[Dailydrool] Ramps

[dpmcquade at juno.com]

OK, I'm really behind on the Drool, since I haven't had a computer for days. But the ramp question is a great one that I had to answer.

Abner, as you probably all know by now, cannot do stairs because he had back surgery, so we have ramps for every occasion except going on the furniture (I don't want him deciding he can jump down).

I looked at all kinds of ramps to the outside. If you have only a couple of steps, you might be able to manage with one of the readily available ramps, but be sure it is really safe. Humans WILL try to walk on it. I can guarantee it. So either make it removable--and remove it when you're not using it--or have some safety precautions that will help the silly humans who walk on it. If your hound is not too stable on its feet, make sure you have something to keep it from falling off the sides of the ramp.

Anything ready made that would cover our roughly half a dozen steps is really pricey, so we opted to have a ramp built for us. The guys who made it had never done such a thing in their lives, but they built it to last, believe me. The storm that went through last week dropped huge tree branches on it and only weakened one support on the side that's designed to keep the houndies on the ramp. A few new screws should fix it.

If you are handy yourself, you might try building a ramp. If a friend is handy, you might get help. Make a ramp that is no more than two feet wide. It will probably fit in the space available and will still let you use the steps to get in and out of the house. Make sure there are sides or railings, to keep the hound from falling off the ramp. Also, put carpeting or some other matting on the ramp, to give sturdy footing. We also made crosspieces that give traction in wet or snowy weather.

If you need pictures of our ramp, let me know and I will send them to you.

Another good thing to have is a portable ramp that helps the hound get into a car. This is useful for traveling as well as getting your hound into a crate inside the car. But watch out, a hound can get awful close to the edge or jump down too soon. Having two people to spot the dog is a good thing. If you have a lower car, you might make do with one of the smaller ramps, but a van or larger SUV will probably require the six-foot variety.
Pam, with Drew, food slave to the Dashing Bassets





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