Carry Your Golden Retriever Up & Down Stairs
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As mentioned before, golden retriever puppies should be carried up and down the stairs for the first twelve months of their life or until they become too heavy. This option may seem like a hassle, but it is the best way to avoid any injuries or hip problems while your puppy is still growing.
Note: While good in theory, a 6-12 month old golden retriever is going to be too heavy to carry for many people, so just carry them on the stairs as long as you reasonably can. Injuring yourself to try to protect your golden retriever is not a good trade-off.
If your adult or senior golden retriever is having trouble on the stairs, you may need to carry them on occasion. A senior dog with arthritis will be in too much pain to attempt the stairs, which means they might get stuck on a floor that they dont want to be on. Do not force your dog to use the stairs in these cases, as that will only worsen their pain and condition. If this is happening, you will need to find a way to keep them off the stairs or reduce their pain.
Gates are very effective for this and not too expensive. Baby gates can be installed at the foot or head of any set of steps you need to keep your dog away from and should help to reduce their time spent struggling up and down the stairs.
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What About The Scientific Research That Supports The Misconception
There are some studies that are used to support the idea that climbing stairs too soon leads to hip dysplasia. However, there is an important difference between causes HP and just being correlated with it.
These studies all show a correlation, but not causation.
It should not surprise you that science is confused. After all, researchers cant even decide if butter is good for you or not.
What Causes Hip Dysplasia
There are two main factors at work.; One is the genes that your dog has inherited and which determine the potential for your dogs joint development. The other factor is the environment that the dog grows up in, particularly in early life. How fast he grows, and the way his joints are used when he is still developing, can influence the way his joints will turn out.
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Cause Of A Fear Of Going Up And Down Stairs
The majority of dogs who are afraid of stairs develop the fear because of a lack of early exposure. If you live in a single story home, it’s possible that your dog won’t see stairs until a little later in life. You may even discourage your puppy from going on the stairs to keep him contained to a single room.
In some instances, a dog may develop a fear of stairs from a traumatic experience. For example, a dog who falls down the stairs may be left with a phobia of climbing stairs.
When Can Golden Retriever Puppies Climb Stairs
Stairs can be bad for puppies joints if they attempt to climb them while they are still too young. It goes without saying, but stairs are designed with humans in mind . As such, a staircase is really only meant to climbed by a human, though many four-legged species manage the mechanics of it well enough.
In order for a dog to climb stairs, they must exert energy into their muscles and joints that is very different from the pressure they would put on them if they were just walking or running normally. Because climbing stairs can be awkward for a four-legged body, its best to allow a golden retrievers hip joints to fully develop so that they dont risk fatiguing or unbalancing their hip joints.
As such, a golden retriever puppy should be carried up stairs until they reach a certain age.
Important Note: Most medium sized breeds can start using staircases when they are about twelve weeks old, while larger breeds should really be waiting until they are at least sixteen weeks old.
Thus, for golden retrievers, it is a good idea to wait between twelve and sixteen weeks before training them to climb stairs.
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How Old Does My Puppy Need To Be To Climb Down Stairs
There is a very successful Golden Retriever breeder here who is adament about no stairs for pups. I think that a puppy is going to do what a puppy wants to do whether there’s stairs or not. and has never had a bone or joint issue. I guess carrying the pup up and down stairs could be helpful if the pup has some propensity for hip/joint. Puppy learns to go down stairs. Beagle Puppy 4 Weeks Old Tries Carrying a Slipper up The Stairs Cutest Puppy Ever 8th Oct 2020 360p. 00:14 Puppy Jealous golden retriever drags puppy away so she can sit in owner’s lap 8th Oct 2020 1080p. 00:40 Penny.
When To Lower Your Golden Retrievers Calorie Intake
As your Goldie gets older he will become less active and will need fewer calories to stay on his ideal weight. Your pooch will be considered a senior when he is eight years old, so make sure to tweak his diet around this age. 900 calories per day served in two equally spaced meals. and lower his calorie intake.
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Before Your Puppy Is Born
Every Labrador used for breeding should be tested for hip dysplasia. This includes your puppys mother and father. ;There are no exceptions. We dont have a genetic test for this yet, but we can x-ray a dogs hips and these X-rays can then be assessed and given a score by a team of specialist vets. Breeders can then remove dogs with bad hips from their breeding programmes.
All responsible breeders have their labradors hip scored in this way, and you find out more about hip scoring, and how to check hip scores, in this article: Hip dysplasia improving the odds
Dog Parks And Playing With Friends Dogs
If your puppy is on a play-date with a dog outside of your family, limit the time to 20 minutes and supervise closely. Limit your play-dates to dogs that you know well and are confident that the experience will be a good one, especially during your puppys first year.
I dont recommend a dog park for puppies unless you are absolutely sure that every single dog that will be interacting with your puppy is friendly and gentle and will provide a good experience for your puppy. Ive heard too many stories of dogs having one bad experience with a strange dog and then becoming fearful for life. Strange dogs are not worth the risk.
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When Should Golden Retrievers Stop Climbing Stairs
In order to further avoid the risk of developing or worsening hip dysplasia, ensuring that your aging golden retriever does not need to climb stairs past a certain age is essential!
If your golden retriever is getting older and still climbing stairs, you should take precautions to make certain that they will not need to do so for much longer.
For example, if your house is composed of more than one floor, make sure that everything your golden retriever could need is on the first floor, including their food, water, bed, and toys.
If your dog prefers to sleep with a family member on an upper floor, trying to gradually discourage this behavior to avoid them climbing the stairs as they continue to age.;
Using a pet gate could also be an ideal solution to discourage your golden from taking stairs that are harmful to them in their senior years.
What Are Puppys Growth Plates
Growth plates are the soft areas of developing cartilage tissue found by the ends of the dogs long bones. When the puppy is born, growth plates are made of cartilage but gradually calcify and transform into denser bone as the puppy grows into an adult.
Instead of the long bones developing from the center outward, the growth occurs right by the growth plate at the end of the long bones. As the puppy grows, the growth plates close and harden into solid bone.;
Before the growth plates harden into bone, they are vulnerable to being injured and potentially fractured because they are the last portion of bone to harden.
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Give Your Golden A Joint Supplement
Many dog owners begin giving their golden retrievers joint supplements when they start displaying hip and joint discomfort, but a much better idea is to start giving your pup these supplements long before they experience pain.
Giving your golden retriever a good joint supplement, such as Cosequin Max Strength Plus MSM from Amazon, containing Glucosamine and Chondroitin early on will be a much greater help than waiting until your golden is older and experiencing pain.
Its actually recommended by dvm360 to start giving large breed dogs like golden retrievers these types of supplements as early as possible. Golden retriever puppies can begin using these hip and joint supplements as early as 8 weeks of age, although you will want to consult with your vet regarding your specific puppy before starting any supplements.
Should My Puppy Avoid Stairs
In most instances, a healthy puppy should not be introduced to stairs until he or she is at least 12 weeks old. Expecting them to manage stairs at 12 weeks old could make any existing or inherent problem worse. If you have a large breed puppy then it is best to gate off the stairs until they are older.
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How Often Should You Walk Your Golden Retriever
Golden Retriever Exercise Requirements Golden Retriever exercise can be as simple as walking your dog twice a day, preferably once in the morning and once in the evening. This should last for about 45 minutes to one hour to ensure they exercise enough. Exercise provides a lot of benefits to Retrievers.
Frisbee Is Never A Good Form Of Exercise For A Golden Retriever Puppy
Frisbee throwing is also a poor choice for any dog whose growth plates have not closed. It encourages forced running, jumping, and twisting, all bad for the growing puppy. Frisbee throwing can be dangerous for any dog, but especially for a puppy. We personally never play frisbee with our dogs. There are many other better exercise choices.
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Are Stairs Bad For Puppy Hips
Stairs Is it safe for his little growing bones with all that jumping and skipping? high
We have made a habit of always using pet stair gates or doors that restrict all of our staircases. While the set up will be different in all homes, we still would recommend this for all puppy owners. When the dog has grown up it becomes yet another question, but when raising a puppy it is important for several reasons to create boundaries.
If Your Puppy Doesnt Get Enough Exercise
A healthy amount of proper activity can help your puppy avoid behavioral problems.
Golden retrievers are active dogs. They were born to retrieve game, so they crave a good run and active play. If they dont have the proper outlet, it may manifest destructive behaviors like:
- Excessive barking and whining
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Your Opportunities To Help
There are two main opportunities for you to ensure your puppy is free from hip dysplasia ; The first opportunity begins before he is born.; The second begins when you bring him home. If you have already bought your pup, there is nothing you can do about the first, so just skip down the page and read up on what you can do when you bring your puppy home.
When Can Labrador Puppies Climb Stairs
Labrador owners know how bad Hip dysplasia can be. It can easily take over a dog and make him look lazy whereas actually he is weak to walk due to this disease.
The million-dollar question which is so confusing and unclear is when Labrador puppies can climb stairs? Its a known fact that as puppies age, their legs are strong enough to climb stairs . The one-line answer is around 5 months. Also, note that allowing your Labrador retriever puppy to climb stairs up and down is not going to hurt him and cause him any disease as such. However, caution has to be taken if your puppy already has the disease and then he running on stairs too often and too fast. In that case, you should not allow him to climb stairs.
From my personal experience with a dog named Casper who was 5 years old, I can say its really not fair for the dog. The pain was unbearable as well as tough for anyone watching that dog struggle to walk. Finally, he was put down as per laws and after completing all formalities.
There is a strong belief between climbing stairs and getting hip dysplasia.A lot of people I meet know about it but they are not 100% sure. So, in thisarticle, I will go over the details of hip dysplasia and more importantlyvarious aspects of climbing stairs for your puppy.
I have contacted so many vets, dog trainers, and experts before making the above statement. I have also researched a lot about this topic on the internet before giving the above advice.
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What Causes Hip Dysplasia In Dogs
The causes of hip dysplasia are varied factors but the main cause is genetics. This condition is a hereditary condition that is passed down a dog generation and is mostly common in large or giant breed dogs. Large breed dogs include Labrador retrievers, German Shepherds, Great Dane, St. Bernard, Rottweilers and Old English sheep dogs to mention just a few.
Other factors such as environmental influences the development of hip dysplasia. In fact, environmental factors work to amplify or rather makes the situation worse. They are aspects like your dogs nutrition or diet, exercise routine, excessive growth or weight gain.
What Are The Symptoms
Hip dysplasia causes arthritis, pain, and lameness. It varies in severity depending on the degree of damage in the joint, and to some extent on the individual dog. Some cases can be adequately managed with pain relief and care. But many medium to large dogs will need expensive major surgery to restore normal movement and relieve pain.
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At What Age Can Labrador Puppy Climb Stairs
You cannot allow the Lab puppy to go to the stairs when he is just a kid. There has to be a specific age when you want to allow it. Allowing it too soon can create problems of various types like accidents.
This is the same as we handle our babies when they are starting to learn to walk. Just follow the same analogy and you should be ok.
With age, the puppys feet size will increase and then he can properly place them on stairs and will also that grip to balance himself while climbing up.
A point to note here is that every lab puppy is going to grow differentlywith age and it depends on so many other factors like diet and puppy trainingsessions.
More Information On Puppies
For a complete guide to raising a healthy and happy puppy dont miss The Happy Puppy Handbook.
The Happy Puppy Handbook covers every aspect of life with a small puppy. The book will help you prepare your home for the new arrival, and get your puppy off to a great start with potty training, socialisation and early obedience.
The Happy Puppy Handbook is available worldwide.
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When Can Puppies Do Stairs Safely
Medium-sized and small-sized breed puppies can do stairs safely at the age of 12 weeks. However, large-sized breed puppies arent supposed to do stairs until they are at least 16 weeks.
Thats because large-sized dogs are very prone to Hip Dysplasia, which can harm him if he kept doing stairs at a young age.
When Can Puppies Climb Stairs Safely
Dogs will often struggle jumping or climbing down from sofas, beds, or other furniture, feeling frightened when at a height they are not comfortable with. Some dog breeds are too small or have hip issues which make climbing stairs difficult.
But what is almost guaranteed is that puppies will struggle to climb stairs, whether in an upwards or down direction. Their size combined with a fear and unsteady balance will make stairs a potential hazard for them.
When can puppies climb stairs? Puppies can usually climb stairs safely at the ages of 12 to 16 weeks. However, this is very much breed and size dependent, as some puppies will still not be big enough at the point to successfully navigate a staircase.
Thats the very short answer, but theres more to it than that, including tips on how to teach a puppy to go downstairs. Keep reading so you can let your puppy do stairs safely at the right age.
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