Jumping onto beds/sofas

Dylan can jump onto beds/sofas no problem. Bailey can do it too but she always seems hesitant (it can take her a few tries) and would rather wait for someone to pick her up. I always put it down to her being a little madam but now that she has been diagnosed with SM I am wondering if maybe it is uncomfortable for her to jump? She also hates jumping off my bed onto the laminate flooring.

Anyone else had this experience?

I have stools by the sofas and beds to try and assist both of them. I used to have a rescue Persian which had very short legs, so I suppose its habit on my part not to let an animal jump on and off high furniture. Molly has sm as well as a few other joint issues. I carry her up and downstairs. I don't want Molly jumping as I am worried it will make things worse. She is quite funny now, she waits with her front legs on the bottom step of the stairs waiting to be picked up.

sorry I lost part of my message: I wouldn't let Bailey jump on or off the furniture, I feel it would be very uncomfortable. Perhaps a rug by the bed might help to stop any slipping.

If a youngish dog is reluctant to jump up or down from furniture then I would assume it is uncomfortable for them to do so.

One of the first things to alert some owners of SM cavaliers to the problem has been their dog's refusal to jump.

My three cavaliers all use steps up to my sofa, and on to my bed, although Tommy on a good day can sometimes jump on a chair unaided.

The three chins with joint trouble will also use the steps, the others hop on & off quite effortlessly.

Riley, who has SM, is the same way. She can jump on some chairs and sofas but it takes her awhile to do it. She will circle to get up the momentum so I always try to help her up. She will sometimes just stand in front of a chair or sofa and wait to be picked up, kind of like Molly. My other three just leap up without a problems so I am sure that it is the SM that is causing it. I also bought stairs for her to use to get up on the bed and a higher sofa and she uses them every time without a problem. It's so cute to see her go up them, plus she's little, only weighing 12 pounds at the most. I also try to put her on the floor to minimize her jumping. The only places I let her jump off of are the low sofa and chairs in our family room.

Thanks for the advice. I will inform the rest of my family members that they now need to help Bailey up and down from high places. I feel bad now as we always thought she was being just a little princess.

She also will usually trip when she is running up the stairs. I am now putting that down to her SM as well

Chaos is just the same with the bed, definitely its the SM, she can manage it better now she is on the steroids, but usually I will lift her up if she is just standing looking at it. I now find that she doesn't want to spend the night there though and usually gets off and lies on the carpet because she can lie on her side on that. Maybe she finds it difficult to lie on her side on the soft duvet. She was having problems with the stairs but that is fine now.

I would definitely invest in steps for the bed. I bought some last year because Casey would not jump either, and now she comes and goes as she pleases.

jacies said:

I now find that she doesn't want to spend the night there though and usually gets off and lies on the carpet because she can lie on her side on that. Maybe she finds it difficult to lie on her side on the soft duvet.

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Some SM dogs can also have real problems when they get too hot. Two of mine seek out cold hard surfaces, Tommy likes the shower tray, Matthew will sometimes lie out on wet cold concrete.
Both sleep on the wood floor rather than a dog bed or blanket.

Ruby will have days when she does and days when she doesnt.
If shes had a busy day she tends to ache more I think and will usually end up helping her up and down things but more often than not she will be fine with anything she wants to do.

Adding to what Margart said she will often seek out cold floors when the weather is hot or the heating is on in the house!!

Regarding stairs, Riely's neurologist said he did not want Riley climbing up and down stairs. She has serious imbalance problems and he was afraid she might trip and fall on her head on the stairs. So I just keep a gate up and carry her up and down.