Last night I took Tara with Samson and me to Samson's house. Samson jumped right onto the family room couch. Even though the couch looks very comfortable, I don�t think Tara would be able to jump on there. My professor's house is split level, with wood steps with no carpet and no traction pads. I let the dogs walk around in the upper level for a bit to sniff around. Then I started walking downstairs and held on to Tara's leash (didn't want to leave her by herself upstairs without supervision with Sam). I was walking ahead of her, and then suddenly when I turned around after hearing her tumbling down. She was still in sitting position, but her butt just kept sliding down, it was like watching a cartoon, except it wasn't funny. I pulled back on her leash (the six foot one) and she finally stopped halfway (she had slide down five or six steps). Needless to say, Tara was very scared and would not move. I tried to keep walking her down, but she would not budge, so with some coaxing, we walked back upstairs. I let her walk around for a few minutes and then tried again, even with my hands on her collar, she would not even put one paw on the stairs. She was terrified by the stairs. So I carried her downstairs (lifted her up on my chest). She was very good and did not move when I carried her. When it was time to go back upstairs again, I had my hand on her collar and we walked slowly upstairs. Then 20 minutes later, I tried again to walk her down, this time with a lot of coaxing, and my hand firmly on her collar to stop her from falling down, she was able to do it. I tried to put the baby gate on the top of the stairs (thinking maybe I would take Samson with me downstairs and leave Tara upstairs), but to this day I still don't know how to put up a baby gate (yeah my sister who is an engineer laughs at me every time I tell her this). So I had to take her with me when I went downstairs again. Each time we went up and down the stairs she gets better and better with it. I would still slip my hand in her collar when going up the stairs or walk right behind her so I could catch her if she falls. But I would never trust her to go downstairs by herself, even though two hours later, I was just slipping my hand on her collar, and not continuously pulling her back to prevent her from falling. I doubt she would go downstairs by herself if nobody's down there, but I would worry about her trying to get downstairs by herself when the person's downstairs. So I would definitely recommend a baby gate at the top of the stairs for her, and then of course assist her when going downstairs. Tara went to sniff Samson�s toy basket and I removed it before she got hold of any toys. I did find a new lick granuloma on Tara tonight, I think she got that at Samson�s house when she was really nervous right after she fell from the stairs this morning.
Tara attacked Samson again last night. I was watching TV in the livingroom, and the two dogs were sleeping by my feet, and Anastasia came and jumped on me wanting some attention. Samson then came and tried to jump up on me to get to the cat (he has done this many times before). I was trying to hold on to Anastasia with one hand and fend off Samson with the other hand (he's low to the ground but is 65 pounds). He did that for maybe 3 minutes, then suddenly Tara attacked him. He submitted immediately, while I put down Anastasia and pried Tara away from him. My guess is that he probably stepped on Tara several times while he tried to jump on me. After Tara spent five minutes in the bathroom as timeout, they were back to minding their own business.
This morning we stopped by Samson�s house so I could drop him off and also for us to take a nice morning walk in his neighborhood. When I walked toward the stairs, Tara seemed to know that I was ready to train her again and she sat down in the dinning room. But finally today I remembered to get some dog treats and lured her for the stairs training today. It worked really well (since she�s food motivated) and it took less coaxing from me. She still runs up the stairs pretty much by herself and has no problem with that, but I still had to hold on to her collar when coming down, and it was a good thing I did too, because she did slip a couple times.
This morning we were at Samson�s house again. This time, Tara definitely did not hesitate when she knew we were about to start the stairs training (my walking toward the stairs and turning back to see if she�s following me). Once again I got a handful of treats in my hand and the other hand holding onto her collar while we were walking down. She immediately put her paws on the stairs and started walking down (did not hesitate at the top of the stairs either). I didn�t even have to give her a treat while we were on the stairs, but I just �jackpot� her at the bottom of the stairs. I think Tara is really associating treats with the stairs now. Walking up stairs is no problem, but I still do walk right behind her just to be safe, and it�s a good thing I did because she did slip once while going up the stairs today (did not fall down the stairs, just one paw slipped). We practiced several times today, and near the end of the visit, when I grabbed the treats and started walking toward the stairs, Tara got really excited and actually ran ahead of me and started walking down, and I had to quickly grab her collar so she won�t walk down by herself.
This morning we again went on our one-mile walk around Samson�s neighborhood. I think Tara enjoys this walk more than she does of our walk on the streets near our apartment complex. She walks faster when walking in Samson�s quiet neighborhood, and there are lots of trees (which means shades � even though it�s cooler now anyways, and the occasional squirrels and birds), and overall she just seems happier. And I don�t know what it is, but both Tara and Samson sleep more after our walk in Samson�s neighborhood, versus after our walks on the streets near my apartment complex (both walks we do the same distance).
After the walk, we left Samson at his house for the day and Tara and I drove back to my apartment, before I went to school. And in the afternoon, I will go pick up Samson and then go home to my apartment.
We were at Samson�s house again this morning, and Tara did not shy away when I started walking toward the stairs and went to get her to walk down the stairs with me. I had treats in one of my hands, and my other hand was holding onto Tara�s collar. At first she was a little uncertain, and would stop every few steps, so I would keep encouraging her and give her a treat every three or four steps. We practiced several times going up and down the stairs. Then near the end of the visit, I decided to do �jackpot� with the stairs training. I grabbed a handful of treats, still giving her one treat every five or six steps (that ends up being 2 or 3 treats while she�s on the stairs), and give her a whole lot of treats at the bottom of the stairs (�jackpot� on the floor at the bottom of the stairs). Tara was so excited seeing all those treats at one time. I think that boosted her motivation a lot. We practiced one more time with �jackpot� and I think with it, she started to see the stairs as a good thing, instead of fearing it or dreading having to practice walking on it.
Samson and Tara and I continue to meet different dogs on our walks (both at my apartment complex and at Samson�s neighborhood), some are leashed some were loose, and both of them have done really well meeting new dogs (Samson gets really excited seeing people and dogs, and that scares some of them, but he�s just really friendly!).
I am taping Tara�s lick granuloma during the day when I�m not at home to watch her, and remove the wrapping at night to let it air out. So far it�s dried out and there�s a scab over it.