How to Train Your Young Dog to Walk Up Steps

You’ve recently welcomed the cutest ball of fur into your life. He’s cuddly, cute and downright irresistible. He’s slowly finding his feet around the house and his confidence is growing. He’s stopped using your kitchen floors as a toilet, much to the joy of every of everyone else in the house. One thing he hasn’t quite figured out though is how to brave steps. This means he can’t run upstairs to give you cuddles in the evening, and he can’t mount steps when you’re out on your normal daily walk. You don’t mind carrying him now, but the bigger he gets the harder it will become.

Training him to walk up steps when he’s young will be more than worthwhile in the long run. It will also mean further down the line he’ll be braver when it comes to working things out himself. You don’t want him always looking to you for help.

Training him to walk up steps when he’s young is relatively straightforward. He’s probably just nervous and unsure at this point in his life. He simply needs some guidance. Training will consist of motivating him to tackle steps, using a variety of tasty rewards. You may also need to lead by example, to put him at ease and build his confidence. Because he’s young, he should be full of energy and a quick learner. This means you could see results in just a couple of days. If he’s particularly stubborn and not quite the sharpest tool in the shed then be prepared to invest up to a week in training.

Succeed with this training and not only will you never have to carry him up steps again when he’s wet and muddy, but you’ll also find training him to walk down steps far easier too.

Before you get to work you’ll need to check you have a few things. Some steps to practice on will, of course, be essential. Before you tackle outside steps, you’ll teach him to walk up steps at home, where he’ll feel more comfortable. 

You’ll also need a generous supply of treats or his favorite food broken into small pieces. Make sure you can train for 5-10 minutes each day, at a time when there won’t be noisy kids rushing up and down the stairs getting ready for school.

Once you’ve got all of that, you’re ready to make a start!