The stairs were new and scary. Lots of things were scary. I wouldn't rank Blanca as one of the braver dogs I've known. She'd turn into a wild-eyed stone dog when necessary. And even when unnecessary, like when we were at the vet. Sometimes I'd have to get a technician to help drag her out of the car (chase, actually; the tech would roust her out towards me). Her fear of the clinic developed over a number of years. At first she enjoyed visiting the vets, especially since a couple of them had been our next-door neighbors when she first came to live with me. But after a few visits to take care of ear infections, she decided that they were running a chamber of horrors.