or second step to make it most effective

I used the parcel shelf out of my car, cheap and cheerful and easy to move aside.

We’ve got a small piece of that decorative wooden fence used on garden edges - around 20cm high.Dog is small (pug)
usually very bright - but the fence is on the first step and the angle he looks up at it gives the impression of it being too high to jump over. So he has never bothered.
He loves going upstairs as it is rarely allowed!