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When going down the stairs, my Corgi puppy will sometimes get so excited to get to the end that she jumps from the second-to-last step all the way to the ground.

Since this breed is prone to hip problems, I don't want her to keep doing this. Is there any way to train her to take every step without skipping?

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  • Jumping the last two is going to put strain on the front legs not back
    – paparazzo
    Aug 27, 2016 at 10:10

2 Answers 2

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You can try putting her in the situation with treats and a leash. Take her down the stairs on the leash very slowly but without choking her and give her a treat when she goes down the stairs properly. If you can't get her to stop skipping stairs, you could try putting a soft mat at the bottom to brace her fall.

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You need to give her a compelling reason to not jump off of the steps. She isn't going to be nearly as interested in listening to you tell her to slow down as she is going to be to get out in the yard and smell things. You have to be the bigger incentive.

So I'd get a high value treat and put her on a leash. I'd get her to the last couple of steps and stop her. Get her to look at you and give her the treat. You can repeat this on the way back up the steps as well, still stopping on the bottom two.

By doing this, you're creating a really nice association with slowing down or stopping on the bottom couple of steps. Then when she goes down them on her own, the thought of the treat that going to that step associates in her mind might cause her to slow enough no to jump. It'll probably take multiple repetitions.

It might also help to play a little before you go outside to knock that edge off her energy. Good luck.

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