We all know pet ramps are great for senior dogs but have you ever thought about utilizing a ramp for a young, healthy dog? For the longest time, I didn’t. Atka jumps in and out of the car easily and Mauja puts her front paws up and waits for a little boost. Easy enough.
After a bit of thought and research, I realized there were several reasons to get a pet ramp while the fluffies were still young and healthy. I knew that the best time to teach them how to use the ramp would be when they weren’t having any mobility issues. What better time than now?
Jumping causes unnecessary stress on your dog’s joints
While jumping in and out of your car may not seem like a big deal, the reality is that each jump causes unnecessary stress on your dog’s joints. This can lead to hip and joint problems early in your dog’s life.
We may not be able to prevent all health issues from occurring in our giant breed dogs, but we can take steps to lessen the chance of any future ailments.
You won’t always be able to assist your dog into the car
I never thought of this reason until I had jaw surgery. After my surgery, I was unable to lift anything over ten pounds for about two months. Mauja expects her rear end to be hoisted into the car, and she certainly weighs quite a bit more than 10 pounds!
This meant that if Nick wasn’t home, I couldn’t take the dogs anywhere with me which was quite a bummer for all of us.
Injuries happen
We all anticipate that as our dogs age there is a high possibility they will develop hip and joint issues that will inhibit their mobility. However, we don’t always prepare for the freak accident that occurs from a too rough play session or simply landing the wrong way on a walk.
An injured dog will require assistance in several ways. Not only will getting in and out of the car be difficult, but things such as getting in and out of a bed or up the front porch stairs can easily be too much. If your dog already knows how to use a ramp, recovery will be much easier.
Solvit Deluxe Tri-Scope Pet Ramp
When given the opportunity to try the Solvit Deluxe Tri-Scope Pet Ramp, I obviously couldn’t say no! We tried a ramp with Mauja a few years ago (our neighbor had an old one she was giving away) and I was not thrilled. Not only was it flimsy, but it was insanely heavy as well! After becoming completely frustrated, I gave up and donated the ramp.
Since the ramp we tried was a cheap, no-name brand, I hoped that our experience would be different with a product from an established company like Solvit. When the package arrived on our front porch, I bent down and braced myself to lift the heavy box.
Except it wasn’t heavy, so I shot straight up in the air (which wasn’t “what was supposed to happen” according to the dogs so they barked – I need to add that to my list of reasons they’re barking!). I couldn’t wait to open the box and try it out.
What I Like About the Solvit Deluxe Tri-Scope Pet Ramp
- It’s really light at only 14 pounds. I didn’t struggle with it like other ramps I’ve tried.
- It can support over 300 pounds, yet it’s strong and compact.
- It has rubber feet to ensure the ramp stays stable (especially important for giant breed dogs – simple movements can easily knock ramps off balance).
- It has a high-traction walking surface to prevent slipping even with wet paws.
What I Don’t Like About the Solvit Deluxe Tri-Scope Pet Ramp
- It’s not very wide. With the big paws and wide bodies Great Pyrenees have, Mauja and Atka didn’t have much room.
Even though I felt the width was a tad small, I would still highly recommend the Solvit Deluxe Tri-Scope Pet Ramp.
Remember, it’s extremely important to train your dog to use the ramp with plenty of positive reinforcement – many dogs won’t willingly climb the ramp the first time they see it. Solvit includes tips on how to acclimate your dog to the ramp in the package.
Do you have a pet ramp for your dog? How do you think it has benefitted you both?
DIsclaimer: I received the product mentioned above in exchange for my honest review. Don’t worry – an advertiser will never influence the content of this blog and It’s Dog or Nothing only shares products we love and believe in.
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We had one for Zeus as he got older. Worked wonderfully!
These are great reasons, especially the one if the human can’t assist!
Great post. SOLVIT is an amazing company with quality products. Jumping down is never good for any pet. And your biggies certainly can’t be carried out of the car. lol
I agree with you. Although I’m a fan of ramps for seniors, they’re perfect for tons of different scenarios, and dogs of all sizes. I hear some people complaining their car is too high for their big dog to jump into, and they’re a bit heavy to lift. Of course I chime in and ask if they’ve heard of a dog ramp. Most, surprisingly have not.
Great idea to plan ahead. Magic may need one–he’s 10 and fine now, but you’ve given me a good kick in the assets to figure this out in advance. Thanks!
Ramps and steps are a must-have for little dogs, didn’t realize how important they are for the big pups, too!
Thanks for sharing this important post. Keira at times struggles with jumping in the car. I think a ramp is in our near future.
My friends use one and they swear by them. I dont drive so have no need for one
This is awesome I never thought about a giant breed needing a ramp.
This is really a good idea. Sully is a very tall boxer/amstaff mix who has trouble getting into and out of cars(he doesn’t like jumping up, even though he could easily make it) because he searches for somewhere to put his back feet for a boost. Will be looking into something like this ramp!
I can’t imagine anyone being foolish enough to life a big dog into a car as it gets older. Really? You would do yourself damage!! This ramp is total genuis!!
Those are all great reasons to get a ramp for the dog. This sounds like a pretty good ramp. Thanks for sharing!
Great idea! I think this could go a long way for the joint health of lots of different dogs. Everytime I hear and watch Gremlin jump down I feel terrible for his stocky little legs and his broad shoulders 🙁
I admit I let Mr. N jump in and out all the time. He’s tiny though so I can easily lift him. One of his big dog friends though is at the stage of needing a ramp.
We don’t have a pet ramp, but we have a tiny car and Ruby can just climb right in. We do have a ramp to get up on the bed and couch. It’s left over from our previous dog, Pip, who had trouble jumping the last 4 or 5 years of his life. Ruby is still fine with jumping, but we leave the ramp out as an option for her. Though as you said, jumping is hard on joints, etc. so I am glad that she uses it now;
use to have one for my Belgian Bouvier. Made a big deference.
It’s such a great idea to get a ramp early on to help “save” their joints a bit. Jumping in & out of the car is definitely taxing on dogs’ legs, I’ve thought about that before but never considered a ramp! Thanks.
Love & biscuits,
Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them
Great idea to get dogs used to ramps when they are younger. Glad you were happy with it.
Really great points that I hadn’t thought about up to now. I’m sorry to hear about your jaw surgery. That doesn’t sound like fun at all!
We’ve always loved every item we’ve tried from Solvit and I’m so glad that they have products that can help our dogs with mobility both in our homes and when we are traveling with them. Thanks for sharing!
Kelsie, if you don’t mind me asking, what vehicle do you guys have for Atka and Mauja. We just FINALLY got an SUV for our malamute pack and I”m trying to determine if they need a ramp or not. Daniel and I have been going back and forth on it. That being said, I never imagined how much easier life would be not fitting them in my tiny Accord (now have Toyota Rav4 – yay!)
We just upgraded to an SUV, basically, to fit our pyr AND our luggage for road trips lol. Since our girl thinks that she can’t jump onto things (insert funny picture of us hoisting her butt into the car every time), we decided it’s time to try the ramp! Just ordered the Solvit, and I’m really excited to see how she’ll do with it! Stay tuned 🙂 We’ll give a short update after a few treat-filled sessions