Stairs?

Finn is 7 months old and 43 pounds, so I'm guessing he'll stay a medium sized dog. I live on the second story of my apartment building. At his age, what should I do about the stairs? Isn't it bad for a puppy, especially a larger sized one, to be going up and down stairs throughout the day?

Just guessing - but as long as he's a) not constantly jumping off the third step from the bottom, b) it's not continuous repetitions of up and down the stairs (with no break inbetween), and c) you control his descent (so he doesn't fly down the stairs); I don't think it will be much of an issue.

I guess he's too big to carry, huh?

I was originally told be careful until they are 6 months old, and that was with a large breed dog I had.

Honestly, I have never babied my dogs about stairs. I make them stay safe, yes, but that's about it.

All of our dogs grew up in a house with stairs in the house and it never hurt them...

I have no real words of wisdom, but if it were my puppy, I'd probably not worry about it much, but just leash walk down the stairs.


If you don't have much other option, you don't have much other option. Plus, in my honest opinion, it'd be better for the puppy to walk down the stairs a few times a day with the (probably very slim) chance of it somehow affecting his physical health later down the road than for you to attempt to carry the puppy, which could either result in a nice fall down the stairs or otherwise hurting yourself in some way.

^this.

Now, I don't have stairs at my apartment. When I visit my parents, Abrams LOOOOOOOVES to run up and down their stairs. Only his running down the stairs consists of half running, half sliding, half falling on his head. Now, if he were doing THAT all day, every day, there would be problems. But just walking up and down the stairs? I don't think there would be any issue.

Ditto the others, wouldn't worry about it, just wouldn't have him run up and down them all day long. Normal usage is fine.

Thanks guys. He goes up and down them about three times a day, and he doesn't run or jump or anything when on them, so I'm sure he'll be fine!

It never occurred to me or my parents to carry Rosey up or down stairs. Far too lazy for that, and she was a small puppy!

My Finn went up and down stairs from 3 months onward (couldn't figure out stairs before that) and I had two large flights in my house. No worse for wear. At 7 months I sure wouldn't worry.

I wouldn't worry. He's not doing it 20 times a day and 43 pounds is a lot of dog to carry!