Do dogs have a sense of height!

[mryfogleman]

Okay just wondering because my dog runs upstairs and he seems to know just what he is doing and runs down the stairs like a lightning bolt! My stairs are open between each step and the upstairs has railing that he could fall through if he tried.

[ARCHIE]

Well if your dog dosen't get hit by that car he's chasing looks like he
could also kill himself in your house Are you for real

[AmyChristine]

Maddie used to run down the stairs, at my last house. Please put up some sort of baby gate and don't allow him to do this.

I came home from work one day and she was so excited, she missed the second to last stair and fell she hit her head and had to be rushed to the vet. She had a concussion and recovered but it took a couple days and it could have been much worse. Yorkies are small dogs and there must be certain precautions taken when you own them. They are definitely not a breed for every one, They do not realize how small they are.

[stingraylady]

Originally Posted by ARCHIE

Well if your dog dosen't get hit by that car he's chasing looks like he
could also kill himself in your house Are you for real

[BonBon]

Originally Posted by AmyChristine

Maddie used to run down the stairs, at my last house. Please put up some sort of baby gate and don't allow him to do this.

I came home from work one day and she was so excited, she missed the second to last stair and fell she hit her head and had to be rushed to the vet. She had a concussion and recovered but it took a couple days and it could have been much worse. Yorkies are small dogs and there must be certain precautions taken when you own them. They are definitely not a breed for every one, They do not realize how small they are.

Excellent advice!

[noisinka]

We spent a week at the man's parents' for Christmas. He decided to teach Sandy to climb the stairs! I was really mad and asked what was he thinking?! Now he could climb the stairs really fast but he is too afraid to climb down. Luckily we're living in an apartment...

[mryfogleman]

Thanks for the advice...this is just another question thats sparked my curiosity. I like the idea of a baby gate. We did have a minpin that we owned for 10 years and he was small too...I remember having to put a gate up then too. When he got bigger though it wasn't ever an issue. With Nigel he is so small I don't want to risk it....

[ReesiesDad]

The Border Collie in our house is always climbing ladders, usually just to be next to me. Before we moved I had a section of the garage roof to fix and had a ladder set up. I was up there and suddenly had Cindy licking my face. After we moved I was 20 feet up an extension ladder to inspect a roof leak and turned around when I heard paws on the ladder. There she was, at the top of the ladder!!

Reesie knows her limits and stays away from anything that she knows she'll fall off of, so maybe she understands heights.

[Maximo]

Originally Posted by ReesiesDad

The Border Collie in our house is always climbing ladders, usually just to be next to me. Before we moved I had a section of the garage roof to fix and had a ladder set up. I was up there and suddenly had Cindy licking my face. After we moved I was 20 feet up an extension ladder to inspect a roof leak and turned around when I heard paws on the ladder. There she was, at the top of the ladder!!

Reesie knows her limits and stays away from anything that she knows she'll fall off of, so maybe she understands heights.

Oh my gosh, funny picture -- your Border Collie is a nut! How did you get her down?

I block my Yorkie's access to the stairs because I have a second-floor partially open landing. Maximo is silly and would probably try to jump from it thinking I could catch him below.

[BonBon]

Originally Posted by mryfogleman

Thanks for the advice...this is just another question thats sparked my curiosity. I like the idea of a baby gate. We did have a minpin that we owned for 10 years and he was small too...I remember having to put a gate up then too. When he got bigger though it wasn't ever an issue. With Nigel he is so small I don't want to risk it....

I never really thought about it but now I'm glad my house is only one story. How old is Nigel? I think you just got him fairly recently? If he's young a baby gate would be perfect to stop the curious snooping puppies do.

[yorkiehugs]

IMO No they don't. Plus most are fearless.

[ReesiesDad]

Originally Posted by Maximo

Oh my gosh, funny picture -- your Border Collie is a nut! How did you get her down?

I block my Yorkie's access to the stairs because I have a second-floor partially open landing. Maximo is silly and would probably try to jump from it thinking I could catch him below.

I had to carry her down. The episode on the big ladder was tougher but I had contractors there who stopped laughing long enough to help me get a good grip on her to carry her back down. Last Christmas we had a ladder sitting next to the tree so she went up that ladder and was sitting on top, you know, the step that says 'Not A Step!'..... Fearless dog.

Reesie jumps off the back of the couch despite our scrambling to stop her. Otherwise she stays off of ladders.

[MaddiesMommie]

I think you certainly need a baby gate to block the stairs and second floor off all together since it presents a danger to him.

[mscat]

I live on the second floor, and Suzi has never gone down the stairs... However, her temperment is that she is more of a fearful little yorkie. She never goes out without me either, nor would I ever allow her to. She has slid feom her nails being long, and that had scared the living daylights out of me.
I agree that this is very dangerous to teach your dog to go up and down outside stairs . Especially if your dog is fearless. I have a shih Tzu pup that has figured out how to jump on top of the kitchen table, and nOT know how to get down . I have to supervise her all the time, and she is in the process of training.
I am home all the time, and fortunately have had to rescue Miely from the top of the table.... Very dangerous .

[wemple2]

I think they do have some sense of height, Winston will jump off the bed or recliner...but won't even go near a ledge any higher. He'll wait to be picked up and put down, but he'll cling to me until his paws are on solid ground. Interesting...thought.