In this post, we will talk about why do dogs fear stairs, we will say the causes and also some solutions, so that progressively, the dog wins security and confidence to be in front of some stairs.
But why are dogs afraid of stairs?
El fear of walking up or down stairs It is usually quite common in dogs and is generated for different reasons. To begin with, it should be noted that the appearance of this fear is originates during the end of the socialization period of the dog, when it is still a puppy, at approximately 2 months of age.
It is essential accustom the puppy to any kind of stimuli in the course of this period of their life, such as people, objects, sounds, children, animals, etc., in order to prevent negative emotions from manifesting such as phobias and fear.
Exactly and because of it, because of the lack of exposure of dogs to the stairs during their puppy stage is that this fear is generated.
Another reason why dogs associate stairs negatively, It is usually suffering a traumatic experience, such as having fallen and hurting oneself. Similarly, it could happen that the sound that is generated when lowering them scares you or simply, that the sight of the stairs supposes such immensity for the dog, that it becomes worthy of fear.
Similarly, the genetic factor It is important, a puppy that has fearful parents will have the same behavior, acting as a mirror since he was a puppy.
How to solve the dog's fear of stairs?
Unfortunately, there is no magic solution to eliminate fear of the dogs to the stairs immediately, however, with a little time and patience, the fear of stairs will disappear.
Learning must be based on positive reinforcement and under no circumstances will aversive methods be used, since it can create a lot of stress and inhibit their behavior. To help your dog overcome his fear of stairs, either going up or down, we advise you to follow the following steps:
- Start by calling him once you find yourself sitting somewhere near some stairs.
- You can use toys or prizes to encourage him as he approaches, although if you see that he is reluctant to approach, it is best to use some major reinforcement, for example, a piece of something that is irresistible to your dog.
- Take short play sessions or give him prizes near the stairs, so that you can positively associate the stairs with the prizes.
- Decrease the space between the dog and the stairs daily, trying to get him to play closer, without forcing him, he must approach by himself.
- The next step is to place a small path of treats from the ground to the first step. As I go along encourage him with your voice.
- Do this exercise for several days, without trying to get him to climb more steps, so he will gain confidence and he will not think that you are fooling him.
- When the dog takes the prizes that are on the first step without fear or problems, you can move on to the second step, encouraging each step it takes with the voice or each step you can use more prizes.
- Keep working progressively each of the steps, perhaps a daily one, although progress can be a bit slow at times.
- If you perceive that the dog has fear or reluctance, it means that you go very fast, go back to the previous step.
- When the dog climbs all the steps without fear next to you, it will be time for you to wait for him at the bottom of the stairs. Call him with a toy or a prize to encourage it.
- When i have risen congratulate him effusivelyThis way you can understand that you have done it perfectly.
- Repeat the exercise every day, this way the dog will not lose confidence.