How to help a large dog afraid of stairs after wearing a cone?

Question

My 2 year old English mastiff will not go up or down more than two steps. She used to take on the steps just fine, but ever since she had a cone on she acts afraid of the stairs even now that it's off. Any suggestions on how to get her upstairs? She's 160lb so picking her up is not an option. Pet's info: Dog | English Mastiff | Female | spayed | 2 years and 2 months old | 160 lbs

Lauren Kennedy, DVM · Accepted Answer

Molly may have gotten scared going up and down the stairs when her cone was on and now, even though the cone is off, she is still fearful. Try working with her by just doing 2-3 steps at a time and using positive reinforcement, like giving her a special treat and lots of praise, after each step. Once she is used to doing 2-3 steps you can slowly increase the number of stairs she's going up. One other thing to consider is that her hesitancy to go up the stairs may be related to pain in her joints or neck. If you try slowly encouraging her and that's not working you may want to have her evaluated by your vet. They can do a full orthopedic exam and possibly X-rays to make sure there are no bone or joint issues.

How to help a large dog afraid of stairs after wearing a cone?

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