We have been in our house almost four years and since day one ZsaZsa, the yellow lab, has catagorically refused to climb up or go down the stairs. We have tried treats, pushing, pulling, coaxing, crying - all to no avail.
It is particularly mystifying as she has no problems at all with any kind of stairs except these. They are no wider or steeper than the stairs in our old house and are blocked in, no scary open spaces to frighten her. I even wondered if they were haunted!
The other two dogs manage fine, loping up and down easily but whenever ZsaZsa wants to go upstairs we have to let her out of the door so she can go round, or take her on the lead. It has been at least two years since I last tried getting her upstairs and it is now something we take for granted – other dogs go upstairs, we open door for ZsaZsa go upstairs, and let her in the upstairs door. We have almost learned to ignore the hassle (particularly annoying in bad weather).
Well, today, for absolutely no reason except that she was standing near the stairs I suddenly took her collar and said "Come on ZsaZsa," and started to climb the stairs and blow me if she didn't go upstairs!!! Talk about being 'in the moment'. She only realised she was climbing them about two stairs from the top and luckily Setter Gassie was behind to encourage her. She looked totally amazed at what she had done and I could have high fived everyone in sight! I settled for cheering.
Whether this is a one-off only time will tell, but I have a feeling that now she has done it once it will get easier.
Of course she hasn't gone DOWNstairs yet…