Chickentrain's Dog Q&A

[BigBlueHen53]

I will try that thank you! the thing that complicates this is she is still quite active, she has not really slowed down yet. Her hearing has been bad since we got her (she was 5-6 years old) she is about 13 now

My Sheltie, Gracie, is also experiencing the same challenges. My bedroom is in the basement and the stairs are not well lit. She goes down there because it is cool and then is hesitant to come back up. She yodels and I have to encourage her to come up. She has stumbled a few times and hit her chin, and that has damaged her confidence a bit. We have put Christmas lights on the wall along the edge of the stairs and that really seems to help her. But like yours, she is otherwise active. She is way too heavy for me to carry up the stairs, she weighs over 35 lbs and I am arthritic and have trouble with the stairs on my own. I hate to think what will happen when she can no longer navigate them on her own. She is only 11.

 

[chickentrains]

My Sheltie, Gracie, is also experiencing the same challenges. My bedroom is in the basement and the stairs are not well lit. She goes down there because it is cool and then is hesitant to come back up. She yodels and I have to encourage her to come up. She has stumbled a few times and hit her chin, and that has damaged her confidence a bit. We have put Christmas lights on the wall along the edge of the stairs and that really seems to help her. But like yours, she is otherwise active. She is way too heavy for me to carry up the stairs, she weighs over 35 lbs and I am arthritic and have trouble with the stairs on my own. I hate to think what will happen when she can no longer navigate them on her own. She is only 11.

think she'll handle a ramp ok? We got a dog ramp for Zeus to get into the camper. He doesn't trip or stumble as much.

 

[black_cat]

Is Zeus old or just super fat or both?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

think she'll handle a ramp ok? We got a dog ramp for Zeus to get into the camper. He doesn't trip or stumble as much.

My Gracie? These steps are not built to code (the whole house isn't), I think they would be too steep for a ramp and would be even more difficult than the stairs. Thanks for the thought though.

 

[black_cat]

Suggestion: stair chair but for dogs

 

[black_cat]

@chickentrains what if a dog is too small for the teeter totter to move

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Suggestion: stair chair but for dogs

Oh, like an acorn stair lift? Hmmm. How would I teach her to press the buttons, I wonder? She goes up and down many times a day. Do they even make such a thing? And what if she decided to jump out half way up or down?

 

[black_cat]

Oh, like an acorn stair lift? Hmmm. How would I teach her to press the buttons, I wonder? She goes up and down many times a day. Do they even make such a thing? And what if she decided to jump out half way up or down?

I was sort of joking, but someone could probably make a dog one if it came to it... weight activated platform with a crate, crate door closes when it starts moving, opens when it stops, low to the ground
you could just teach her to get in instead of going up/down stairs

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I was sort of joking, but someone could probably make a dog one if it came to it... weight activated platform with a crate, crate door closes when it starts moving, opens when it stops, low to the ground
you could just teach her to get in instead of going up/down stairs

Wow, you may be on to something! At least for dogs smaller than my Gracie, or for cats. A crate big enough for Gracie would effectively block my stairwell. It's a thought, though. It would have to open at both ends.

 

[chickentrains]

@chickentrains what if a dog is too small for the teeter totter to move

I thought you where talking about agility...