car ramps

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paddy555

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can anyone recommend one please? (or even suggest unsuitable ones) it is to go from the ground to a landrover defender back door for currently an aged border collie. Also to be used idc for a GSD bitch pup until she is 18 months or so. Preferably one that will fold and then travel in the landrover. Also preferably not too heavy as I want to be able to deal with it on my own and I am getting old!

anything I should look for in a ramp or avoid?

thanks
 
Morning paddy, I have one that should arrive today. I have been researching for ages.
Look at the Easyanimal website. I like the lightweight telescopic ones and was about to order when I found an even better one sold by the safedog people who make crashtested dog crates. It isn't cheap!
The things to research are the stability and the surface.
The other thing is, you don't just buy it , put it up to the car and expect them to walk up, unless you have an old agility dog ofcourse. Practise on the flat and then a little raised etc until they are confident.
Good luck, be interested to know what you choose.
 
I have the pet loader dog steps for my Discovery. I decided my old Collie and Great Swiss Mountain dog puppy would find it easier than a ramp.
They are not cheap, and not the lightest, but the dogs took to them immediately.
 
The Original Factory Shop had one on sale recently for £20. I got one for my elderly Cavalier and it is fine up to a point but a bit slippery so I've stuck patches of carpet on it. The younger dog runs up it fine (she does agility and loves the seesaw and the dogwalk so running up things is no problem) but he is a bit more ponderous and needed a fair bit of reinforcement training which would have been easier if I had added the carpet earlier.

It's this one, and is light enough and folds up fine, http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FOLDING-D...479007?hash=item2cb9d7a71f:g:0tAAAOSw9GhYljZJ
 
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thanks all. I had never heard of dog steps.

be interested to see what you think of yours when it arrives Chiffy. A bit of googling and I was starting to get the idea it wasn't going to be a cheap exercise!
 
I bought two different telescopic ramps for my aging GSD but found they were so cumbersome to move around and took up too much room in the back of my pick-up truck that I ended up donating them to rescue. This was a few years back, so I hope there are other, more user-friendly ones on the market now.

It would depend on the mobility of your older dog, but I taught mine to lift her front paws onto the back bumper and then I lifted her back end in and that worked well.
 
I bought a SOLVIT dog ramp years ago for 2 labs to go in my 4x4, as a Land Rover is quite high at the back it may not be suitable but worth googling as it was the best investment I ever made.
I often think that car manufacturers are missing a trick and a dog car ramp properly fitted as an extra would be an excellent idea

I did see someone with a large piece of thick foam for their dog to jump out of the car onto but I wasn't convinced on this idea as I would still need to get them into the car and when its muddy and raining
where would I put the soggy muddy foam but the idea worked for them as their dog had problems jumping out the car not jumping in
 
WorkingGSD said:
I bought two different telescopic ramps for my aging GSD but found they were so cumbersome to move around and took up too much room in the back of my pick-up truck that I ended up donating them to rescue. This was a few years back, so I hope there are other, more user-friendly ones on the market now.

It would depend on the mobility of your older dog, but I taught mine to lift her front paws onto the back bumper and then I lifted her back end in and that worked well.
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thanks for replying, I was hoping for your ideas. I get the ramps being a PITA bit but am struggling. BC is a very excitable and nervy. She leaps and misses. She doesn't have time for the paws on the back and lift bit. As she doesn't make it i am scared she will damage herself plus I am finding lifting her hard. I am now looking at her in conjunction with the spaying too early thread and wondering if that had anything to do with it.

my landrover is also quite high and on 750 tyres which makes it a bit higher.

WGSD, if you don't mind me asking what do you do with GSD pups as far as jumping in and out of vehicles goes? ie jumping pressing on their young body, joints etc. Perhaps you are superwoman and just lift them!!
 
Cecile said:
I did see someone with a large piece of thick foam for their dog to jump out of the car onto but I wasn't convinced on this idea as I would still need to get them into the car and when its muddy and raining
where would I put the soggy muddy foam but the idea worked for them as their dog had problems jumping out the car not jumping in
Click to expand...

I bought a faux leather/ plastic covered poof off ebay for £15 for my oldies a while ago. The advantage I find is that it conforms to the uneven ground that I frequently park on whereas a ramp would wobble which worried my dog. Mud can be wiped off with kitchen towel. I use it both for getting the oldies and pup in and out.

The dogs are HPRs of various description up to c35kg.
 
paddy555 said:
thanks for replying, I was hoping for your ideas. I get the ramps being a PITA bit but am struggling. BC is a very excitable and nervy. She leaps and misses. She doesn't have time for the paws on the back and lift bit. As she doesn't make it i am scared she will damage herself plus I am finding lifting her hard. I am now looking at her in conjunction with the spaying too early thread and wondering if that had anything to do with it.

my landrover is also quite high and on 750 tyres which makes it a bit higher.

WGSD, if you don't mind me asking what do you do with GSD pups as far as jumping in and out of vehicles goes? ie jumping pressing on their young body, joints etc. Perhaps you are superwoman and just lift them!!
Click to expand...

Hopefully you will be able to find a ramp that is both light and easy to maneouvre whilst being strong enough to cope with the weight of larger dogs. I would be really interested to hear if you do find one - as one of my GSDs is now 9 and struggles to get his paws up on the bumper. I have a Toyota Pick-up and the back is probably equally as high (if not a little higher) than a Defender (which my hubby has). I haven't had a pup since having this vehicle, but when I do get another GSD pup I will definitely lift in and out until I am no longer able to, and may well have them on the backseat in a harness until mature rather than in the crate in the back. That might make it easier on both of us!

As you rightly point out, you want to avoid putting undue stress on growing joints and if you can find a good ramp then please let me know (as I will probably buy one too!!)
 
Not much help but mine is a carpet covered wooden one I got from prepped and £10. Which is heavy and bulky but it is the right length for not too steep of the angle and Jack gets the grip from the carpet.

My mum got a plastic one from PAH I think but it's too short so the angle is too steep (granted his probably wouldn't be an issue for a larger dog) and he doesn't seem to have any grip so slips both up and down which knocked his confidence.

I'm sticking with my bulky old wooden one, one happy old chappy!
 
A friend made mine. 2 planks of wood hinged in the middle, carpet covered and door stops at one end to allow it to purchase on thevanbumpet. It works brilliantly as the cages in my van are quite high. It is heavy but very stable and I exchanged it for a hand made bag for his daughters burthday......bargain
 
paddy555 said:
can anyone recommend one please? (or even suggest unsuitable ones) it is to go from the ground to a landrover defender back door for currently an aged border collie. Also to be used idc for a GSD bitch pup until she is 18 months or so. Preferably one that will fold and then travel in the landrover. Also preferably not too heavy as I want to be able to deal with it on my own and I am getting old!

anything I should look for in a ramp or avoid?

thanks
Click to expand...

I have one like this one - did the jpob well http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Solvit-Pr...643348?hash=item4b150bd1d4:g:TUMAAOSwpkFY5nzo
 
This is the one I was about to buy when I found the one on the safedog site. It looks good paddy. Just make sure your car height is correct for it , under 33" or they recommend a different one.
Mine arrived yesterday, neat and lightweight, it's called a Dogwalk3. Followed the instructions and lay it on the lawn, dogs walked up and down it no problem. Put it up onto a low step, dogs thought it was fun. Put it higher, still fine so progressed to the car. Absolutely brilliant, dogs thought it was a game. Older dog has done agility many moons ago but the younger one , who doesn't need it , was determined to 'walk the plank'! Good luck with yours paddy.
 
Chiffy said:
This is the one I was about to buy when I found the one on the safedog site. It looks good paddy. Just make sure your car height is correct for it , under 33" or they recommend a different one.
Mine arrived yesterday, neat and lightweight, it's called a Dogwalk3. Followed the instructions and lay it on the lawn, dogs walked up and down it no problem. Put it up onto a low step, dogs thought it was fun. Put it higher, still fine so progressed to the car. Absolutely brilliant, dogs thought it was a game. Older dog has done agility many moons ago but the younger one , who doesn't need it , was determined to 'walk the plank'! Good luck with yours paddy.
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thanks, we are under 33 so OK. Glad you like yours or more to the point the dogs like it.
 
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