Best Dog Ramp For Car & Less Agile Dogs
Having a dog can be the best thing in the world, but watching them grow old and less agile can be hard, one of the best things you can do is to try and keep them mobile and as active as possible. We look at the best dog ramps to make access easier for them to cars, bed, boats, truck, swimming pools and couches.
With a dog ramp, after a walk they are still able to get in to a car boot, in the home you can still have a cuddle with them on the couch and with a swimming pool that is raised above the ground they are still able to get in themselve’s. You’ll still want them swimming if they are struggling physically as it is easier on their joints and keeps them moving without too much resistance.
The last thing you will want, especially with a bigger dog is to be picking them up all the time, where you might injure yourself or the dog. You won’t be expected to do that for people who get older, we use aids such as wheel chairs, hand rails, ramps and other vital physical aids and it’s the same with your dog.
Do You Need A Dog Ramp
Our little one is still young and as spritely as ever but we both have family dogs that are getting on, both have back leg issues and find it difficult getting in to the back of a car for an adventure and neither can jump up on to the sofa or couch now and we’ve been picking them up a lot recently when we’ve visited, we don’t want them to feel left out or alone. Due to this we thought it would be a good idea to test and review a dog ramp or two and to look in to purchasing for our family so that our dogs can still do something on their own.
There are many applications for a pet ramp and many different pets can benefit from having such an aid. These aren’t limited to just dogs, cats who suffer from leg problems or are less agile than they used to be could have a raised bed somewhere in the home and a pet ramp will help them get access to their little area. The most important thing is that if you have a pet or dog that is starting to struggle, it is best to help them keep their freedom.
Your dog may still be fully capable of running and jumping about, but if your dog has an eyesight problem, you can guide them up a car ramp much easier than it would be for them to try and jump in to your cars boot, of which they may struggle.
Dog Ramps Have Many Uses
Other areas you can use your dog ramp is on a small set of stairs in your home, if like our dog your dog spends most of the time on one floor of your house but you have a small set of stairs, a ramp to the side could be the best thing for them. That way you can use it all the time and they only have to walk up it rather than struggling up the steps. They come in all shapes, sizes, weights and portability. We have looked in to aluminium dog ramps, wooden, plastic and ones that fold in different ways, hopefully there is something for you.
Even if you don’t have a dog, a car ramp can help with moving large objects in to and out of your car. You may still be fully mobile and cycle or keep active in some way, but when it comes to putting things in your car that has wheels, you can use a car ramp to help you get these things in to your boot.
In the reviews below we look for how well it does it’s job, if it can do multiple tasks and perform in different areas, such as working with a car, on the sofa and in other areas your dog might want to go, then it will do much better in the review. Another thing we look for is hard wearing and whether it can take the abuse of being outdoors, used by heavy dogs and continually stowed away and re-used in different environments. We look in to many different things to see if we can find the best dog ramp for your loved one and lifestyle.
Getting Your Dog Used To The Ramp
You’ll want to get your dog used to this product asap, so once you purchase a dog ramp, unwrap it and leave it in a public space within your home so that your dog gets used to it being around, somewhere your dog usually is. This way they can test it out for themselve’s see what it is all about, sniff it and generally get used to it.
Using treats as well when you are around your car and it is set up is another good way of getting them used to it. Rewarding them for coming close and walking up and down it is a sure fire way to get them used to it in a short amount of time.
The best dog car ramp that we have reviewed is the Solvit Deluxe Telescopic Dog Car Ramp. It wins in so many ways, it’s an absolute fantastic piece of equipment and one of the easiest winners and best dog products we have reviewed in ages.
So why is it so good? It’s telescopic, which means that from its smallest size of 99cm length it can be extended to a length of 182cm, which is the 2nd longest dog car ramp available in this shoot out. It’s not very heavy considering it can be so long which is fantastic for portability yet it still holds a heavy weight, the biggest of dogs will have zero problems using this to get in and out of a car.
It’s easy to keep clean because you can just wipe down the sides and brush the grippy tape on top and this also gives the best traction for your dog to get up and down. It doesn’t matter if its raining or they’ve been for a walk in a wet area and have wet paws, they’ll be able to get up this with ease and you won’t have to worry.
If you have a 4×4 or SUV you may want this or the Pet Gear Tri-Fold as they are longer dog ramps.
We have put the the cheapest dog car ramp out of the bunch in at second, because it is both cheap and cheerful. It folds so is only two sizes, when its folded up and when its extended out. It is by far the easiest to keep clean and is also the lightest out of the bunch. It isn’t the widest but will hold medium to large dogs walking up and down it but they may struggle with eye sight problems because it’s so narrow compared to the others.
The best looking dog car ramp is the Karlie, it’s wooden and suits any environment. Is hard to clean though because of its slat design, mud and dirt will build up in it but we found that drying it out after use and brushing it down was the best way to clean it. It folds out like the others and should fit in all car boots or behind front seats in the footwell easily enough. It is easy to move around, definitely portable and a decent all rounder that doesn’t cost too much. If you want a wooden dog car ramp this is for you.
We’ve had to put one in the bottom of the ranking system and that is the Pet Gear Tri Fold. It is very heavy so only really suits the heaviest dogs out there. If you want to use it for other things like wheeling a wheelchair or bicycle in to the back of a van then this could work perfect but just isn’t as portable as the others. It does have its uses but we want to make you aware that these may not be with unmobile dogs and or elderly dog owners as they will struggle using this product.
Review of PetSafe Deluxe Telescopic Dog Ramp
This is a review of the PetSafe Deluxe Telescopic Dog Ramp.
This telescopic dog ramp is strong yet lightweight only weighing 5.8kg. It is very easy to transport due to its lightweight and manageable size because the telescopic design means it closes in on itself and slides to a smaller size. There is a strong carry handle to hold while transporting in and out of your vehicle. The ramp measures 182 x 42 x 9 cm when fully extended. So it isn’t the biggest but just slightly smaller than the largest we have reviewed. When packed away is just 99cm in length.
To use and unfold out simply unclip on the underneath and then pull out the base of the ramp to extend it out. There is an angled top to the ramp which should fit into the base ridge of the boot of your car. What is fantastic about this ramp is that it can be extended or shortened to fit small car sizes to van and SUV boot heights. Compared to a folding dog car ramp it can be pulled out to 1m in length, left at its smallest size when slid together or extended out to its largest size, it’s up to you and what length you want. With the folding options you can only have it folded up or fully extended.
It is a durable well made ramp with high side barriers to protect your dog as they walk. This is especially good for dogs who may have eye sight problems or visual problems. The rails will make sure they dont fall off as they walk up as their paws will be guided forward, up or down.The surface of the ramp is a sandpaper texture, a grippy tape, to aid with mobility of your dog as they use the ramp. If they have wet paws they definitely won’t slip on this ramp! In comparison to the Pet Gear Tri Fold Ramp as the weight of this product is half the weight you should find no problem in it brushing against your skin and damaging your clothes.
This ramp also really helps for owners who have mobility issues or back trouble so they do not need to lift their dog in and out of the car (whatever age or size their dog is) due to being light and easy to use.
Pros
- Anti slip ramp surface
- Very strong, holding up to 160kg and the heaviest of pups
- Protective side rails
- Carry handle
- Robust
- Will fit almost all cars
- Not to heavy
- The ramp can be shortened for smaller cars
Cons
- Pricey
- Not available for next day delivery
Verdict
This is a top notch product, lightweight, durable and strong is a good all rounder that is worth the extra money to buy.
PetSafe Happy Ride Telescoping Dog Ramp - Portable Lightweight Pet Ramp -...
& Free shipping
Review of the Trixie Car Dog Ramp
This is a review of the Trixie Car Pet Ramp, a small plastic dog ramp.
The Trixie Pet Ramp is easy to assemble and lightweight, once you pull it out of the box. It is a case of unfolding the two parts and getting them to clip together in place. Once folding the ramp back down there is a clip to hook around a bolt near the base to hold both parts firmly together for transportation.
The underside has rubber grips every few centimeters and are great for providing good stability on the floor as well as gripping to the interior of your boot as well as the side passengers seats.
The ramp is a little narrow in comparison to others available but I feel this makes it a lot more rigid and provides a smaller range for a dog to go, as long as their balance is good they should find this manageable. We tried this out with our friends older cocker spaniel who has been used to jumping in and out of the car for years. At first the ramp had to have a good old sniff but then after a little hesitation, he gave a slow walk up the ramp and in to the car. I feel this was really helped by the anti slip surface to the ramp as well as the safety barrier along the sides of the ramp. He doesn’t have the best eyesight having a glucoma problem and having this aid helped him get in to the car.
This is also one of the cheapest dog ramps available and it is wonderful that the price doesn’t seem to show in terms of quality of the ramp. It packs away easily in the car meaning if you having an elderly dog they can still join you on adventures. Its size also allows for use with small wheeled items to be rolled up into the car or a van if they are too heavy to lift such as a pram, a small wheeled zimmer frame or even a bicycle.
I would say this ramp is suited for small to medium breed size dogs. The width may be too small and the weight the ramp can hold is too small for large and extra large breed dogs such as Great Danes, St Bernards and Cane Corso.
Pros
- Safety rail to the sides
- Anti Slip Coating
- Folds away easily
- Easy to clean
- Well made
- Can be used for wheeling bikes or prams into car too
- Helps to prevent joint problems in larger dogs
- Helpful for dogs with arthritis
- Sturdy design
Cons
- Not wide enough or strong enough for Large and extra large breed dogs
Verdict
This is a fab compact and easily stored dog ramp for your car, it is robust and stable but not suited for large to extra large dog breeds
Review of Wooden Karlie Dog Car Ramp
This is a review of the Karlie Dog Car Ramp, a wooden and foldable dog ramp that seems portable and practical, we take a look at how good it is in this review.
The Karlie Dog Ramp is made of a strong wood construction making it durable and sturdy. It folds out to measure 120 cm by 30 cm by 4 cm and it folds down to half its length at 60 cm by 30cm by 4cm. This makes it easy to store in the boot and because it is strong it can be stored underneath items very inconspicuously.
There are two rope handles to help carry the ramp in and out of the car, the ramp weighs 4kg which is fairly light in comparison to other dog car ramps. It can also hold up to 85kg of dog weight so that means it can carry even the largest of dogs such a newfoundland or great Dane, a labrador will easily be able to use this aid. However the problem would be that for such a dog you would usually need a large vehicle or SUV and for the ramp being 120cm in length would make reaching the boot of a high vehicle doable but the ramp would be very steep and at 30cm wide could also be quite narrow for a large dog. The ramp has anti slip tread in repeated sections a long the surface however whether this would be enough to help an eldery extra large dog trying to get up a steep ramp to the boot of an SUV may be pushing it.
I do like the appearance of this dog ramp, it looks stylish, yet simple and a little vintage. It is easy to clean and I would say I don’t actually mind it just sat in my house.
To assemble it in place unhook the metal clips at the top of the ramp this will allow you to fold the ramp out for it to get to its full length. I feel it works best on estate or low riding vehicles to provide an ease of walking into your car for your dog. There is the option to use the ramp to help your dog get into the back seat of the car also as there is a strong rubber grip to the underneath of both ends of the ramp which will stop it slipping out of place.
Pros
- Made of strong wood construction
- Sturdy and stable
- Folds in half and stows away easily
- Holds up to 85kg
- Works very well for both boot and back seat of car.
Cons
- Not the most suitable for large breed dogs
Verdict
One of the nicest looking dog car ramps we have reviewed, maybe the best looking. Because it is made of wood, it could potentially rot but this might take years, compared to the plastic options that is. A quick clean down after each use will hopefully help it last for years to come.
Not the widest or longest but for small heights it should be more than fine.
Karlie Dog Ramp Car Gangway, 120 x 30 x 6 cm
& Free shipping
Review of Pet Gear Tri-Fold Dog Ramp
This is a review of a Pet Gear Tri-Fold Dog Ramp
The Pet Gear Tri Fold Ramp is quite large in size measuring 177.8 x 50.8 x 7.6 cm, its width nearly measuring half a metre, so it’s nice and long and nice and wide. It is very heavy for a dog ramp and older people may struggle with getting it out and unfolding it. There is a carry handle to the top of the ramp which has been designed well to carry the weight of it, so thats a positive. Next to the carry handle is a hook which attaches around a nodule on the outer section of the ramp and holds it all together when not in use and folded up.
To assemble you will need to unclip at the top of the ramp and unwind the three sections out, this will be a lot easier and quicker if there are two of you to set it up.
The surface is a texture similar to sand paper, it’s a really grippy grip tape that has been glued on to the ramp, this helps to provide stability for your dog however it makes it quite scratchy when are trying to carry it so beware of you have bare legs as the surface of it may hurt also it may damage the fabric you are wearing if you knock it against yourself.
In terms of width this is a very wide ramp, possibly the widest available at 50.8 cm, this along with being mighty strong will enable an elderly dog that is even extra large in size to use this ramp with ease. Its weight, size and style makes it very very sturdy to use. There is also a safety feature to car end of the ramp so that you can attach it to a strong hook point in the boot, the feature can be fastened tightly to provide extra security that the ramp will not move while your dog walks up or down it. We really liked this feature and the last thing you want is for it to fall when in use.
Pros
- Great for larger breed dogs
- Very sturdy
- Able to hold 91kg
- Able to fold three times its size
- Handles attached to transport easily
- Slip resistant ramp surface
- Rubber feet for stability
- Available for next day delivery
Cons
- Heavy at 8kg
- Requires one strong person or otherwise at least two people to carry and unfold it
- Not easily transported or stored
Verdict
This is a strong and sturdy pet ramp perfect for large and extra large dog breeds however it is highly recommended there is two of you to carry and assemble it and you’ll need a lot of car space to transport it or if you want to use it at home.
Pet Gear PG9300DR Tri-fold Pet Ramp, Black/Grey, X-Large
& Free shipping
