Juniper turned eleven this spring. She is an Australian Shepherd mix, about 48 pounds, and she has ridden along on every camping trip and road trip I have taken for nine years. The first sign of her arthritis showed up at the tailgate of my older Subaru Outback: she stood at the edge, looked down, and hesitated. Then she braced her front feet, hopped, and landed with a little grunt. That grunt is why I started looking at ramps. A dog ramp does not fix arthritis, but it can stop adding wear to joints that are already tired.
I use the PetSafe Happy Ride Folding Dog Ramp almost daily now. It folds flat, weighs 10 pounds, and takes about ten seconds to set up. Here are the ten reasons I keep reaching for it.
Stop the tailgate hop before it becomes a fall
The PetSafe Happy Ride Folding Dog Ramp gives a senior dog a steady walk down instead of a jump that lands on sore hips. See today's price on Amazon.
Amazon Check Today's Price on Amazon →It turns a jump into a walk
The whole point is the landing. When Juniper jumps out of the SUV, her full body weight hits her hind legs and spine. Walking down a ramp spreads that load across all four feet, one step at a time. For a dog with arthritis in the hips, that is the difference between a jarring impact and a normal step. The first time I set it up, at a rest stop on I-5 last spring, Juniper walked down like she had been using one for years. She did not need coaxing. She just put one foot in front of the other and stepped off onto the pavement. That is when I knew the ramp would stay in the car.
It protects the front legs too
People worry about the hind end, but the front legs take the hit on the way down. Juniper's stiff left elbow gets worse when she jumps. On the ramp she walks down at her own pace, and her elbow does not get the same shock. The ramp is rated for 150 pounds, so it handles her easily.
It keeps the morning stiffness from turning into a refusal
A dog that hurts when she gets out of the car starts to dread getting out of the car. The hesitation is the warning sign. When Juniper can walk down without pain, she stays eager about the whole trip. She still trots off to sniff the campsite instead of standing stiff and unsure.
It is light enough to actually take along
A ramp only helps if it is in the car. This one weighs 10 pounds, and it folds to 62 inches long, 16 inches wide, and 4 inches high. I keep it in the back of the Outback behind the seats, and I do not think about it until I need it. It leans against the cargo wall next to my folding camp chair and does not slide around on sharp turns. On a rainy trip to the coast last fall I left it in the car for three days without using it once, then needed it on the last morning when the ground was slick. It was there, dry, and ready. I would not carry a heavy ramp on every trip, but this one is easy.
The high-traction treads matter on wet mornings
Camping means dew on the grass and damp gravel by the tailgate. Last Memorial Day weekend we camped near the river, and every morning the ramp was wet with dew before the sun cleared the trees. She still came down at a steady walk, no slipping, no brace. The ramp's high-traction treads give Juniper's paws something to grip, and the rubber feet keep the ramp from sliding on wet ground. I have watched her walk down in the rain without hesitation.
The side rails give a nervous dog something to feel
A ramp that is too narrow feels like a tightrope. The PetSafe ramp has side rails that give Juniper a sense of the edge without closing her in. She can feel the boundary with her shoulder and stay centered. That confidence is what gets a hesitant dog down the ramp the first time.
It works for the car, the campsite, and the porch
Juniper uses it to get out of the SUV at rest stops, at the trailhead, and at the campsite. I have also laid it across the two steps at the back porch. It is a travel ramp, but nothing stops you from using it anywhere a jump is too high.
It spares the human back too
There were months when I lifted Juniper in and out of the car. She is 48 pounds, and my lower back paid for it. The ramp means she walks out on her own, and I just stand beside her with a hand near her collar. I am 61. My joints matter too.
It keeps road trips possible
We drive across states to collect stones for my garden work. Those long days mean Juniper gets in and out of the car four or five times. On a two-week trip through Nevada and Utah two summers ago, she got in and out of the car four or five times a day, every day. By the end of that trip her hips were no worse than they had been at the start. Without the ramp, each exit is a small impact on her hips. With it, she gets out the same way she gets off the bed, one careful step at a time. That is how a senior dog keeps coming along.
It is built to last through the senior years
The PetSafe ramp is made in the USA and comes with a safety release latch that keeps it folded when it is stored. PetSafe also backs it with a 1 year warranty. I have had mine for over a year, and it still folds flat and holds steady. The plastic surface has not cracked, the rubber feet still grip the gravel, and the latch clicks shut the same way it did on day one. I have dropped it on the driveway more than once and it has taken the abuse without complaint. It is one of those pieces of gear you buy once and use every day.
What I'd Skip
I would skip this ramp if your dog is small enough to pick up without straining, or if your car sits so low that the jump is barely a step. I would also skip it if your dog refuses to use any ramp no matter how much training and cheese you offer. Some dogs never get comfortable with the feel of it, and forcing the issue makes the car a scary place. And if your dog already has a diagnosed joint condition, talk to your vet about the whole plan. A ramp is one piece of it, not a fix on its own.
The Bottom Line
Juniper still hesitates at the tailgate on cold mornings. The difference is that now she hesitates, walks down the ramp, and then trots off to find the nearest interesting smell. The PetSafe Happy Ride Folding Dog Ramp does not take the arthritis away. It takes the unnecessary impact out of every single exit from the car, and for a senior dog, that is a big deal.
The ramp does not take the arthritis away. It takes the unnecessary impact out of every single exit from the car.
Give your senior dog an easier way down
The PetSafe Happy Ride Folding Dog Ramp is the piece of gear I reach for every time the tailgate opens. Check today's price on Amazon.
Amazon Check Today's Price on Amazon →