Golden Retriever Puppy Saves Himself From A Tumble Down The Stairs In Adorable Clip
Imagine all the new skills puppies are expected to master within mere months of being born — potty training, sleeping in a crate, dropping items on command, responding to their names being called, resisting delicious-smelling human foods, and playing gently without biting, to name just a few. And then there's walking up and down stairs. It hardly seems like a challenging skill, and yet amusing videos showing puppies and dogs losing the battle against the stairs are all over the internet.
Finley is one such clumsy canine still working on the skill. In an adorable video on TikTok, the golden retriever puppy sits at the top of the stairs, seeming calm but determined, then heads down looking purposeful. After a few steps, his floofy paws slip, and he almost takes a major tumble, but he catches himself in time.
@finleysgoldendays It's a work in progress 😊
Viewers of the video offered praise and encouragement to the plucky pup. "Hey, we've all been there! Don't give up!" wrote one, while another commented, "Slow and steady, Finley! You'll be barreling down those steps with ease in no time!!🐾💛" One netizen offered this opinion: "A for effort!!!"
Training a puppy to walk up and down stairs
When puppies are climbing stairs for the first time, each step can seem extremely tall in comparison to the dogs' short heights. Stairs without carpeting — like the ones in the TikTok video — can be slippery for fluffy puppy paws, especially since most puppies have poor coordination. Learning to go down stairs can be more challenging than learning to go up, since the vertical drop isn't as obvious.
The TikTok account of a corgi puppy named Winston Potato commented, "I'm learning the stairs too! Going down is hard and scary but up is a breeze!" and the account of a golden retriever puppy named Archie shared, "I don't go down the stairs yet either. I prefer to be ✨carried✨." To teach a puppy to use stairs, patience and high-value treats are the keys. Begin by teaching the dog to go up, using a treat placed on each ascending step. After a puppy has mastered going up, teach the doggo to go down stairs by starting with the second-lowest step and gradually progressing to higher and higher steps. Always keep training sessions short and fun, and be sure to use positive reinforcement.
Want to see other puppies who are learning new skills, just like sweet little Finley? Check out this German shepherd puppy learning how to "play dead," and this golden retriever puppy whose first training session leaves her adorably exhausted.