# Fear of stairs



## Annelly (Dec 11, 2016)

I'm really hoping someone has dealt with a similar issue and will have an advice for me.

A few days ago I adopted a 2-year-old golden retriever/border collie mix. She's is very sweet, well-behaved, already settled in, but... Soon after we brought her home, we realised that she is absolutely terrified of stairs. We live on the second floor, so there really is no other way to get her outside other than using the stairs. So far we have tried to bribe her with dog treats, walking right by her side so she would somehow feel more supported, sitting on the steps to make them look less frightening, calling her from downstairs, letting her explore and sleep at the top of the stairs for a while hoping that she would get more used to it. Pulling doesn't work - she panics and becomes hysterical. 

It would really help to know the reason for her fear - has she never climbed the stairs and is afraid of height or does it bring back some terrible memories of falling, being pushed down, being taken to a cellar...The people at the shelter don't know these answers either because they found her on the street and know nothing about her previous owners. 

I know these things take time, but I'm desperate to get her outside ASAP since it's obvious how unhappy she is about having to do her business indoors, holding everything in for as long as she can and nervously sniffing the fresh air whenever we open the window. 

I have thought about simply carrying her down the stairs, but since I don't know her (and vice versa) yet that well, I'm afraid what if she starts to bite when I approach the stairs or really panics and I drop her - no chance she would ever forget that accident. So I'll leave this as my last option.

I'd love to hear any thoughts and suggestions.


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## sandgrubber (May 21, 2014)

You might try a belly sling . . . just take an old sheet or some such and loop it under her belly; tie the top. Then lug her down. Of course, combine praise, treats, etc. to make it clear that this is not a punishment.
I had to do this one time with a Lab pup with a broken leg. She accepted it with no problem.

Stairs ARE dangerous to puppies. They can do in their hips on them. Maybe nothing happens and she just has an instinct to avoid . . . or maybe she had a tumble. In any case, the fear could have some basis in reality, even if the fear is no longer valid at two years.


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## gingerkid (Jul 11, 2012)

Have you tried using very high value treats (think steak, chicken, or cheese)? And start very, very slow - just teaching her to step down onto one step and then throwing a party and letting her go back up. Repeat 5-10 times, then try to get her onto the second step. Do NOT pull her down the stairs - as you've seen she panics, and that panic will just make her feel even WORSE about the already scary thing. She might eventually get over it, but she also might not.

The least forceful solution IMO would be to set-up an indoor potty area with some pee-pads and essentially potty-train her to go there while you work on her fear of the stairs. (Making her to potty outside will somewhat inhibit your progress on getting her comfortable with the stairs, since she'll be forced to do the scary thing every time she goes out to potty, but I know not everyone is able to set up an indoor potty area). The general premise of all of them though is to help her build a positive association with the area of the stairs and to teach her to be comfortable in the stepping down motion. I would do just by walking towards them giving her treats while near the stairs, and then walk away - don't make her go down. I would combine that with teaching her to jump onto/walk over some kind of platform to help her get familiar with the motion of moving her front and back legs on different levels from each other.


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## PatriciafromCO (Oct 7, 2012)

are they open stairs (gaps between steps) opening railing or solid railing... are they solid steps or the grill see through steps.... it's very common depth perception . grill stairs are the hardest our military dogs need to be specifically exposed to traveling up and down them because it's hard on depth perception since especially going down takes some learning from exposure.. 

try some short training when you don't need to go down so you calm.. work with just hanging out at the stairs and ending your training going back inside.. trying going down a step then back up and going back inside.. and progress when your not in a hurry.. that you can focus on what the dog can give you encourage reward and the biggest reward is that your done and they can go back inside. 

only been two days


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## Annelly (Dec 11, 2016)

Thank you all so much for the advice!

*sangrubber* - I'm quite tempted to try your suggestion. I just think that before I do that, I should bond a bit more with the dog. I doubt she will trust me with carrying her that way.

*gingerkid* - thanks for mentioning cheese. She seems to love it, but it hadn't crossed my mind to use it as a treat when we're by the stairs. 
As for setting up a potty area, we didn't even have to train her - since day one she's been using the same spot near the stairs, never inside the apartment. I think she already associates the stairs with 'outside', she just doesn't understand that when you climb down, you actually get to the yard.

*PatriciafromCO* We've got solid winder staircase which probably makes it all a lot more difficult because she can't see the other end of it. And the railing is open. Thank you for the advice on the training technique.

I don't mind if this turns out to be the longest and slowest training any dog has ever gone through, but I'm worried about her wellbeing since she won't be able to get all the exercises that walking outside would provide.


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