Here is the latest Handsome George dilemma.

He goes up stairs especially to follow CorgiBear. But our stairs in the house are carpeted and as he can mosey up them, he will not on his own, go back down. Handsome George was born 9/17/07, and we brought him home on 1/22/08. So he is 4 months and change. CorgiBear came home at about 3 months. She always tried the steps and yea there were some funny moments but I do not remember having to carry her down after being home a week. One of the first things I worked on with here were stairs.

So I will assist HGeorge down the stairs, I sit in front gently grab front paws and place them on a step, I than grab back paws and let them down on the same step of course he is sitting sideways at this point on the step and receives a Charlie Bear. We do this shuffle slowing down all steps. Lots of praise and CharlieBears follow.

He can get up stairs but now down the inside steps. Now he does navigate the outside four brick steps without hesitation or need of a CharlieBear. Can the inside steps be steeper, they are also longer. I try to get CorgiBear to join us and she will wait a few steps down but does lose interest in the process and bounces gleefully down the rest of the steps and stairs back at us. I was hoping he would follow CorgiBear......

Any ideas.

Also, if given the chance HGeorge loves to lounge around instead of play. He and CorgiBear run around outside chasing and playing with each other, and sometimes in the house, but more often than not, HGeorge can be found on the bed lounging.

I feel he is a lazy little guy, which each dog is different. However, I will not be able to carry a 24 lb boy dog down the stairs in the next year.

Any ideas on step training would be appreciated?

CorgiBear did not require this much work.