We have a 2 story home with a basement so 2 levels of stairs. Because of the size of our home he sleeps upstairs and he is carried up and down at this point. During the day he's at first level so it's only in the evening and morning when he would use them. At 21 pounds (9 kg) he's manageable but in another month maybe not. At what age can he be introduced to stairs? Please don't say 1 year.
Our 10week old lab has been going up stairs from about 8weeks and down at about 9weeks. Down is definitely more difficult so we stay in front of him and try to keep him slow and under control. We have carpet for going up and down the stairs to the other floors and also a deck with stairs for access to the back yard. All of our stairs are your typical rise-run profiles and he appears to be able to handle it; becomes more comfortable with them each day...and no major slides or tumbles .
The only time it can be is when you can carry him no more! But I would try to limit it as much as possible for the sake of his joints. Twiglet has to practise stairs and steps, indoors and outdoors, every day - but I keep it to once a day.
The issue with stairs is the impact on their joints, which can cause damage before their growth plates have closed, which happens at around a year of age. So, yes, the "gold standard" would be no stairs until he is a year of age. However, you have to temper this with a bit of common sense and manageability. Decide whether the possible harm to joints is something you'd rather risk than changing his sleeping arrangements so he sleeps downstairs. If you decide that you definitely want him to navigate those stairs, then train him to do it slowly. This is absolutely key. Take him up and down on lead, and don't let him run. More importantly, you want to avoid all jumping onto hard surfaces, such as onto the tarmac from a car etc, which is potentially a lot more damaging. Lift him in and out, or use a ramp, until he is a year old. Shadow was a real bouncer - he'd leap over the last step on a flight of staits, so I clicker-trained him to stand on it rather than jump over it.
Here is an article explaining why - http://www.thelabradorsite.com/labrador-puppy-exercise-how-much-is-too-much/
All good advice. Thanks boogie for that article. Not seen that one before. The one activity that I definitely do not permit is his jumping out of the car. Our SUV is high off the ground so he's carried in and always let down to the ground surface (tarmac? great word) by me --no jump.
Heh, I never realised "tarmac" wasn't universal. It typically means the road surface, but is also used for most "made" surfaces. Basically, as you are, avoid him jumping from the car onto a hard surface, particularly if your car is high.
OUr breeder says stairs once or twice a day as needed, under control and no running up and down them in play. Your hand on his collar, or on leash or maybe even a harness can help with control and give puppy confidence, particularly on the down stairs. Don't wait till he's too heavy. Carpeted stairs are usually easier footing for puppy but they can catch toenails in the pile, especially if it's looped pile. Another reason to get them used to toenail clipping early. Long toenails are slippery on wood too.
Charlie got too heavy to carry at about 5 months so he had to do steps after that (we live in a house with a long flight of steps to the front door). We started getting him used to doing a few steps, very slowly, on lead, from about 4 months. It's really important to me that Charlie goes up and down steps at my pace because he goes on the tube, so we do steps a fair bit, and I just can't ever have him pull on his lead down steps - I've never regretted that early training, he's pretty good now.
We gate off our stairs for the most part and most definitely do not let Hawk jump from or into a vehicle. With two young kids and us running up and down the stairs constantly, there is a lot of whining if we don't bring him along. Since he wants to follow the kids, and they are too small to carry him, we have no choice but to let him work on going up and down periodically. With and if there are bathroom breaks in the middle of the night, after resting for a long period of time (and want to avoid him getting fired up by the crisp fresh -20 morning air), I carry him in and out to the back yard!
Just do it at a walk and on-lead. I'd say that the risk to joints associated with this would be zero. Teach your pup to wait at the top (for a treat), walk beside you on the way down and stop when you stop (for a treat). Carrying a heavy pup up and down stairs is far riskier in my view. You cannot balance yourself properly and if you fell the consequences for you and your dog could be very serious. Consider your own bones too
Jake's 15 weeks and starting to get really heavy, he's 12.7kg, we've just started training him to go up the stairs at the weekend, he made it to the top yesterday with a few biscuits on every step. He's really not sure, and is cautious as he's been carried since we got him at 8 weeks. He takes the 2 steps at the front and back doors no problem . I just want to make sure he knows how to get up and down before he's too heavy
Very good point. We're in a good situation right now since he has never himself gone up and down the stairs on his own so he'll just wait at either the bottom or top. No need to gate but that will be coming soon enough I'm sure.
How's the time to train that he only goes up or goes down with you. We gad a gate which was never closed, only wedged with a shoe so the cats could go upstairs without puppy but Juno never followed them.
