Research tells us that most leash reactivity is caused by fear, not by aggression. This article has been viewed 6,426 times. Both situations are problematic. Not only is going up and down stairs good exercise for him, it’s also good socialization. If your dog goes onto the road without obeying your command, say “No” firmly. Last Updated: April 11, 2019 Call your dog back to you, away from the road. As an added benefit, all that exercise will be good for you, your dog, and your relationship! By acting fun and running away from her you will excite her chase instinct, and then you can run to somewhere safe with her chasing after you. If you “sweet talk” him over, then start yelling at him, your dog will learn that he can’t trust you, no matter your tone. During this time, engage your dog’s mind with mind puzzles, obedience work, and fun stuff like games in the house or yard. Every year,  over a million dogs are hit and killed by motor vehicles in the US. He has dozens of videos of e-collar training, finding a dog's working level with e-collars, teaching come without then finally with the e-collar (without the e-collar has to come first), and finally - he also specializes in teaching livestock chasing dogs to leave cattle alone - I would do similar training for the cars - instead of livestock. Wait a few seconds, click, then return and treat. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. But she’s jumping on/off couches, trying to go up/down stairs, and running full speed around the house. Give the command to 'come', 'down', or 'touch', before he steps out on the road. By using our site, you agree to our. A dog gate for stairs can have multiple uses. The main two causes of this phobia, though, are trauma and lack of early exposure.. Don't give in to your dog's begging and whining. If your dog has been running buck wild on 40 acres and finally decides to stand still for picking up, you better curse in a happy pitched and positive tone because your dog stopped. It is critical that the appearance of the new dog causes meat to fall from the sky. It started in the afternoon, as his bed is upstairs he had been going up and down the stairs all morning, then he just stopped. Finally, I would practice some avoidance and boundary training with her using a long leash and the e-collar after she knows come really well and had been e-collar conditioned. Few things are as frustrating as trying to get your dog to go up a flight of stairs at a motel or friend’s house when they’ve planted their feet and refuse to move! Teaching Your Dog to Go Up and Down Stairs Politely is a Must. Only do this when a long leash is attached to her so that she will be safe still if she gets past you. Reward your dog for responding. Dogs who are not exposed to stairs as babies can develop a fear of them as adults. He learns not to charge up and down stairs or through doors. Hopefully you have a friend or family member with a well-trained dog of their own. Best of luck training, Add distractions such as other dogs, throwing balls, etc. Do this while there is no traffic around. I don’t know her story. Don’t get discouraged if your dog doesn’t make quick progress. He learns not to charge up and down stairs or through doors. When the other dog is out of your dog’s view, all treats stop. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoxuNKpmUs390K7x_rvgjcg One fight can create a reactive dog. Have your dog repeatedly sit, then lie down. During this time, avoid any punishment for reactivity. Its primary purpose is to prevent a dog or dogs from going up or down the stairs. You’ll also need a stockpile of your dog's favorite food or treats to motivate and reward him. As soon as your dog puts tension on the leash, stop. 1. Use the leash to restrain your dog, repeat the command until you get a positive response, then reward to reinforce the response to the verbal command. “One of the best skills to teach is a fast lie down,” says Dr. Lindell. Stop the Action. Hello, Training your dog to avoid roadways should be done as early as possible. Of course, I will continue training her but what do I do until she learns? Ignore any hysterics for now, but back up and create more space if your dog is unwilling to eat. Repeat this exercise multiple times over several days. It helps to see your dog’s behavior for what it most likely is: fear vs. disobedience. Train the dog to stop chasing cars. But happily, it’s a problem that can usually be solved. And the second reason is that she is incredibly smart, which is actually tied to the first reason because she knows that as soon as she comes to me, I'm going to either grab her collar and leash her or have her follow me inside. and give the 'down' command, so that your dog learns to respond to this while off-leash, even when distracted. For tips from our Veterinary co-author on how to train your dog to climb up the stairs, read on! The training reinforcer MUST be a great one, such as real meat. Purchase a padded back clip harness and practice your "Come" command in public locations with people and dogs around, such as parks or dog park parking lots, while she is on the long leash. Hacks for Getting a Big Dog Up or Down Stairs. Transcript for Little Dog's Speedy Run Down Stairs; Puppy Wants to Play -- got Ding -- take a look at this video it's proved that even little -- Can move back. Let’s say your dog is a horrible counter surfer. Caitlin Crittenden. If you like to have your bedroom to yourself at night, you might want to keep your dog from going up stairs. Please let me know if you have additional questions. Dogs can easily slip on stairs made out of wood, marble, or tile. Deliver high-value reinforcement when your wonderful dog responds immediately to your cue to keep those responses strong. Additionally, try playing with your dog near the bottom of the stairs so it feels comfortable being there. This is when playtime comes in. For a simpler approach, consider instructing him to stop and lie down. In order to train your dog to leave cars alone, it will first need to be well trained in recall. 1. Wood says he uses stairs as a tool to diagnose various problems. Give your dog a treat for stopping, sitting, and waiting. One of the biggest issues we face when addressing this problem is that each time our dogs get out and explore the world they actually get rewarded for doing so. This woman came to a baseball game but missed nearly all of it, so busy running errands for her family – back and forth, up and down the stairs, orders and re-orders, bathroom breaks and baseball helmet sundaes. Preventing your dog from climbing stairs. Your dog needs to know that coming when he is called is a rewarding experience for him — not a scary one. When she gets to you, grab something such as a shoe, stick, Pinecone, or whatever other fun object you have by you, and wiggle it to encourage her to bite it, and then grab onto her collar as soon as she is close enough while playing. In order to stop a dog from mouthing and jumping it helps understanding why the behavior is occurring in the first place. Use treats and a target (plastic lid with a treat on it) to teach him to walk slowly and stop at the bottom. If you choose to punish instead, you’ve just ruined your dog’s polite pickup manners and it’ll take a long time to earn your dog’s trust again. Fit your dog with a shock collar and have a whistle on hand. Leashes break, yard gates get left open, people accidentally drop leashes, knots come untied, there is a myriad of ways your dog could be put in a situation where he is free to run into traffic. Puppies are unpredictable and can be easily distracted chasing a ball or squirrel out onto a roadway. Walk your dog in a relatively quiet, safe neighborhood. Popping over to their home with a warm batch of cookies just might be the icebreaker you need while you explain to them that you are going to be actively working with your dog on his behavior. She would not come to me because she was excited to see the yard guys and was running around. No, not for you or your dog … for your neighbors! When I grabbed onto her, she lunged for the small dog. He learns not to jump on you or anyone else. Setting Him up for Success. But you also want to rule out serious doggie health issues that could be affecting your four-legged loved one. If your pup does not come when you call her there, reel her in with the leash, tell her to "Sit", and then release her with an "OK" command, and when she is distracted again, call her back. Dogs bark and lunge at other dogs to warn, “Go away! Looking down a flight of stairs can be quite intimidating to a dog – especially a small dog or a puppy. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/3\/3c\/Help-a-Dog-Overcome-Its-Fear-of-Stairs-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Help-a-Dog-Overcome-Its-Fear-of-Stairs-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/3\/3c\/Help-a-Dog-Overcome-Its-Fear-of-Stairs-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/aid8802078-v4-728px-Help-a-Dog-Overcome-Its-Fear-of-Stairs-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"