How to train your dog to mount escalators quickly and safely?

Traveling with a dog in the city is stressful for many dog owners. One of the reasons may be the fear of riding escalators. If the dog is not accustomed to them since young age, he can have issue with it as an adult. Even in the case that your dog aces it, it’s necessary to be careful.

When moving around the city, whether it’s the city public transport or shopping malls, where dogs are usually allowed today, most dogs will inevitably encounter escalators. Overcoming the escalators, as well as any other barriers that are unnatural for our four-legged canine sidekicks, can oftentimes be an issue. An escalator still constitutes an obstacle for the dog, that he can learn to overcome. However, it’s necessary to gradually get him used to it first. The movement on escalators will then be safe and won’t stress you or him.

If you have a little puppy that you’d like to get used to the city environment and travelling from an early age, you won’t be able to avoid an escalator. But first, consider if the dog is not too small, so that it was not dangerous for him or that it wouldn’t cause him an unnecessary bock for a lifetime. You can always take a little puppy in your arms or put it in a dog bag. The advantage of that is, that he will get familiar with the noise the escalator makes without being confronted with boarding and exiting from the escalator.

As soon as the dog masters the basic commands and walking on a leash, it’s the right time to set out for training. First, you need to select a less noisy and shorter escalator, on which he is not threatened by an injury and which are not too busy. Before you start to practice the riding itself, make sure that the dog’s collar is well fastened. Chasing an animal around a station vestibule is an experience that you should rather avoid, trust me:). Pick such a leash that will allow your dog to freely move by your foot, but at the same time, he won’t be able to run away from you.

Gradually make the dog familiar with escalators. Head towards the escalator, but don’t rush anywhere. The dog doesn’t have to keep directly at your foot, let him choose his own pace. Once the dog sees the stairs and starts to slow down, motivate him with treats. Make one or two steps and then repeat the whole action several times from the beginning. Combine it with several basic commands and reward him. Don’t push the dog to board the escalator and give him enough time to get to know the environment.

Board the escalator only when the dog isn’t afraid to come close. Board it at the same time together with your dog. It may happen that the dog will stop at the last minute. In such case, it’s better to repeat the whole boarding ritual from the beginning. As soon as you succeed in boarding and both you and your dog are on the escalator :), immediately reward him and praise him. Don't be afraid to overdo it a little. The dog needs to learn, that all this is connected with a positive experience and master’s joy.

When the dog already manages to ride the escalator, you can command him to sit. Pay attention not only to the tail, to prevent the hairs from getting in between the stairs, but also to the whole of the paws and claws. When exiting, loosen the dog’s leash a little bit. As soon as the last stairs approach, my dog literally rushes off and he could unnecessarily hurt his neck, if I held him on too short of a leash. Although most dogs can handle exiting from the escalators much more elegantly, it does not hurt to think about it:).

Finally, only a couple of personal tips. Prepare a lot of treats. Rather train in two, ask one of your friends, ideally a dog owner. Prepare more time for it. There are dogs who won’t have any issue with it and you’ll be able to make it to the train to your grandma. But others will need more time to get used to it. If they can handle escalators, they can do almost anything:).

How was your first ride with a dog on an escalator? Can he handle it without greater trouble or do you prefer taking the stairs? Have you got any proven tips that you’d like to share?

 

Related articles

History of the domestic cat I.

Did you know that the domestic cat which is now kept as a pet all over the world, is probably a domesticated form of the wild cat, specifically of its subspecies the African wildcat, European wildcat and Asiatic wildcat?

What do cats have under their fur or cat's anatomy

Cat is a perfect tool for hunting. It owes it to the dozens of years of evolution. While in dogs, their physical signs have been emphasised or suppressed, cats got to keep, apart from several exceptions, their main anatomical features unchanged. In...

How to behave at dog playgrounds

It's no longer a strange thing when a municipality sets up a dog park or a dog playground. Due to frequent regulation of off-leash movement of dogs, this should, however, often be obligatory. Do you know how to behave in such places so that you...

How to travel safely with a dog in the car

Vacation time is finally here and many of us are planning where they will be headed this year. If you decide to go for an adventure by car and to take your dog friend with you as well, a bit of advice might come in handy on how to provide safety for...

How to teach a dog to swim

Of course that we won’t talk about how to teach a dog the swimming technique. We want to talk about how to teach the dog to get used to water and how to make swimming a positive experience for it. Since not every one of them trusts water and some are...

How to choose the right equipment for a cat

If you’re planning to bring a new addition home and it doesn’t matter whether it’s a kitten or an adult cat, it is necessary to prepare the flat for it as well. Do you know what will the animal need and what you shouldn’t forget about or how to choose...

First aid for poisoning - Pesticides

No matter how thorough we are with the prevention, a situation might come up when a dog or a cat will get to a poisonous thing, whether it’s by our inattention or it's somebody else’s fault. That’s why it’s not off-topic to prepare yourself for the...