Hi again:)
I'm wondering if it will be a problem for Snorre to live in an apartment with quite a lot of steps? When deerhounds are puppies they are not aloud to walk in steps (I carried Snorre until he was 30 kg...), but how is it for adult deerhounds? I know it will be a challenge if new puppies arrive...

Hi, we kept Storm downstairs as a pup and because we were so vigilant about no stairs found it quite a hinderance out on walks, at a friends house (who had steps down to their house) etc - so had to teach him steps at nearly a year old - we started off with a couple of steps out on a walk at the shops and built it up slowly, he was very nervous in the house about coming down (he managed to SAS crawl himself up ok due to the excitement of being allowed in the humans bedroom to sleep at last) but we had several mornings of "you grab the back half and I'll take the front" to get him down again - he's fine now though - but always careful - I'd say get Snorre in the habit asap and he'll be fine, as for new pups, my friend had a DH pup that always used the stairs from day one and his feet/legs are exactly like Storms - no apparent harm done and he's much more relaxed about stairs as a result.... Good Luck x

Thank you very much for answering:) I wonder why the breeder stressed the "no walking in steps" so much, if it's not that dangerous...?? I can promise you that many had a good laugh when I carried my 30 kg "baby" up and down steep steps:laugh:

Love the profile picture Lene!

Why aren't DH's allowed to do stairs, I know they can pull muscles coming down steep house stairs somtimes, but can't see a problem going up? Unless someone else is going to offer an explanation?

Ours are always running up and down. As soon as they could manage it as pups I didn't think to worry about it. My friend had problems last year at the breed show because her bitch couldn't/wouldn't do the stairs and wouldn't go in the lift.

It's so strange that this often is the first thing you hear when you buy a deerhound! Who has come up with this, if it's not true???

Hi that was one of the first things our lurcher taught our deerhound blue to do and he taught brodie (four month old) our new pup, along with how to open doors so look out nothing is safe now

The issue is longer term back damage. All long backed dogs are at risk. Minimise their exposure and make them walk delicately (!) not bound about. Puppies don't hurt themselves but later on in life...

50kg with spondilitus (sp?) etc is no fun for anyone.

There you go...I thought it was more to jarring the joints and growth plates. Ours have always used stairs but we made sure they used them gently. Now half the time they just jump up the 4" wall rather than using the steps

Mind you I did all the preventative stuff with Atticus and here he is with spondalitus and cauda equinus and all the rest. Fine on the trot but the ups and downs make him a grumpus!

Reading with interest the different vets and countries feelings of human vs K9 meds. I am grateful to have a vet who is extremely pragmatic about such things. Lucky for me both of mine who are regularly medicated just happen to be prescribed and responding to something I take as well. Gotta love the PBS in Australia.

I don't think I would worry too much about Snorre as long as there isn't slippery wooden stairs.
My silly dh didn't seem to realize that she shouldn't do stairs and has since a pup. Even at Fernhill where 7 other dogs ignore & avoid the stairs, once in a while she will head up the wooden stairs where she will go & test all the beds in the house. I do worry about her on the way down- she did slip once and I had to try to catch her. I usually stand facing her to make sure she doesn't slip. At home our stairs are carpeted so there's no issue I just keep the stairs blocked most of the time because of her love of unmaking beds and climbing under the covers. I do want her to be comfortable on stairs as she has to go up for a bath/shower occasionally.
I'm sure it will work out for you. Good Luck.

We don't let our youngsters use the stairs either for the same reasons as Brollochan says.
Jarring of immature joints and growth plates on large, heavy breeds is best avoided if at all
possible.

I live in a 1st floor flat so my guys have had no option but to go up and down! Never had any probs with joints or anything else they pose no prob!

It's just what we were advised, as novice Deerhound owners, and we have stuck to it. I don't
know if it makes a difference or not because I haven't let them use the stairs. I suppose
going up is less stress on the limbs than coming down and one would have to make sure a
Deerhound doesn't bound down the stairs.

We were also told not to road walk youngsters because of the jarring and stress on young limbs.
Again it might not make any difference but I wouldn't like to test it out.

If one lives in a flat or apartment one doesn't have much choice in the matter. I think the
key is to make them use the stairs at a steady pace.