# Fear of going down stairs



## Pappydoggie (Aug 5, 2010)

I was wondering if anyone had any tips or tricks I could try to get my chi comfortable enough to go down stairs. She goes up the carpeted stairs in our home no problem but she refuses to go down.

It isn't a huge issue but she follows me everywhere and if I run upstairs just to grab something she follows and then I have to carry her down or else she whines.

I've tried leaving her there thinking that eventually she'll try and make the climb down but I think she'd stay up there forever.

She is 4 yrs old but we've only had her for about a month.

Any suggestions would be great!


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## flippedstars (Dec 16, 2009)

Maybe she fell down some stairs before? I've seen my two smaller chis take a tumble down the stairs. Its a little scary, and fortunately they weren't hurt.

Try placing her at the top of the stairs, then a treat on each stair, something high value, like cheese or TINY bits of turkey bacon. I saw your pictures of her and she is plenty big enough to deal with stairs so she must just be afraid for whatever reason. Hopefully t his works...its how we finally taught our smallest chi, Bryco, to go down stairs. Some people don't let their chis go on stairs but...lol. We do.


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## Pappydoggie (Aug 5, 2010)

Thank you for your suggestion! I did think about dog biscuits but she doesn't really like them enough -- I will deffinetly try some meat!


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## 18453 (Feb 6, 2010)

Daisysoesnt go down stairs never has but I'll try the treat thing today!


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## jan896 (Dec 9, 2009)

maybe going down the stairs hurts....I know myself it hurts going down stairs... I have abit of arthritis in my knees... you can't tell it by looking at me so maybe....


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## Pappydoggie (Aug 5, 2010)

I just tried putting meat on each step, she's so excited at the top of the stairs wiggling around, but there's no way she's going to come down the steps 

She's not in pain, she's very active and runs super fast outside and she has no problem jumping on and off furniture, she's just really scared of coming down the stairs.

I wont push her any further today, I may just try again in a few days...maybe she will eventually forget that she is afraid of going down the stairs!


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## *Chloe* (Feb 6, 2006)

try starting her a few steps from the bottom so she only has to go down a few then work back so u get further up so its not so scary at first....i have the opposite problem atm im trying to stop my new one going up and down the stairs...trying to teach her to stay at the top like the other 2 lol


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## pawsntails (May 31, 2010)

If shes not in pain no health problems are all ruled about then its time to be tough. I used to babysit a friends chi who would only walk up stairs and wouldnt go down..... He would stand and whine till you picked him up, he was spoiled lol.

I would leave her there (if the stairs are not steep and are carpeted and safe) and make her come down on her own. She WILL come down eventually. Dont carry her down again


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## Sensei (May 12, 2009)

Chloe's suggestion of starting just a few stairs from the bottom is good. Another thing you can try is what worked for my Nugget:

Walk down a 3-4 steps, and then reach for your dog, and carry her down. Once she's used to being carried from there, you stop picking her up. Instead, you reach for her, and place her front paws on the first step down. Take it one step at a time, and eventually, she'll walk the 3-4 steps down to you. 

Add another step down one at a time, and you'll be surprised how fast she gets used to going down the steps all by herself.


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