GKL
Forum Supporter
My dog started having more trouble hopping up on our bed, she is only about 6 years old but I need to exercise her more as she has a little extra weight.
Anyhow the bed is quite high (about 20 inches) off the floor for her as she is only a medium size dog, it was a little high for her even with a step, so I looked online at "do-it-yourself" dog ramp ideas.
What was really neat was when I got outdoor carpet for the wheelchair ramp for my mother-in-law they sent it way longer than what I paid for (on purpose since they shorted the previous order and had to resend it) and the leftover carpet was just long enough for the dog ramp.
Anyhow, I used 2x4s for the horizontal support pieces, I already had some 3/4 inch plywood for the side walls and 3/8 inch plywood for the surface which the carpet went on.
I used decking type screws to ensure it was solid and very stable, and used roofing nails underneath and in the back to attach the carpet after it was pulled snug. I used one roofing nail in either side where the carpet folded over from going from the top flat surface to a slant as I wanted to keep the carpet all in one piece instead of sections as it was large enough to cover both sides too.
I have the finished ramp along the end of the bed so she walks up and makes a right turn onto the bed at the top.
Some online examples include a railing to keep the dog from going off the edge of the ramp too high up, but I have some heavy cardboard I set in place to guide her to stay on the ramp.
Even when your dog is young it might be better to avoid them jumping down from high surfaces so as to help keep their joints in better shape for when they get older.
The flat top of the ramp 17x17 inches and it is 17 inches high off the floor, the ramp is also 17 inches wide, the overall length of the ramp at the bottom is 5 feet 8 inches. (our bed is 6 feet wide)
Anyhow the bed is quite high (about 20 inches) off the floor for her as she is only a medium size dog, it was a little high for her even with a step, so I looked online at "do-it-yourself" dog ramp ideas.
What was really neat was when I got outdoor carpet for the wheelchair ramp for my mother-in-law they sent it way longer than what I paid for (on purpose since they shorted the previous order and had to resend it) and the leftover carpet was just long enough for the dog ramp.
Anyhow, I used 2x4s for the horizontal support pieces, I already had some 3/4 inch plywood for the side walls and 3/8 inch plywood for the surface which the carpet went on.
I used decking type screws to ensure it was solid and very stable, and used roofing nails underneath and in the back to attach the carpet after it was pulled snug. I used one roofing nail in either side where the carpet folded over from going from the top flat surface to a slant as I wanted to keep the carpet all in one piece instead of sections as it was large enough to cover both sides too.
I have the finished ramp along the end of the bed so she walks up and makes a right turn onto the bed at the top.
Some online examples include a railing to keep the dog from going off the edge of the ramp too high up, but I have some heavy cardboard I set in place to guide her to stay on the ramp.
Even when your dog is young it might be better to avoid them jumping down from high surfaces so as to help keep their joints in better shape for when they get older.
The flat top of the ramp 17x17 inches and it is 17 inches high off the floor, the ramp is also 17 inches wide, the overall length of the ramp at the bottom is 5 feet 8 inches. (our bed is 6 feet wide)
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