Last week we hit St Marks Summit again, but unfortunately this we were hit with crowds everywhere (our previous hikes up here had very little people)! So this weekend our goal was an uncrowded hike with breathtaking views. We decided to try a new hike that starts at Buntzen Lake -Eagle Ridge or Swan Falls Loop/Lindsay Lake Loop.
Having a hiking dog really keeps you outdoors
She always stays really close when we are on trails
Buntzen Lake from the North Beach
We went up (2) and down (1)
We got to the parking lot super early (8am for us) as we knew we would be fighting sunset times if we took breaks. Surprisingly, a large amount of people also start hiking at 8am on a Saturday morning in March so it was busy for the first section around Lake Buntzen. We knew most people would be doing the Diez Vista hike (a nice one, but we were going higher!) or trail around Buntzen Lake. By the way, I’ve never seen so many warnings around dogs (where to go, where not to go), as well as warnings about hiking in general. I can understand when Buntzen lake is very busy that dogs should be kept to the dog-beach (there were summer days when the lake was “full” and you get turned around) but everyone we saw had their dogs off-leash in this non-busy season
The trail around the lake is very flat and easy
A crazy amount of warnings awaits us.
The first section from south to north beach
early morning at the lake
Pose? ok I’ll pose
artifacts people have found and placed for other to see
evidence of logging in the past
At the turn off to the Halvor Lunden- Eagle Ridge Trail, we were finally alone and looking up a very very high mountain (are we really doing this?). The climb is neither difficult nor technical, just long and the markers are pretty easy to follow though there are some sections where you must climb over a fallen log. It should take 2-4 hours for the 3km, 1150m altitude climb and this is by far the longest section. Please be careful if there is bad weather as it seems there lots of people that need to be rescued here.
the turn off for the higher trails with lots of warnings
investigating
Up up up we go
The trails were easier than we thought
A couple optional rope sections
waiting for our group to catch up
it feels like we’ve been doing this awhile now!
snack time
starting to see some peeps
Fantastic trails here
We met no one on the way up
a cat-nap while we wait for the group
oh we are so close!
we pass a couple frozen ponds
very little snow this year, sometimes it looks like this in July
I can almost taste my upcoming sandwich…
the last hump, you see the peak there?
The peak is beautiful and a great place to eat, rest up, and soak in the sun. After an easy cruise along the ridges’ high forests, you have a choice between a walk around some lakes, or a panoramic view-point walk. We were advised by a friendly forestry hiker we met that the viewpoint walk was a little longer, but nicer compared to the muddier lake walk so we took in the views.
Mt Baker on this clear day
on top of Mt Beautiful
heading through the ridge
my dog glows!
sometimes we would get lost if we just followed Whiskey
what an amazing day
more panoramic views
You can see downtown,Richmond, the Island, etc
Whiskey always runs ahead to the cliff and looks down
I sort of think she appreciates the view too!
By the time we started the decent, the sun was sinking lower and we picked up our feet so we could get back to the car before they shut the gates at 6pm (gate times are posted as you enter). The decent down the south park is less steep and easier on the knees. The hike took us a total of 10 hours at a pretty leisurely pace.
So within the span of a couple months I decided to rescue my cat, Moo, and fly home a puppy- Whiskey. I went from never having pets to being surrounded by fur. We purposefully picked up a cat-like dog (Vizslas are supposed to be cat-like) and dog-like cat (Moo was advertised as very dog-like in personality). Here are my personal perspectives on owning a dog vs a cat
dog-Whiskey
cat-Moo
Training
-both are equally trainable to DO something. Moo is crazy for food, just as much as Whiskey is so training them both was pretty easy. Both have great recall, sit, lie down, paw, roll over, and go where I point (up, down, etc). I just spend more time training Whiskey because it’s more useful and she doesn’t make you bleed when she is frustrated.
-it seems impossible to train my cat NOT to do something. With a dog, it’s still difficult because you may not always be able to control the situation (ie, Whiskey barks when she is playing with other dogs) but Vizslas generally want to please you. On the other hand, my cat completely understands she’s not allowed to do something, but doesn’t really care about what you’d like. You need a strong enough incentive for her not to do something bad at ALL times, and we’ve so far not found that incentive yet (water spray, loud noises, scruffing, bitter taste, double sided tape, etc).
try to train a cat not to escape….
training recall on the long line
Ease of Toilet
-Cats are so much easier to potty train and you don’t need to walk them outside in the middle of the night, in the pouring rain when they need to do their business. In most cases, cats come trained and kittens learn by copying mom. Of course, you still need to buy and clean litter in most cases (we are trying to train Moo to use the human toilet so we are past the litter stage), but it’s generally easier than picking up dog poop and carrying it around until you see a garbage. -It took about 3 months to fully housebreak Whiskey and we’ve trained her now to ring a bell, but when she needs to go in new situations or if we leave her for long periods of time, it’s still sometimes tricky.
Moo using her toilet
Boarding
-Whiskey is actually easier to board, surprisingly. She’s really sweet and will listen to others, recalling without issues and doesn’t tend to rummage through and eat everything in sight
-Moo is only trained to me and people she knows (her recall is usually only to me) and she’s so sneaky she’s able to get everywhere she’s not supposed to go (eg: the windowsills 30 floors up). She’s also harder to deal with in terms of her getting into food on the counter and getting into drawers and shelves (so far the dog hasn’t learned to open drawers yet). Also moving her to another location is more of a problem since cats are generally territorial, and won’t immediately get along with other household pets like Whiskey does. Luckily we have amazing friends that will cat-sit Moo at our apartment and have learned to cat-proof any food.
She’s been so easy to board
Health Issues
-Because Moo is an indoor cat, there are much less vet visits or digestion problems from eating stuff on the ground. Dogs get into everything, everywhere, so more vet bills but both have been really healthy so far. -It is far easier to inspect and handle Whiskey.
An outdoor dog has more health problems
Claws/Nails
-We are getting better at trimming the nails of both animals as we do it weekly with really good snacks. Only Moo will draw blood and bite but we are making progress!
Food
-Both Whiskey and Moo love their food though Moo is less picky (she will happily eat anything from dog kibble, butter, raw anything, to slices of bread and chips). They will enthusiastically help clean pans and dishes and Moo regularly jumps into the fridge to approve of our groceries. Moo eats daintily while Whiskey inhales her food. Moo also steals Whiskey’s Kongs and enjoys them just as much.
We trained Moo to tolerate Whiskey with lots of treats around the puppy
Moo stealing Whiskey’s Kong
Cuddle factor
-Strangely my velcro dog doesn’t normally cuddle unless we’re in bed (prefers cave bed to couch) but if we force her to cuddle, she’ll tolerate us -Moo only cuddles on her time, when she wants, where she wants (even if you are sitting on the toilet, you may be informed it’s cuddle time) though she also has the softest fur ever and never smells bad.
both are great sleeping buddies
it can be slightly more uncomfortable with the dog on top
Grooming
-Whiskey is pretty clean for a dog but extremely smelly and dirty when compared to a cat -Both will groom themselves but Moo has never had a bath (god help us if we need to), Whiskey gets a bath once a month when she starts to smell or has rolled in something foul
Moo is twice as soft
Exercise factor
-Contrary to what you may think, cats need you to exercise them too! Moo needs about 15mins daily compared to 2+ hours Whiskey needs. On the plus side, we can hike with Whiskey but Moo refuses to wear a collar or a leash so we can’t take her outside. -You can exercise Whiskey whenever is convenient, though Moo has her own schedule and may decide that midnight is time for Kung Fu practice.
playing together (ie, Whiskey trying to avoid getting hit)
Toys
-Whiskey plays with both cat and dog toys and regularly destroys them -Moo will only play with feathers, string, boxes, and your newest package of food on the counter. She will also destroy them
Destruction level of home
-So far my socks and sheepskin slippers are now dog toys. Whereas all my wicker baskets, my cloth hampers, my bedframe, my blankets, my bathrug are all Moo’s. All the curtains (bath and windows) as well as the leather couch have little claw marks from climbing training. -Whiskey will relocate items around the home, while Moo just shreds them in displeasure -Knitting is difficult!
both love to chase yarn
our bed is now theirs and require lots of washing
Friendliness
-Both will meet me at the door, but whereas Moo sees it as a chance to escape, Whiskey will give me a welcome like she’s just won the lottery. There’s really nothing like coming home to a Vizsla -I think my cat just stays with me because I have the best treats. Whiskey actually likes me (and the treats).
Both rock our world!
Curiosity
-If a poor neighbour happens to have their door open at the moment we have our door open, both pets are likely to rush into their home and immediately start exploring. Both are quite fearless and love checking out what is going on in our bags but overall I would say Moo is more curious and thorough
And what is for dinner tonight?
Ultimately…
In conclusion, Whiskey is like my human daughter with floppy ears, a sweet personality, loves you to death, and totally dependent, while Moo is like a cranky elderly roomate who yells at you to feed her, has a taste of everything you eat, is totally up in your business, but is also really sweet once in awhile.
We’ve been instructed by our breeder how important it is to trim Whiskey’s nails and keep the quick short. She suggested us to trim every week with a Dremel and although it’s been a 2 person task, we can finish it in 10 mins.
Moo watching on while Whiskey gets her nails done
The noise of the Dremel and being constrained is scary for a dog not used to it. The easiest position we’ve found is having her lying on her back on someone’s lap while the other person works around and does the manicure. Press down on the pad so the nails come all the way out and get as close to the quick as you feel comfortable, rounding out any sharp edges. We start with her back paws so the tool isn’t in her face straight off.
take your time and round out edges
Even though we’ve done it since she was a puppy, she doesn’t love it and still struggles and grunts.
Whiskey shows you her paw while her back nails are done
Taking photos while you hold on a struggling puppy getting a pedicure is a challenge
Here are some tips for Dremeling your dog’s nails:
-Whiskey always gets a special treat in the end. I put the treat in my pocket so she can smell it the whole time and she knows it’s coming. You can also give her a smaller treat with each nail, or each paw.
-Get more people if possible to help. I typically hold Whiskey while Thierry works the Dremel.
-Work the back paws first as they are further from their head not as scary as starting near the face.
-Talk to your dog and tell them how wonderful they are in a low voice during the whole time.
-Have some styptic powder on hand in case you trim too deep.
-Make sure you have lots of light!
-Do it often so they get use to it
-Don’t stop the session as soon as they struggle, otherwise they learn if they struggle, they get out. If you need to release your dog, do so after they are calm.
-Trim nails when they are calm, relaxed, after exercise
push on each toe so the nail comes out and trim close to the quick
Here are some tips if you’ve never done it before:
-Get our dog used to being flipped over on their back and held. Give treats and talk in a soothing voice only letting them up when they are calm.
-Turn on the dremel and give treats to get them used to the sound
-Touch and handle each paw until they don’t mind (we clean her paws all the time when we get back from a wet/muddy walk).
-Just trim one paw at a time, and work your way up.
-Keep a bag of treats next to you and give them a treat for each nail when they are calm (reduce treats over time). Be generous with the treats at first.
-If when you release the dog, they don’t run off, and are immediately interested in snacks, you’re doing great!
start young and it’ll be easier!
Finally…
Be calm yourself. Whiskey is easy to do since she’s still a puppy and we were able to train her. Moo (my cat with attitude) is another story. We need to be in a zen mood to trim Moo’s nails. Make movements, slow and deliberate. If you are scared or anxious, the animals pick up on that. If you are confident and calm, they will be more receptive.
At the end of October we went off for a long diving vacation in Mexico. Suffice to say, the trip didn’t go to plan and we were both counting the days until we could come back and snuggle with Whiskey.
Mexico’s Great White Sharks (not dog friendly)
We picked her up at the boarder’s the day after we landed and were welcomed with a bundle of wiggles, nibbles (she still nibbles when she is too excited) and loads of licks. There’s nothing like coming home to a Vizsla! Best.Day.EVER
A Mexican blanket for Whiskey
Apparently she was perfectly behaved and got along famously with the house dog (standard poodle) and another GSP that was also being boarded. They went on at least one hike a day and she was so exhausted when we got home. So far she’s been right back to our schedule with few behavior changes we assume is just part of her maturing. The boarding experience was so great that we don’t even feel guilty about it.
an empty kibble bag keeps her entertained for quite awhile
paws everywhere!
She had no accidents at the home, was great on recall, and only missed one meal (Whiskey has about 1 meal a month she just decides she doesn’t want). She’s also changed quite a bit. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what it is, but she’s bigger and her muscles have filled in a bit. I can’t tell you how happy I am to have her back in my life! Excuse me while I go demand more cuddles…
can’t move…I’m stuck
And Moo. Still up to no good, we had a fabulous house sitter that watched over her.
It’s funny how the basic commands can also be the hardest. We sometimes have problems getting Whiskey to “lie down”, or “sit” quickly but as soon as we say “find it!” or “where’s daddy?” she immediately stops what she’s doing and starts looking.
I’ve started introducing a chain of commands now with her sniff training since she loves it so much. First, she’s told to “come here”, “sit” and “stay”, sometimes on an unstable platform. I’ll let her sniff the item I’m hiding, then I walk around, up to 5 meters away and drop snacks (lamb lung) in high and low places. I’ll then walk back and tell her to “find it” and after each find I’ll praise her and repeat “find it” until she gets them all. Now, as soon as I say “find it” she starts sniffing with her nose. When she’s found all the treats I then throw a party and tell her “that’s all!” and she knows the game is over. (hint: only as many treats as you can remember where they are)
Do you want to work?
SIT STAY and then I bobble the springs so she needs to keep her balance
staying while I position the treats
sniffing them out (she never remembers where i put them even if she is watching)
there’s one in the slide!
I like using the playground because it also becomes and agility work too
At first I would wander around the area where the treat was dropped as a hint to search more in a specific place. It was challenging to keep her in a stay while I walked around at first. If she broke her “stay”, I would try to get her to go back to her “stay” place and so it’s easier if the spot is in a defined area. She’s learned over time to search both high and low areas and it’s so much fun to watch. On the downside, she’s gotten extremely good at sniffing out food people have left in the parks. Did I mention sniff work is pretty tiring for dogs? Great for rainy days!
another sniff location
use locations that have a visual boundary
she will ignore people and dogs while she is “working”
searching high and low places
she loves this game!
At home we do this in a larger and larger area. It’s harder though, because we have a hungry cat and we don’t want them both competing for food. While Whiskey won’t jump up on the counter and steal food from a ziplock in my purse, Moo won’t let any barrier stop her! (Moo just stole a sausage from a pan as I typed this)
We’ve had to get another coat to keep up with her growth
So ever since we’ve had Moo and Whiskey, one or both of us has been off work. We’re lucky we both work as contractors and it’s easy to take time off. Last week marked the start of everyone going back to work full time and our poor pets have lost their 24/7 cuddle service. Aside from the tough choices of what to do with a puppy while we’re both working, we’ve really enjoyed the time off bonding with our furry babies.
While Moo-cat had been refining her insane treat-sniff-and-recover abilities (she opens zippers, kitchen drawers and zip locked bags of kibble), Whiskey had been getting in some crate practice for the inevitable time where we have to face reality and go back to work.
8 weeks
11 weeks
19 weeks
22 weeks
Crating
Whiskey hasn’t liked her crate since we’ve got her. I think it’s partially because she’s very confident and doesn’t need it as a “safe” place. She’s never slept it in by choice. She much prefers our bed, our couch, or her bowser bed, even the carpet or hardwood floor than her crate! We’ve lined it with blankets, soft foam bed, even our worn shirts. We’ve covered it with a blanket and played the radio. She prefers sleeping stretched out taking the entire couch. Since the first night, we’ve had her sleeping during the night in her crate and she gets to come to bed in the mornings for snuggles. We eagerly await the day she will be old enough to be left in our bedroom while we’re at work.
Daycares, hikes, boarding, petsitting
While we are at work we’ve been trying doggy daycare, dog hiking services, personal pet-sitting, and just leaving her in the crate with a lunchtime visit. We are quite spoiled for choice in Vancouver since there is a huge pet industry here. So far, she’s only peed in the crate once during the last week, but she’s never been in the crate for more than 4 hours. We’re now facing a difficult period because we’ve chosen to wait until she is older before we spay her. Many daycares don’t accept unfixed dogs over 6 months and we are also worried that her heat could happen while we are on vacation in a couple months. We are currently interviewing dog boarders for our upcoming vacation. Our bouncy baby’s going to be a teenager soon!
I’ve been waiting to hike Mt Seymour since we’ve got Whiskey. Over the last few months we’ve been slowly increasing the distance and difficulty and this one is a bit longer than she’s used to (about 4 hours return, 7km, 450m climb to the “first pump”). We always hike with her off leash and she’s always leading the way.
heading up the trail
Whiskey takes all kinds of side trails
Earlier this year, we had completed the same hike in snow and found a section to scramble, which was easy enough without having to worry about safety, but tough enough to get your heart racing. Every dog is different, and although we’re really struggling to get Whiskey to say, fetch, she LOVES agility, climbing, and balancing on things. I was keen to try this scramble with her, with full intentions on taking the normal trail if she showed any sign of fear, hesitation, or lack of balance/safety.
This is the scramble
starting up, Whiskey is patient with us
going between Daddy and me
see! no worries!
My mountain dog
Well, even in my wildest dreams I wouldn’t have imagined how impressive she would be. While we were struggling to find handholds and routes, Whiskey was up and over our heads going back and forth between us, sure-footed and happy. There were only two times she needed to be lifted up a meter or so. She’s been on another hike with a steel ladder section where she’s learned to stay on my partner’s shoulders in a fireman’s carry, so we had no problems. Whiskey can also follow if we point her a new route, and when one way doesn’t work out, she will work out another path herself (something we’ve been patiently teaching her).
hurry up mommy!
She’s so graceful, I love watching her
I just can’t believe my little puppy is a mountain goat! She’s been constantly surprising me with her fearlessness since we got her. Every time she slips, she gets right back up and tries again. I only wish I could have taken my cat scrambling too!
Whiskey follows Daddy up the boulder
but she refuses to jump over. Great decision making!
Moo is a true acrobat but refuses a harness/collar/leash
I can’t wait for our next weekend hike and I’m so ecstatic to have the hiking dog of my dreams.
We play with Whiskey throughout the day, flipping her over and tumbling all around with her. The other day I saw some red spots around her arm and leg ‘pits’ and after a quick check, discovered she had picked up fleas from a dog at the park (most likely). She’s currently on Sentinel, although she was just overdue for her monthly pill so I wasn’t 100% sure if the pill was still active. Sentinel mainly kills heart and tummy worms but is also a flea preventative: it doesn’t kill adult fleas – it causes the adult fleas to become infertile, so as to avoid infestations.
Immediate treatment
As soon as I found the spots I rubbed her coat with a vinegar/lemon mix. I also boiled her collar (with some rosemary sprigs) and found a bunch of fleas in the water confirming my fears. I suppose because I had covered her in vinegar, that the fleas must have jumped on the collar. Those were the only fleas I ever found. I set out a flea trap at night (soapy water in a pan with a light) and caught none. Thankfully, cat also showed no signs of fleas. I don’t even want to think about attempting a bath with our very overconfident cat. It was very late when we noticed the bumps so we didn’t get to clean the house until the morning.
boiling her collar
This is what floated up from the water! gross!
day 2 photos
her armpits
poor girl!
Day after
The next day, we cleaned all dog and human bedding, vacuumed the house very well, and gave her a bath with her emu oil shampoo (it’s supposed to repel fleas). Also, after the first day we saw no signs of more bites so I think we caught them early, or the Senntinal was working. I also vacuumed the house that evening, and everyday for a week. Crossing fingers, we avoided an infestation. In two days we already saw improvement in her rashes and bites.
day 3 photos
no more new bites, but old ones are poofy
heeling already
you would have never known from her sweet temperament
Flea pills
I had been going back and forth about giving Whiskey a dewormer/flea preventative monthly as it’s basically like putting chemicals and poison in them. The problem is we live downtown, and the dog parks are not very clean. There are homeless dogs around, and we meet around 100 dogs a week. There is old poop every foot in the city. We are also going to start daycare soon, and many daycares require preventatives so I guess our decision is made. Sometimes the treatment to kill fleas and worms can be worse than the preventative. Especially flea infestations!
More bumps!
In hindsight I think it was just bad luck with bad timing, but while her flea bites were healing she got another kind of bumps all over her tummy. When it rains, it pours I guess! These were different bumps. They were evenly spotted over her tummy and upper legs and were not itchy or red. They were hard and raised and after some research I was pretty confident they were allergy bumps (actually I had seen them on forums before so I wasn’t panicked). I wasn’t as concerned because we seemed to have dealt with the fleas ok, so I figured I’d delay a trip to the vet until the bumps bothered her, or got worse. The bumps came and went over the next week and these were our very amateur guesses at what caused it:
-chicken (she normally does not get chicken and I had given her some the night before)
-bedding detergent (I had finished an old jug of non-environmentally friendly detergent I don’t normally use)
-water from the beach
allergy bumps on her tummy
Allergies
The bumps are now mostly gone after coming and going for a week and a half. I’ve ruled out bedding detergent, but the fact that they weren’t on her back makes us suspicious that something could have been in the water at the beach she frequents. She usually wades in to her tummy and doesn’t go fully in. Food allergies are super tough since symptoms can come several weeks after the dog has eaten the problem food, and symptoms can last several weeks after the dog has digested it. Also dogs can get allergic to something they seem to have been fine with, but they only show symptoms after their body has tolerated too much. The detective work needed is frustrating and Whiskey has been eating a huge variety of food. In general it’s tricky with puppies too since their immune system is still growing, so with luck she won’t keep this allergy (if that’s what it is). Since the bumps have been going away, I’ll just keep an eye out for them when we give her tummy rubs.
you can see bumps are just on her tummy but are getting fewer
This week I’m off work, and I’m really looking forward to relaxing at home with the pets. Since we don’t own a car, we decided to rent from a car share a couple times this week to get out of the city.
Today we tried out Jug Island in Coquitlam. It’s a short little hike with minimal incline and a great way to start the day. The highlight of the hike is a little beach that faces the Indian Arm and Jug Island. We caught (and released) some tiny crabs, talked to kayakers and just chilled. As a joke, Thierry tossed a stick in quite far into the water and Whiskey actually retrieved it! She swam out further than she’s ever been before, although it was a bit of a panicky swim back. We were so proud!
working on our agility (yes they made it to the top!)
our hiking group
Whiskey fetches and swims!
catching small crabs
we are going higher and higher with this little girl
On the way back we popped into a wild game butcher for pet and human meats (kangaroo, bison, venison, elk, ostrich, wild boar). I think we’re stocked for awhile now! At the moment I’m trying out various foods for Whiskey so we’ll let you know how our experimentation goes. We’ve got tons of kibble and even raw samples from Petapalooza.
a bison heart is enormous!
Continuing on our day, after we dropped the meat home, we took Whiskey off to the vet for her last set of shots (Rabies and Lepto). She was amazing and even got a little handkerchief. As long as she’s eating a snack, she doesn’t even feel the needles. So as far as Whiskey understands, the vet means lots of attention, pets, and snacks! I wonder if she’ll wise up eventually. The cat is under no such illusions.
Whiskey has no idea she’s getting a shot
After the vet, we drove to the off-leash dog area of Spanish banks where we met the cutest German Shepherd puppy. Whiskey was pretty tired but perked up for some glorious playtime, digging and sniffing. Then it was back home for a dinner of turkey hearts and gizzards, and we all fell asleep really early (except for Moo who then demanded attention).
It was sooooo hard to get through the day today. My partner flew in with Whiskey on a 4.5 hour flight from Montreal. The battery on his phone failed and the connection was too spotty for a phone call at the breeder’s so I was just staring at the one picture he could send before he caught the flight (she’s small enough to be taken as hand luggage). I left work early and headed to the airport where I awaited…the cutest, tiniest little Vizsla ever. I’ve never met a Vizsla puppy and didn’t realize she’d be so small. Apparently, she was a trooper on the plane, going to the bathroom (on a peepad) without an issue and charming all the air hostesses.
She popped her little head out of the bag to say hello and immediately wanted out (who could blame her after the flight?). We had a bit of an issue grabbing a dog friendly taxi (even if we kept her in the carrier) and then we were on the way home. As soon as we got home, I realized the cat had gotten into the drawers and ate half a bag of freeze dried chicken while shredding the rest all over the kitchen. Sigh, such is a life of family pets.
Already Whiskey was very attached to my partner and I was jealous! We introduced her to her playpen area (sectioned off with baby gates) and she was really quiet and super cute. Moo was very curious and observed the circus from her high view points and made a face when she smelled the dog. Dogs are very smelly compared to cats! Ewww.
We just spent the night cuddling Whiskey and playing with her new toys. She ate dinner without an issue but it took a bit of patience to get her to pee outside in the alley (she’s used to grass in the countryside). We live in an apartment on the 2nd floor, so for now we are carrying her outside by taking the stairs. There was a bit of whining when we put her in the crate, but otherwise success!
