[Rocky's Mom]

Prince Rocky doesn't want to use them. I've tried getting him to go up and down. He came up twice while I was sitting on the couch calling him, but he won't go down. I've put treats on the bottom of the steps...he just looks at them and cries. Poor little thing...I thought he'd love his new steps to hop on and off the sofa anytime he wanted. I hope he uses them in time. I think I'll be calling him Whimp Rocky from now on.
Oh...and he goes up and down the steps at the park.

 

[jmm]

I would backchain the behavior. So set him on the last step and lure him down. Once he gets that, set him on the second to last step and lure him down...and on and on.

 

[iheartbisou]

How old is Rocky? Jackie's advice above is how I introduced Bisou to her steps.

I love his photo in your siggy by the way.

 

[The A Team]

When I first got steps, I used to play like the dogs were dolls...and put them on each step one at a time...and the same going down, they eventually got it and use them regularly now. :blush:

 

[Johita]

Aolani didn't like going down the stairs at first, but I coaxed him as Jackie explained and soon enough he was going up and down the stairs like crazy. It's a scarey thing to look down stairs when you're so little and not too sure if you'll be able to make it down safely. He still doesn't go down our house steps, but I'm fine with that.

 

[SugarBob62]

I'm sure he will get used to them. I had gotten them for Andy and he would use them, but then he would like jump off the couch OVER them. I was like what are you doing!??!?!

But Nelson goes up and down them fine. So we had already had them here, I'm glad I kept them. His breeders house had them, so he had been using them since he was a baby. But I'm sure over time Rocky will get it!

 

[CeeCee's Mom]

CeeCee was like that, she would not go down them but she would go up! I just left her alone and she got the hang of it. Now, Miss Rainy is the smallest but she runs up and down them like a little mad woman.......so funny!!! He is just adorable.......love that siggy pic!!! :chili:

 

[Twinkle]

I just bought some stairs for Twinkle so that she can get up on the bed. She had no problem going up but she also would not go down. I had my boyfriend hold a treat for her at the bottom of the stairs and i stayed on the bed with her trying to encourage her to go down. I also gave her a little nudge on the butt to make her have no choice but to go down. After about 10 nudges or so..she finally does it on her own =) yay

 

[thach8]

As some of you may know, Diamond just has some serious surgery. We thought it important for her to have steps to get up and down from the couch after this surgery. (Of course, we didn't anticipate the other problems). Anyway, even a day after surgery she refused to use the steps. She jumped up and down beside them. Since then, we've had too many problems with her lack of sphincter control to worry about the steps.
However, when she gets all better we will have to train her to use these steps by luring her down with treats one step at a time.

 

[michellerobison]

I got a foot stool for my Amy when she was getting too old to be jumping up and down from teh bed. We went to the furniture store and looked,told the sales lady what we wanted ti for. She asked if we really thought she'd used it. I asked if we could bring her in to try. We sat her on the floor,then we patted the bed and said,"up Amy" and she bounded on the stool then up on the bed,like she'd done it 100 times. I'll never forget that,she'd never used a step before that,she must have known instinctively. Needless to say the lady made a sale that day...thanks to a dog...

I don't know what to tell you to try,except food on each step and lots of praise,maybe position your face right at the top of the steps so Rocky will see you . Food usually overcomes fear.... I hope it works. Rylee is so little he won't try steps so we'll have to get a ramp.Luckily he's much too scared to even try to jump.

 

[Katkoota]

Good luck you sure got some good responses to what you can do.

Kat

ps. love your new siggy

 

[Rocky's Mom]

Thanks everyone..

It took a long time but I finally got Rocky to go up and down the steps with the magic of Rotessrie Chicken! He only does it for treats right now but at least he can do it. Hopefully someday he does it on his own now. I am going to stop the treats today. When I got up this morning he was in his little bed.