Training Your Dog to Use Pet Stairs
If you’re reading this article, you’ve probably already got yourself a nice set of pet steps; but if you haven’t yet purchased dog stairs, you might want to take a minute to seriously consider the benefits. Every time your dog jumps on and off of objects such as furniture, his joints absorb the impact. Over time, this can lead to the early development of arthritis, not to mention that any time your dog jumps from something, he risks the possibility of a broken bone. Besides, pet stairs are wonderful to use by the bed to keep your dog from pouncing on and off the bed, simultaneously jolting you awake.
If you already have a set of pet stairs—good for you!! This is an important tool to make your dog’s everyday activity easier and safer. The next step is teaching your pet how to use them. Some owners struggle with convincing their stubborn pet to use the steps, especially if the dog is a little older and is “set in his way” of doing things. The best way to convince your pet to use pet stairs is to show him how it can be worth his while.
We’ve always had the best results when using our dog’s favourite treat as encouragement to use the stairs. For our bedside pet steps, I would sit on the bed in front of the steps dangling our pup’s favourite biscuit. At first he would try to go around the stairs to jump on the bed. When this happened, I hid the treat behind my back and gave my dog a firm “No!” After a few attempts (and many acts of re-positioning my dog in front of the steps), my dog finally understood that he would receive praise and a treat when he used the stairs. It didn’t take him long to learn to use the stairs on a regular basis.
You may be interested in a more “extreme” method of training your dog to use his pet stairs. This method involves denying your dog total access to the furniture unless he uses the pet stairs to climb up. For instance, if your dog primarily likes to lie on your bed, but refuses to use the steps, tell him to get off—or bodily remove him if you have to. Place him in front of the steps and motion for him to climb up. Do not let him onto the bed until he uses the steps. As with any type of training, it’s good to encourage your dog with words of praise. Dogs respond more to their owner’s tone of voice more than the actual words, therefore a cheery “Good boy!” goes a long way in convincing your dog that he’s pleasing you when he uses the stairs.
For information about getting your dog a set of pet stairs, visit Help Your Pets.
Are Pet Steps Right For Your Dog?
While your pet may seem to be in overall good health, there could be underlying issues developing that you are not aware of. These issues may actually stem from the abuse your pet’s muscles and joints suffer on a daily basis.
Many pet owners allow their dog to jump onto and off of furniture such as beds, couches, chairs, etc. These heights may seem insignificant to us, however for a dog, they can incur grave damage over time or immediately through a fall from one of these surfaces.
While small and large dogs are at a particular risk of sustaining bone or joint injury, any size or breed of dog is susceptible to harm through a fall or as a result of prolonged impact over time. Large dogs, like Great Danes, Golden Retrievers, and Labradors, are inclined to developing arthritis later in life, and condoning a large dog to jump onto and off of furniture everyday could cause arthritis to crop up earlier in the dog’s life. As for small dogs, they are more likely to break a bone in a fall or by attempting to leap down from too great a height.
This being said, you don’t have to necessarily deny your furry friend access to his favourite places—which are likely the places that you frequent. Through the use of pet stairs you can give your pet the freedom to go about his normal routine with the addition of safety and peace of mind.
Dog stairs come in a variety of colors and materials, though carpeted pet stairs are the most popular as they provide extra grip for pet paws. They also come in a variety of sizes to accommodate the size of your dog and the surface that you want him to access. For instance, if you want your dog to have access to your bed, you will need to know the height of your bed from the floor to the top of the mattress. You should know that it can be dangerous to provide your dog with stairs that are either too small or large for him, which can cause him to stumble or fall from the stairs. The general rule of thumb to go by when choosing your steps is this:
Small dogs = steps no wider than 12 inches
Medium dogs = 14 inch-wide steps
Large dogs = steps at least 16 inches wide
For more information about choosing and purchasing a set of pet steps, please visit Help Your Pets – Here.
Get the Most Out of Your Dog Stairs
If you are considering purchasing a set of dog stairs, or if you already own some, you probably know about the basic benefits it can offer for your dog. Some of these include reduced chances of hip dysplasia and arthritis. We’re going to talk about some other top uses for pet stairs and how you can get the most out of your steps!
Have you ever heard of portable dog steps? Today’s modern designs of portable pet steps give new meaning to the term convenience! One type of portable pet step is made from a highly resilient type of foam. Some brands can actually support up to 300 pounds of weight! That’s enough to hold any dog! These steps are a perfect way to help your dog on and off high porches or in and out of tall cars. Other popular portable dog steps are made with either metal or plastic and usually can adjust in height to accommodate vehicles and other surfaces.
Aside from portable pet steps, there are many uses for your standard indoor steps, too! If you have a shorter breed of dog, try pushing the steps up against one of your windows. This is a great way for your dog to satisfy his nosiness at what’s going on outside. Find out the maximum weight limit on your steps. If they will hold you, you can use them for all sorts of chores around the house! I’m fairly short, so I’ve received tons of use out of my dog’s steps, including getting stuff on and off the top of the refrigerator, changing light bulbs, and giving my daughter a boost to the sink. If your pet stairs have a storage area, make good use of it! You can store pet toys and treats or any number of odds and ends! Don’t be afraid to get the most out of your steps!
For durable cat and dog steps, visit the Help Your Pets website.
Where to Find Pet Stairs
The effort you put into choosing the right set of pet stairs doesn’t have to feel like a burden; it could really be seen as an investment of sorts. To continuously reap the health benefits and sheer convenience that dog stairs offer, it’s wise to make sure that your purchase is well thought out and thoroughly researched. Luckily, technology has ensured that we are no longer limited to the wares offered in local retail shops—though that’s not to say that they should be excluded from your consideration altogether. There are pros and cons to both shopping experiences, which we’re going to discuss in this article.
Your Budget
The amount that you have to spend will ultimately determine where you make your dog stair purchase. Unless you have a pet furniture store in your hometown, you might be surprised that any pet stairs you run across in a local shop will probably cost a bit more than you were expecting to spend. This is because traditional retail stores--especially those that aren’t of the “chain” variety--can only afford to keep stock of the things that their local consumers purchase regularly. Unfortunately, pet stairs haven’t become quite that popular yet. Thank goodness for the Internet, which allows businesses to offer a niche product and still make money because their “local customer base” include every continent with Internet access. You can browse online and compare prices of several stores in minutes. Not bad!
Decisions, Decisions…
The beauty of shopping online for your pet stairs is that you have a large selection right at your fingertips. This is especially helpful if you are looking for something out of the ordinary--a particular finish, color, weight capacity, etc. You can use a search query on most sites to instantly weed out the steps that don’t meet your needs. If you’re looking for large dog stairs, your search for such will pull up only the products that match that criteria. You might not be in the market for cherry wood steps with a weight capacity of 300 pounds, but the option is likely out there on the Internet somewhere. The variety offered in your local pet shops is likely to be very limited, unless you’re lucky enough to find a shop that takes custom orders--which is not unheard of.
Assembly?
Assembling something--with or without instructions--is not a very fun process. Unfortunately, both online and traditional stores are more likely to sell their steps in an “assembly required” state. For local shops, it saves on warehouse and sales floor space if they don’t have a massive amount of pre-built steps lying around. For Internet-based businesses, it costs a great deal more in packaging and shipping to send a full-sized pet stair through the mail, so many online retailers also ship their pet steps flat-packed. Don’t feel as though you have to resign to the idea of spending hours on assembly for the sake of your pet. There are still online pet stair websites that ship their items pre-assembled, such as HelpYourPets.com, you just have to look around and even send an enquiry to see if it’s possible to have them built before shipment. One perk of ordering online and having the steps delivered, though is that home delivery means you can bypass having to load and unload the stairs from your car!
Now that you’re aware of your options, it’s time to start doing some research to weed through the possibilities. Remember, it’s much easier to find a supplier if you base your search on the three key points we mentioned above. Good luck with your purchase!
