Dog stopped going up steps at home only.

Question
I have read your bio.  I agree to read and rate your response fairly within three days.  We have a 5 yr old Akita mix that we adopted from the shelter at 12 wks old. We both work mainly from home and spend a great deal of time with our dog.   We live in a 2 sty house so steps have never been a problem since he goes up %26 down at least 30 times a day. JUST a few days ago he stopped going up to the second floor.  He will stand at the bottom, wag his tail or have his ears back, but will no walk up the steps anymore.  I thought something may be wrong with his hip or knee (has a luxating kneecap when very active)so I took him to a nearby park we frequent and the weird part is he went straight over to a storage building that he typically never goes near and walked up a pair of open wolmanized deck steps.  He has never been fond of going up any new steps at first, but he walked right up these steps as if to show me that nothing was physically wrong with him.  We have tried to coax him with treats, talking, staying up there for a length of time (he is always with one of us) but, he will no walk up the steps. They are carpeted and he has not fallen or slipped on the steps.  Today, he acted like he wanted to come up because he sat at the bottom and started to cry when he heard us upstairs, but sure enough he moves away when we come down the steps.  We have not tried to force him or anything, but find it extremely weird %26 bizarre that he all of a sudden stopped going to the second floor.  Any idea of why this may have happened and resolving it? _  

Answer
Hi John,

Hmmm, this is an interesting question.  I know what Wolmanized steps are, and you make an important point because many dogs do seem to have issues climbing up them if they're not exposed at a very young age to such steps.  The depth perception that dogs have doesn't make those types of stairs as easily navigable ss "closed" steps, and as well the surface may seem foreign to dogs who were not introduced to these types of stairs at an early age.

First, do a careful inspection of your dog's paw pads.  Is there anything in or on the pads, even carpet fibres, which may be irritating your dog?  Is it an issue of static in the carpeting which your dog may be feeling?  Perhaps your dog received a static electricity "shock" and it was painful enough on one trial to cause your dog to be superstitious, and rightly so if he was "shocked," of climbing up the carpeted stairs?

Also, don't rule out a problem with hips.  Your dog is at an age when many large breeds can start experiencing arthritis.  While he may have gone up the Wolmanized stairs in a sprightly manner, he may have known he only had to go up them once - and, as you say, he goes up and down the carpeted stairs over 25 times a day.  Going up and down that number of times may have him experiencing pain in his hips or other joints.

Have you tried to carry him up the stairs?  If so, and he seems fine being carried (although I know he's a large breed dog), this may be very telling.  If he struggles, do NOT force the issue and very carefully and safely abort trying to carry him up the stairs.  You have been correct in not forcing him so far.  

I'm curious as to whether your dog will go down the stairs willingly when at the top of the stairs.  Do you know the answer to this?  Again, I would NOT force your dog to the top of the stairs to find out the answer - Im only curious if you know whether he will, or not, at this point.

I would also explore anything that may be troubling him at the top or part way up the stairs.  Try to climb the stairs on all fours and Think Like A Dog, trying to see and experience the stairs from your dog's perspective.  Sometimes doing so helps more than you may be able to guess and a lightbulb goes off for many people when they try to see and experience the World the way their dog does.  Do you have another dog who may be sending him a message that he's not welcome up the stairs and thwarting his access?  Some dogs do try to block access to other dogs in the household to the "best" parts of the house - sibling rivalry does occur between dogs, and even between dogs and cats.

I'm glad to hear that you haven't forced him up and down the stairs.  For a dog behaving in the manner that you're describing your dog is, I would not try to force the issue, either.  What you're describing to me sounds like fear on your dog's part, although I'm guessing so only by visualizing through your words and haven't actually seen how your dog is behaving, of course.

Last, but not least, is it possible your dog is telling you that he's not ready to come up and that he needs to go out one more time?  Or, perhaps that he'd like one more drink of water?  Or, one more helping of food?  I'm trying to throw anything I can think of on the table in order to help you out.

In the final analysis, I can only guess as to why your dog has suddenly become superstitious of climbing the carpeted stairs and I've tried to problem solve and imagine your situation from your description, trying to look at it from your dog's point of view.  I hope that my perspectives may have given you some ideas that may help in some way.  At this point, I'm not offering ideas on how to train your dog to go up the stairs, because I'm concerned that this is NOT a training issue, but perhaps a different type of issue, possibly a physical one.  Since your dog has gone up and down the stairs for five years without issues, that's also a clue to me that something has changed, and that this may not be a training issue.

DO continue to explore possible physical causes with your vet if you can't resolve the problem soon, as it's possible that something may be being missed, such as hip dysplasia, arthritis elsewhere, a spinal/vertebral issue, or anything else related to a medical condition I may not have thought of as I'm not a vet.

Thanks for a most interesting question.  I do hope you can resolve the issue shortly as it does sound from your description that something is definitely troubling your dog.  I would very much appreciate it if you could let me know the cause if/when you discover what may have been causing your dog's reluctance to scale the stairs.

Thank you for your question and for taking the time to read my bio.  Much appreciated!

With best regards,
Madeline, Volunteer at AllExperts and Shelter Volunteer
Servicing NYC and the NY Metro area including S.I., NJ, and Palm Beach Co. areas, Florida
www.ny-njDogTrainer.com
A New York Dog Trainer, New Jersey Dog Trainer, and Florida Dog Trainer