teaching an old(er) dog new tricks???

Suzanne · Guru

teaching an old(er) dog new tricks???

Suzanne · Guru

ps how do you teach them stairs?? Had to carry Erin up to my 1st floor flat as she wasnt going to attempt them at all - even though the walk I took her on today featured many woodland walk stairs which she managed fine....wont do the common stair variety clearly....

Suzanne · Guru

def need help here - just took them out for a wee & we have 4 four stairs, then a bend & about 12 stairs. Managed the 4 four stairs on the lead. Got to top[ of 12 stairs, didnt want to go...got down bout 4 of them & then leap the rest. i was still attached to lead, let go after my face smashed off the stairwell wall. Now anticipating a shiner & concushion.....

After encouragement she managed back up all the stairs without help - all be it not very ladylike...

ouch - more wine me thinks,,,,

JanW · Master

Hope the bruising isn't too bad!

Mr Spoons followed Ruby up the stairs, but wouldn't come back down! They are too narrow to carry him, so I got him down by holding his collar and just going one step at a time with lots of encouragement. He's still not too keen on coming down and will stay at the top for 15 mins or so in the hope I'll come back, although he is getting better with practice.

When Ruby goes downstairs it's advisable to get out of the way, but she will go more slowly if her collar is held.

Luckily we've not tried outside stairs!

Only other thing I can suggest is food!

Sounds as though you need a glass of wine to recover (well known pain killer!)

Janet

Dave · Enlightened One

Suzanne, if she's food orientated then she's VERY trainable..try hot dogs, dead cheap to buy, get them in tins from local supermarket, she'll go nuts for them. try to gentle coax her up and down the stairs with them, she'll work it out soon...

FAJ · Enlightened One

Yup, Dave's right, food is your key! We (ie, Steve!) had to carry Pearly up the stairs for the first couple of days. After that, she quickly learned that there were Good Things up the stairs and she had best get sorted out to conquer them. We coaxed her up each step with a weeny bit of cheese, and the same again on the way down. She soon got the hang of it. Nowadays, it takes her about three leggy leaps to get up and she bombs it on the way down - momentum is a wonderful thing!

As for her weight, that should drop off with the amount of walks she'll be getting with you. I'd imagine that'll just happen of its own accord over the coming weeks.

Fiona

Missy · Master

Hi

May I suggest a way of teaching a greyhound to come downstairs is to stand in front of him/her so you block their view down the staircase. They are more frightened of the height rather than what stairs are. Then quiety enouraging and gently persuading take him/her down the stairs step by step.

We had the same problem with our Missy where she completely refused to come down the stairs and was quite distressed by the prospect. I took her by the collar and managed to coax her to the top then placed myself between her and the view to the ground floor. Without treats I quietly gave encouragement and slowly brought her down step by step. Next time she went upstairs by herself (albeit fingers and thumbs and tripping all the way!) and she decided to come down on her own (in 3 steps!!). As time has gone by she has become very confident on the stairs without any misgivings.

This does work- try it !

Katrina