Stairs Training for Greyhounds and Sighthounds
Helping your dog learn the skills and grow their confident around stairs
Stairs can be a very sighthound-specific challenge, particularly for ex-racing greyhounds.
When they come into pet life, they may have had little or no previous experience of using stairs.
When we adopted Izzy, one of our ex-racing greyhounds, she did not yet have the confidence or practical skills needed to use our staircase. This is something I also see with many of the ex-racing greyhounds I work with.
That is why I designed this course. It will help you understand why your greyhound may be struggling and give you practical ways to teach the skills they need while growing their confidence around stairs.
If any of this sounds familiar?
Your dog may:
• Shy away from the staircase
• Look unsure about what to do
• Find the whole experience overwhelming
• Use “the bounce” to get upstairs
• Reach the top and have noidea how to get back down
Some greyhounds give stairs a go by using momentum to bunny-hop or “bounce” their way upstairs.
Although they have managed to reach the top, they have not necessarily learnt the individual movements involved. Coming back down then becomes a completely different challenge.
Please know whatever the circumstance they are not being difficult.
They may never have encountered stairs before. They simply may not understand what is expected of them or have the practical skills needed to do it.
You may be experiencing this with your own dog and feel unsure about where to begin.
Or perhaps you want to introduce stairs carefully from the start and would value some clear guidance.
Why can stairs feel so challenging?
There are often two things happening at the same time:
The emotional challenge
The staircase is unfamiliar and may feel overwhelming or daunting.
The practical challenge
Your dog may not yet have developed the movement, coordination or skills needed to go upstairs and, importantly, come back down again.
How can the course help?
The course breaks stairs training down into specific steps.
It will help you:
• Introduce stairs in smaller, more manageable stages
• Build your dog’s confidence without forcing or rushing them
• Teach the movements needed for going up and coming back down
• Use food, equipment and your own body position effectively
• Recognise when your dog needs more time or a different approach
• Progress towards practising safely on a full staircase
The aim is not simply to get your dog upstairs. It is to help them understand how to use the stairs and feel more confident in both directions.
What’s included?
You will receive:
• Eight step-by-step training videos
• Practical supporting PDFs
• A downloadable training log to record your sessions and track your dog’s progress
• Guidance on setting up a safe training space
• Exercises to help your dog develop the movements they need
• Guidance on progressing towards a full staircase
Work at your dog’s pace
Every dog is wonderfully individual.
Some dogs may move through the course quite quickly, while others may need more time at particular stages. You may not need every exercise, or you may find that your dog needs additional support in one area.
This is a self-paced online course, so you can use short, positive training sessions and progress at a pace that suits your dog.
Safety first
Before beginning, it is important to consider whether pain, injury or a physical difficulty could be contributing to your dog’s reluctance.
If you have any concerns about your dog’s movement or physical comfort, please speak to your vet before beginning stairs training.
Stairs Training for Sighthounds
£35 for the course, designed to support your dog develop the practical skills and grow their confidence to use the stairs.
Would you like some individual support?
As we know, every dog is wonderfully individual.
Once you have purchased the course, you will find an option inside to book an additional 20-minute online 1-2-1 session for £20.
This gives you the opportunity to ask questions and receive tailored guidance for your individual dog as you work with them on their stairs training.