# Stairs next to the bed?



## LamborghiniGirl

Hi everyone,

I am still new here, and am not sure the best way to use the search function! I do not have a Maltese yet, but would like to get a good idea of how to train my future puppy.

I am under the impression from what I have read so far that at first, crate training is best, usually on the nightstand, with supervised puppy pad times, and eventually, once the puppy is trained, they can sleep in bed with you (correct me if i'm wrong!)

So, my bed is pretty high off the ground. When the time comes my puppy would sleep in bed with me, are there stairs I can get that you all recommend so he/she could get down in the middle of the night to pee? Or should they be able to hold it until morning? I just would never want them to jump!

Sidenote: in terms of searching the forums, I can't seem to find any threads about this- I try searching 'bed' 'stairs' etc. and nothing comes up. What am I doing wrong?


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## LJSquishy

If you decide you want your Maltese to sleep with you once they are housetrained, that is fine, but yes, you will want to purchase some stairs for them to get up/down from the bed.

I choose to not let London sleep with my husband and I because I personally think it teaches them bad habits (like lashing back if you decide not to let them sleep w/ you for one night). I also like crate training because it gives them a safe, consistant place for them to sleep if you plan on travelling at all.


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## Carole

*We LOVE having our babies sleep with us. :wub: Crate training did not work for me and I trained my girls by using a playpen on wheels and having them by me constantly during those weeks. When they used the pad in the playpen they got some free play time out of it and a treat. It didn't take them long to realize that using the pee pad=reward.... and was what mommy wanted. Some love and swear by crate training though. It just wasn't for us. 

My husband built a custom ramp that wraps around the foot of our bed so our girls could get up and down at night as needed. (I will attach a picture)...and yes they are spoiled. 
Our girls have never had a bed accident and it sure is a relief to me not to worry if they need to "go". :thumbsup: They just get up and down from the bed whenever they need to go use the pad in the master bathroom.

There are fairly inexpensive stairs you can also purchase to help your baby get up and down off the bed. 

Here is the ramp my husband built.
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*A messy looking Krista... sitting at top of ramp*


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## luvmyfurbaby

QUOTE (Carole @ Apr 20 2009, 12:30 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=765097


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> Here is the ramp my husband built.
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> *A messy looking Krista... sitting at top of ramp*[/B]



That is a gorgeous ramp but weren't they scared going up and down on it at first it looks steep? Your hubby should sell some of those!! My bed is tall also so what I did was to get stairs with three steps and put them against a dressing bench that is on the foot of my bed. They go up the stairs then hop on the bench then hop on the bed. But wait until they are fully potty trained!


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## Carole

QUOTE (LuvMyFurbaby @ Apr 19 2009, 09:54 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=765099


> That is a gorgeous ramp but weren't they scared going up and down on it at first it looks steep? Your hubby should sell some of those!! My bed is tall also so what I did was to get stairs with three steps and put them against a dressing bench that is on the foot of my bed. They go up the stairs then hop on the bench then hop on the bed. But wait until they are fully potty trained![/B]


Thanks. He did a nice job.....but the process took way to long :smpullhair: to make more than one. 
He has since made half way side rail (safety rails) for each side of the bed....out of the same type spindles. At first we had baby/children plastic side rails on each side of the bed....but it looked kinda bad.....so he matched them up with the ramp. (Can you tell we cater to our fur-kids?) :biggrin: 
The ramp isn't as steep as the picture makes it appear...they caught onto it within fifteen minutes of setting it up. They weren't afraid at all and seemed to think it was fun to go up and down. Besides Bella could use the exercise. :biggrin: 
Yes, I do agree to wait until you are sure they are trained to have them sleep with you! :thumbsup: 

I think us fur-kid parents get pretty creative when it comes to helping our fur-kids and adapting our lives to their needs. :sLo_grouphug3:


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## Carole

*LamborghiniGirl....I did a search and here are some threads on bed stairs that hopefully might be helpful. :thumbsup: *

http://spoiledmaltese.com/forum/index.php?...8&hl=stairs

http://spoiledmaltese.com/forum/index.php?...8&hl=stairs

http://spoiledmaltese.com/forum/index.php?...t=0&start=0

http://spoiledmaltese.com/forum/index.php?...7&hl=stairs


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## LamborghiniGirl

thanks for all of the replies everyone! those links definitely helped  

so, is there anyone who doesn't use stairs? and their dogs just lasts all night without waking you up to go pee-pee? or is that unrealistic...


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## chico

QUOTE (LamborghiniGirl @ Apr 20 2009, 08:56 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=765169


> thanks for all of the replies everyone! those links definitely helped
> 
> so, is there anyone who doesn't use stairs? and their dogs just lasts all night without waking you up to go pee-pee? or is that unrealistic...[/B]


Chico holds his wee wee all night. I usually give him a walk before bed around 9:30 or 10 pm. Then he is good till 730 AM. I generally pick up his water bowl after the last wee wee of the night.


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## SicilianRose

QUOTE (Carole @ Apr 20 2009, 12:30 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=765097


> *We LOVE having our babies sleep with us. :wub: Crate training did not work for me and I trained my girls by using a playpen on wheels and having them by me constantly during those weeks. When they used the pad in the playpen they got some free play time out of it and a treat. It didn't take them long to realize that using the pee pad=reward.... and was what mommy wanted. Some love and swear by crate training though. It just wasn't for us.
> 
> My husband built a custom ramp that wraps around the foot of our bed so our girls could get up and down at night as needed. (I will attach a picture)...and yes they are spoiled.
> Our girls have never had a bed accident and it sure is a relief to me not to worry if they need to "go". :thumbsup: They just get up and down from the bed whenever they need to go use the pad in the master bathroom.
> 
> There are fairly inexpensive stairs you can also purchase to help your baby get up and down off the bed.
> 
> Here is the ramp my husband built.
> *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *A messy looking Krista... sitting at top of ramp*[/B]



That ramp is gorgeous!!! He should patent the design and have an outside source build them. I know I would buy one. 

LG- I got my stairs from GW little. http://www.gwlittle.com/SearchResult.aspx?Keywords=stairs


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## The A Team

I had a friend build steps for the kids. They always use them, I just wish they were alittle wider now.
[attachment=51467uppysteps2.jpg]


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## njdrake

QUOTE (Carole @ Apr 20 2009, 12:30 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=765097


> *We LOVE having our babies sleep with us. :wub: Crate training did not work for me and I trained my girls by using a playpen on wheels and having them by me constantly during those weeks. When they used the pad in the playpen they got some free play time out of it and a treat. It didn't take them long to realize that using the pee pad=reward.... and was what mommy wanted. Some love and swear by crate training though. It just wasn't for us.
> 
> My husband built a custom ramp that wraps around the foot of our bed so our girls could get up and down at night as needed. (I will attach a picture)...and yes they are spoiled.
> Our girls have never had a bed accident and it sure is a relief to me not to worry if they need to "go". :thumbsup: They just get up and down from the bed whenever they need to go use the pad in the master bathroom.
> 
> There are fairly inexpensive stairs you can also purchase to help your baby get up and down off the bed.
> 
> Here is the ramp my husband built.
> *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *A messy looking Krista... sitting at top of ramp*[/B]



WOW! That's the most beautiful ramp I've seen and I'd love to have one like it! I have steps to my bed and Tess uses them but Zoey won't. I think she'd use a ramp like that. You tell your husband he does so pretty impressive work!!


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## Hunter's Mom

Hunter sleeps with us and we don't have stairs and the bed is too high for him to jump and he knows it! We adopted him from the pound so we had him spend his first week in a crate to make sure he was really potty trained and when we was 5 days dry in the morning my hubby insisted that we stop the crate (hubby hates crate training - I have always had my animals sleep in them) which we did. Hunter goes out between 8 and 9:30pm and then gets up anywhere from 7am to 9am depending on whose still in bed and whether he is awake.

However, once he goes to the bathroom for the last time he goes right up to bed and gets a little water from the coffee mug we keep there for that purpose but that's it - no free access to the water bowl.

Hope that helps!


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## Hunter's Mom

Hunter sleeps with us and we don't have stairs and the bed is too high for him to jump and he knows it! We adopted him from the pound so we had him spend his first week in a crate to make sure he was really potty trained and when we was 5 days dry in the morning my hubby insisted that we stop the crate (hubby hates crate training - I have always had my animals sleep in them) which we did. Hunter goes out between 8 and 9:30pm and then gets up anywhere from 7am to 9am depending on whose still in bed and whether he is awake.

However, once he goes to the bathroom for the last time he goes right up to bed and gets a little water from the coffee mug we keep there for that purpose but that's it - no free access to the water bowl.

Hope that helps!


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## Missy&Maggie

My two are crate trained, but now sleep with me every night. I do have stairs as I would never want them to jump from my bed. Mine have slept in bed with me while traveling without steps. I prefer for them to have the steps, though.

These are the steps my girls have: http://www.gwlittle.com/prod/Dental-Care--...tairs_1675.aspx


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## k/c mom

Carole ... that ramp is a work of art!! Amazing!!!!

When it was time for a new bed for me I got the low profile box springs and frame so my bed is very low. Kallie jumps on and off easily. Catcher could do it but he doesn't know he can, so I just put him up there at night and he doesn't need to pee until the morning. Kallie will sometimes get up with me in the middle of the night and both us gals go together!


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## Carole

QUOTE (K/C Mom @ Apr 20 2009, 03:47 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=765448


> Carole ... that ramp is a work of art!! Amazing!!!!
> 
> When it was time for a new bed for me I got the low profile box springs and frame so my bed is very low. Kallie jumps on and off easily. Catcher could do it but he doesn't know he can, so I just put him up there at night and he doesn't need to pee until the morning. Kallie will sometimes get up with me in the middle of the night and both us gals go together![/B]


LOL....on you and Kallie....Bella has this thing of running to her pad to pee if I am sitting on the toilet. So Bella and I share bathroom time too. All I can say is I guess it is a girl thing. :biggrin: 

Thank you for the compliment on the ramp. We wanted a ramp...but to make it long enough for a gradual decline it would stick to far out in the room if placed straight out from the side of the bed. Hubby came up with the idea of WRAPPING (curving) it around the foot of the bed as you see. I think the idea of wrapping is PERFECT. Perhaps a manufacturer could come up with the same pattern even if it had to made more cheaply. When I look at stairs....they don't look so easy for most of our short legged Maltese to me. I also liked that Dave made rails on the ramp for safety. 
I should have my husband take a picture of our (side of the bed) safety rails for the girls....that match the ramp. I will bug him tomorrow. :biggrin:


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## Hunter's Mom

Hunter always comes into the bathroom with me too no matter what I am doing. Seems like a lady can't get any privacy these days


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