Hello everyone. We have a Lab 10 weeks old. We live in a 5th floor with no lift. Luna manage to get down and up, but I am concerned that (around 5 times per day) it could affect her bone structure or joints, so many times I end up carrying her in my arms. Am I right being concerned? Or it is OK to let her go down and up (5 floors) every time I take her for a potty walk? Thank you
Hi there, welcome to the forum! Unfortunately, we've got very little scientific research to rely on to answer this. There has been one study which indicated that dogs who regularly go up and down stairs before 12 weeks old may have an increased risk of hip dysplasia. So, we prefer to err on the side of caution, and recommend that owners keep their puppies off the stairs while they are very young. Incidentally, carrying her in your arms for as long as you can (or getting a sling) may help to protect her joints in the long run, but it's also very likely to help with toilet training. She won't want to pee whilst being held, whereas a young puppy with a full bladder might not make it down all 5 flights before they go! Inevitably you'll reach a point where she's too big to safely carry though, and at that point I think the risk of trying to continue carrying her becomes greater than the potential risk of letting her walk up and down stairs herself. I hope that helps
