When Does My Dog Need a Ramp?: Back To Basics

Ramps are a piece of furniture usually made out of either wood or plastic that can be placed in areas to help your pet with getting up onto higher furniture or other places you allow your pup to roam onto. 

There are a variety of dog ramps on the market that all include a ton of different features, but there are a few things that we’ve considered to be the most important feature all ramps should have. Luckily we’ve found a ramp that includes them all, the PawRamp. 

In the following PawRamp review, we’re going to highlight the various features this ramp includes that customers have come to love, and establish why the PawRamp earned the spot as the #1 Vet Recommend Dog Ramp. 

Why You Should Get A Dog Ramp

Before we continue, let’s establish why investing in a ramp can be useful to both you and your dog. First and foremost, ramps can help smaller dogs get up onto higher places, such as a couch or a bed. Including a tool that makes it easier for your dog to roam around, will not only make them more comfortable in their living space, but it can also help in making them more safe as well. 

A huge safety benefit a ramp brings is the prevention of IVDD. Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD) is a disease that attacks the spinal bones of primarily short legged dog breeds such as dachshunds, chihuahuas, beagles and so on. This disease can develop following a forceful jumping, a bad landing, walking up and down stairs causing too much back pressure, and unfortunately not many dog owners are aware of it until it affects their little fur ball. Investing in a ramp can reduce the likelihood of your dog developing this horrific disease. 

Including a ramp in your dog’s environment can remove some of the strain your dog experiences when living their everyday life, and overtime helps prevent multiple weaknesses. Ramps are also often used following a surgical procedure as an aftercare tool to help the healing process. 

The PawRamp

The PawRamp comes in two different sizes, the full and the lite. The full is 40 inches (length) by 16 inches (width), it is best for the couch and bed, window, or other higher 

places you allow your pup on. The lite is 32.5 inches (length) by 14 inches (width), made for smaller places, it is best for the couch. Some customers find it useful to have both sizes for different areas, while others have a liking to one specific size. 

This ramp is made out of marine plywood and pine wood, and the carpet is made with a quarter-inch thick polyester, giving it the best durability. It has an adjustable base to allow the ramp to fit multiple different places and create the best stability. The different heights range from 12,16, 20 and 24 inches for the full, and 12 and 16 inches for the lite. Along with their adjustable heights, the ramps were weight tested to hold up to 120 lbs for the full and 70lbs for the lite. 

The carpet allows for a nice grip, all the while being soft for your dog’s paws. It comes in one universal black color making it easy for your dog to see and it also blends well with most interior decor. It’s easy to clean and if you wish to store the ramp away, all you have to do is flatten it down for easy storage, under a couch or bed. 

Lastly, this ramp is pretty lightweight, weighing in at 11lbs for the full and 8lbs for the lite. This allows you to carry it around different places easily, and can even be used as a car ramp thanks to its folding capabilities. 

What We Like:

● It’s lightweight making it easy to transport 

● Allows for easy storage 

● Holds up to 70lbs and 120lbs 

● Carpet is soft and easy to grip to 

● Has a steady base, with four adjustable heights 

What We Don’t Like:

● It holds up to 120lbs not allowing bigger dogs to use it 

Tips On How To Make Your Dog More Comfortable Using The PawRamp

It can sometimes be difficult to introduce the ramp to your dog. They can at times view it has a threat and don’t want anything to do with it. There are a variety of ways to introduce the ramp to your dog, there are a few techniques that always seem to do the trick. 

You should first start by placing the ramp in a comfortable place that doesn’t destroy other comfort spots they might be prone to run to in fear. Once the ramp is set up, show 

your dog it isn’t harmful. You can rub your hand up and down the carpet, to show that the ramp is not hurting you, and try to speak with cheerful encouragement. Your dog observes everything you do, and making them understand that it doesn’t harm you, will in turn make them understand it won’t hurt them either. 

Once they’re comfortable with being near it, it’s time to get them to walk up it. The best tricks are treats. Grab a treat and slowly guide them with it up onto the ramp. They might be skeptical at first, but eventually, their main goal will be to get to the treat and they won’t even notice their walking up the ramp until it’s already done. Do that a few more times until you notice they grow more confident, then lose the treats and switch to a toy instead. It’s important that they don’t associate climbing up the ramp with getting treats. Eventually get rid of all tools and just cheer them on, by then they’ll have already understood that the ramp gives them easier access to certain places. 

If it doesn’t work after a few tries, leave it alone and come back to it. Once you’ve let your pup relax and get comfortable, try it again. As a last resort, you can also pick them up and place them onto the ramp directly, this will help take away their fears. 

Go Get Your Ramp Now!

Now that we’ve established how amazing a ramp can be to your dog, hurry over to AlphaPaw to get your very own ramp, beware you might be tempted to browse through their other amazing products such as their supplements, pee pads, cozy bed, and even merchandise!