Kaitlin, Torben, Tempi and Sammy (who has now passed) came to visit and stay up on the land in December 2016. That was Tempi’s first trip up there, and when Andy and I left one night she didn’t know how to climb the stairs to the attic. The next morning when we came back Torben gave me these videos.
She had not only taught herself to climb up, and to come back down gracefully, she had taught herself sensibly. Apparently she would climb up a few steps, turn around and come back down, then do it again and again, each time climbing up farther until she had mastered it.
A couple of years later Zoe came and also learned to climb up and down. But the first time she tried it she exuberantly climbed up and was afraid to come down… Kaitlin had to carry her. It was interesting to see the difference between the two pups. And to remember that sometimes when learning a new skill it’s easier to take it in small steps. Especially if there’s no one there to bail you out!
(In fairness to Zoe, both pups are a lot better on those stairs than I am!)
September 17, 2020
I would have trouble with those steps. Levi would never do it.
The worst would be if the dog was happy to go but we weren’t. Imagine what mischief it could get into. 🙂
sweet story!
I can climb well enough, but going down is a whole ‘nother story.
I climb the way Catherine below suggests, to treat it more like a ladder and climb down facing the stairs.
Oh, my, I would hate to see Delta, my granddog on them. It would probably be bad. She is a German shepherd and she would be determined enough to do them…but can be sort of clumsy.
She could have a lot of trouble coming down. 🙁
Mom says you might get her up those stairs, but she would be very timid coming down. Kudos to Tempi for her smartness.
Woos – Lightning, Misty, and Timber
I usually come down the way Catherine suggests, facing the stairs and holding on to something. Not very graceful, but it works fine for me. 🙂
I’m totally intimiated by our attic stairs. Is there, perhaps, a ‘Gospel According to Tempi’ (book) in the works?
😀
I too am unsure on open steps…and I would probably come down backwards, a bit like we do when coming down a “ladder” – not that I’ve used a ladder for many years…
That’s the way I usually do it!
They are braver than me!
Me too!
She was brave coming down those steps. I’ve had dogs that were quick to learn to go up but not so much coming back down
That was Zoe the first time she tried it, but somehow she had figured it out by the next day.
I knew she had mastered them but I had no idea that she taught herself a few at a time like she did! that’s amazing. she is one smart doggy!
I just moved from an apartment because of a full flight of open concrete stairs!
they had become harder to climb and even scarier to descend every time I had to go anywhere! can’t believe I did it for five years. I’m so much happier now.
Hurray for being sensible and safe!
we don’t know if Big can climb steps, we have no access to them.. these videos both make me feel good, I watched twice… T is so smart, really smart. to do it a few steps at a time.
I was impressed by that.
It seems especially clever that dogs can learn to climb steps like that, given they have four legs to coordinate. It should be a lot easier for us two-legged folk (but not necessarily!).
I use one of my hands to hold on the the railing.
More examples of what an amazing dog, she is.
🙂
Of course they’re better – they have twice as many legs!
And their center of gravity is closer to the stairs.