XP: New dog won't go up the stairs - HELP!

SocialWorker2B

My new dog (3 - 7 yo, approx) will go down stairs no problem. Yesterday when we brought her home, she seemed a bit skiddish about going down the stairs but now totally fine going down. But, she won't go up! And, she has to go up in order to go out to go to the bathroom! ::argh::

 

*We've put a sheet on the stairs in order to try and disguise the spaces between the stairs.

 

*We duct taped white paper behind the stairs to try, again, to fool her.

 

*We put a treat on each stair - she only came up as far as up as she could with her hind legs still firmly on the floor.

 

*We stood at the top and called her - she turned around and lay down.

 

::These are all suggestions we've read online.::

 

We're going to take a break for the night and try again tomorrow. But, I am physically disabled so this carrying her up the stairs (all 60 pounds of her) is not going to fly for much longer. Obviously, we will get a trainer if we have to but we are hoping to avoid that (what I assume will be a) huge cost.

 

Please, please, please, any advice/helpful hints/thoughts are welcome. We have had this dog for one day and she does not seem stressed or anxious, she is perfectly happy, eating and drinking and sleeping, she's wagging her tail and being pet and lying at our feet. She's just ignoring our cats without any sign of anxiousness at all. She's going into her crate at night, absolutely no problems EXCEPT this. She's the perfect dog and she absolutely needs to do this one thing!

 

TIA! :-) 

Blueyed228

This is gonna sound really weird, but lightly slap her on the butt a bunch of times and use and excited voice.  This stimulates her.  Then grab the leash and start running up the stairs with her. 

I saw it on Dog Whisperer and it worked.  Lol.

LoveAdopted

When we brought my puppy home, he wouldn't walk out the apartment door, down the stairs, get in or out of the car, walk into buildings... It takes time. You said she doesn't seem nervous which is great, but some dogs don't like to feel confined in an area they don't want to be in, and a stairway is probably their worst case of this in a house.

Today, try picking her up and putting her halfway up the stairs and have someone behind her so she doesn't go back down. Then when she goes up get excited for her and give her lots of praise. Then put her 3/4 up the stairs and have her go up again. We had to do this with Lenny and it took an hour or so but he finally learned to go up and down the stairs comfortably.

LexiMS

Are the stairs carpeted or wood? If they are wood, she may feel as though she doesn't have enough traction, maybe add some of those rug grip strips.  We got a trainer to come out to our house after our dog refused to leave our parking lot.  We did two sessions and he was fine. 
You may also just need to up the reinforcement, are you using biscuits?  Often times they just aren't enough. Try cut up hot dog, or chicken, or liver treats, biscuits aren't good for dogs anyhow.
Finally, she may have a hip/joint problem, have you taken her to the vet yet?

asl71476

My dog did the same thing. I have to tell you that it took her until she was almost 2 to know to go up the stairs - first with me standing right behind her, throwing cookies up to the top step, and then tapping her hind legs/butt telling her to "Go!" Then, it was probably another few months before she realized she could go up on her own without me giving her a command. There IS hope, but it takes a LOT of time and even more patience. I did have her checked for any problems with her legs, but the vet pretty much told me that it was just going to take time. She was right. Good luck!

HMcP

Our puppy just started going up and down the hardwood stairs in our house at 6 months old.  And he's still a little wobbly.  I'm sure it's a slippery scary feeling to him but he's doing it more and more and less hesitation each time.  We only have 2 steps out of our back door so that's never been an issue for him.  If it's a hard wood thing it will come in time.  Wood is scarier than carpet.  I even think so when I'm in heels!