Originally Posted by
jacksonsmommy
Hi all - I just wanted to post a quick update in case anyone comes across this thread in the future. We got Jackson the tri-fold ramp - the ramp was very lightweight and easy to handle, which I liked. Jackson was a champ on our "trial runs" (flat on the ground, up small inclines on our property), but when the time came to use it in the car, no dice. We have full-size SUVs (29" from the ground to the seat) and I think the angle of descent was just too steep for Jackson. On the way down, he would basically take one step on the ramp and then freak out and jump to the ground. The ramp itself felt sturdy so I think the ramp would be just fine with dogs that are not as chicken as Jackson...he really is kind of a wimp, but I love him anyway.
We then ended up getting the steps from Pet Loader and it works great! We got the 5-step loader so the incline is not steep at all. We went with the 16" width, so it's narrow enough to get in the side doors as well. I certainly won't get any "cool points" for using the steps in public, but it's worth the trade off to not have Jackson jump and to not have to lift his 70lb booty out of the car with my bum wrist. The biggest downside is that the Pet Loader is pricier than the ramp, but it's cheaper than joint surgery which is most important.
Just my 2 cents in case anyone is looking at these options in the future :-).