I have an 11 month old lab that is scared of the stairs the reason is he broke his leg on the stairs on my deck when he was 10 weeks old I have tried treats on each stair his favorite toy he will go up with a push on the butt but will not go down he even shakes when I carry him down the stairs to go for a walk. He loves walks but that is still not enough for him to come down the stairs on his own. He is getting pretty heavy now and my wife is pregnant so I really need to get something figured out and dog trainers are way to expensive thanks for your help

Are these outside stairs, as in a deck or veranda ? I solved that problem by stapling indoor/outdoor carpet to the stairs. Dogs aren't stupid and he will finally realize he can manage the stairs once they are not slippery. You can almost realize his fear of being hurt again that way. I had even considered putting in a ramp at one time for my dog, bu the carpet did the trick. It wasn't an instant fix, but it worked in the long run.

Tick

This might sound a bit odd but try and disguise the stairs.

You know how children make forts our of old sheets and chairs... well... try that. Stretch sheets across the railings, even put some potted plants or something similar all the way up so it's not just a blank staircase.
It will still take time, and a lot of encouragement but if they don't look like the scary stairs that hurt him he might be more willing to take that first step.

It will still take time, and a lot of encouragement but if they don't look like the scary stairs that hurt him he might be more willing to take that first step.


Had to spread the rep, Shaz, yes, a little subterfuge would work wonders. Mmm, the dog say, thinking, these aren't stairs, it must be a flower pot, a flower pot can't hurt me, shall go down then !

Tick