10 Best Dog Gates For Stairs
Buy the best 10 best dog gates for stairs selected and recommended by interior designers. By Peyton Robinson.
Dog gates for stairs, keep your playful pups from getting into rooms where you don't want them. They also come in handy for dogs that have trouble climbing stairs, so they don't hurt themselves. In hinged and retractable models, they are easy to install, easy to use, and a simple and elegant way to keep your dog safe, and keep them confined to specific area of the house.
10 Best Dog Gates For Stairs
Buying Guide
Peyton Robinson
Interior Design Expert
From fancy feeding stations to designer crate furniture, Peyton knows how to ensure comfort to your furry companion without compromising on the aesthetics of your home.
Puppies, like young humans, can often negotiate going up steps but not be able to come back down them safely. A tumble down a long stair, especially if concrete or metal is involved, can result in serious injury to a young dog – just as it might to a human child. Older dogs who are blind or infirm could also get hurt falling down a stairway.
A dog gate for stairs can have multiple uses. Its primary purpose is to prevent a dog or dogs from going up or down the stairs. It can also be to restrain dogs and keep them on a patio or balcony, providing the dog is not large enough to jump the gate. Such restraints are mostly needed for puppies who might not be able to negotiate steps or for older dogs who might be visually or physically impaired.
Baby gates are similar to dog gates but have some distinguishing features, such as having latches that resist small hands with opposable thumbs, bars spaced so that a human baby cannot insert his or her head between them. A baby gate will not need to be resistant to chewing by sharp teeth, whereas a dog gate might need that feature.
The type of gate that might be most effective for you will depend, in part, on the breed of puppy. For example, a fairly light gate can be used to restrain a chihuahua or toy poodle size breed, but the slats or mesh will need to be fine to keep the babies from poking their heads through and causing themselves harm. Larger breeds, such as shepherds, malamutes, St. Bernards or great Danes will need something sturdier to prevent them from pushing it over or aside. By the same token, they will not require as narrow a slat or as small a mesh as a smaller breed because their heads will be larger.
This is another area where the breed of dog will matter. Free-standing barriers might be sufficient for very small dogs or small puppies. However, they can be pushed aside by adult dogs, even some of the smaller breeds. Scotties, for example, are quite strong. Hinged gates that are firmly attached to a wall are less likely to give way under determined pushing or when impacted by rough and tumble play.
Puppies chew, and so do older dogs who are nervous. A dachshund can be a ripper/shredder on four stubby little legs when left alone, for example. They can make short work of upholstery or the plastic mesh in a dog gate. Metal bars are often a better choice than plastic or wood for dogs with strong teeth – which can be your cute puppy more quickly than you might imagine!
Doggie gates for stairs come in many designer shapes and colors, but the best one for you is the one that will keep your beloved companion safe from an unfortunate tumble.