Nellie is going to be 13 this fall, she is having troubles with her back end. She has muscle wasting in her rear legs and she has some nerve deficits where she doesn’t know where her back feet are so she has a hard time jumping up on the couch or bed. I gotten a set of stairs for the bed and of course she doesn’t want to use them. I then got another set of steps for the living room and this is what happened.
Old dog laying on the floor and Gambler using the steps for an extension to the couch.
Gambler using the steps as a head rest as he watches the old dog.
Gambler deciding he has to go patrol.
Oh look there are steps I should try them.
This is pretty cool.
Yeah I reached the floor.
So I guess I can’t teach Nellie the old dog a new trick by using the steps that were bought for her but might as well let Gambler get used to them so that when he is the old dog he may actually use them.
Does your dog require steps and was it hard to get them to use them?
I got my old pups to use steps by sitting next to stepd and calling the old pup to me and then bringing a cookie or two over and putting a tidbit on the step, the old dog eating the tidbit, then I put tidbit on next step and giving the old dog a push up on the rear so the tidbit can be reached.
Then I go sit on the couch and have another tidbit and old dog will walk right into my lap and or cozy chair or couch.
It took a few times and then all good.
There were some times when one of the youngsters would sit on the steps so no one could go up or down
Hugs to Nellie
Thanks Paulette. You have way more patients then me. Will keep working with Nellie.
Dogs just don’t have respect for their elders!
Lol they don’t.
Gambler will be used to them when he needs them. Maybe Nellie will watch and learn. āŗ
I hope so but yes I’ve learned to teach the youngsters as one day they will be old.
That’s pretty typical! We got steps when Kobi started having his old age issues and could no longer jump. It was easy to train both him and Cricket to use them (beagles are so easily motivated with treats). But Sheba would not use them, and I gave up on her. Then one day, all of the sudden she started using them. Thank goodness, because she did need them as well once she got older. Luke will use the stairs to the bed, no problem (though he still prefers to jump on the other side often), but he will not use the ones to the couch. He uses the coffee table instead!
Maybe one day Nellie will surprise me. She is a stubborn old goat.
Sampson has similar issues, and he refuses to use the stairs. I can get him to use the ramp to get into the car, but he would just stay off the bed if he has to use stairs. I have an old crib mattress that I saved for when the grandkids stay over and Sampson will use that as a step to get onto my bed.
As for the couch, well he’s figured out a way to get up without using stairs. I wish I’d taught him stairs from when he was a pup.
Good luck with Nellie, maybe you can figure something out.
Nellie will stand by the bed and cry if she can’t get up so then I have to get out and lift her up.
try a ramp, lots of the oldsters have problems shifting weight on the stairs but can do a ramp eaiser
I will have to see about a ramp. I can see me breaking my neck walking over a ramp. Lol
wow g-man that steps make a mighty fine tv-watch-spot… we boys know how to make comfy places huh? we had a step for the bed, but it was the thing Phenny always ignored :o)
We have a stool that was in front of a chair in the bedroom and I moved it over by the bed when Barley had pulled something and was having trouble hopping on the bed–after she got better, she still liked using the stool, so it stayed there and now everyone uses it (although half they time they all still jump over the stool and onto the bed). I’m glad at least one of your pups has decided to use the steps!
I’m glad barley is better and doesn’t need the steps.
Silly Gambler. Not sure mine would use steps either.