She refuses the use the ramp

[MontananDakota]

So China, my new 9 year old sweetheart refuses to use the ramp I have for the dogs to get in & out of my Traverse. She instead goes to the side door, lets me put her front paws up on the floor then lift her butt in. This is a bit too much, her butt is kind of heavy to be doing this every single day lol. I have tried to lure her onto the ramp when it is flat and she will go, take the treat but then jump off and go no further. She will NOT go up on it fro a treat when it is raised to the back of the truck. She lays down flat-she is afraid. Any other tricks I can use?

[SunDance]

Do you have her on leash, in heel, trying to get her to use it flat on the ground?

Also, once you graduate to having it in the truck, go up the darn thing first yourself, get in the truck, and then call her to you with a treat in your hand.

If that doesn't work, just lay it somewhere in the house near where she hangs out and ignore it/her for a while. Maybe sit on it yourself while you watch TV with her in the room. Let her see that it won't bite her.

There's a chance that she fell off one in the past or something like that and she just needs to get comfortable with it. My first Lab Brutus had to be coaxed but it didn't take long.

[POPTOP]

Sundance has some great ideas.

We've used a ramp for years with 5 different dogs all of whom were reluctant at first. While we did not try with the ramp on the ground, which is an excellent idea, we always did it with two people, leash and treats. Mardi was the only one who did not really like using the ramp (probably because of her very bad hips) DH would put his arm behind her butt while I lead her forward with a treat. Now the treat she was totally into. China may benefit from having people on both sides of the ramp, not allowing her to jump off and giving her confidence. As always, patient, positive training.

[smartrock]

Chase doesn't like the ramp and as he gets older, he gets more reluctant to use it. Lark will run right up, treat or no treat.

Rather than going from flat on the ground to the steep angle into the car, maybe you can practice with it propped up on one step, then 2 steps, etc, to get her accustomed to walking up an incline on the ramp. I think that not only is it steep, but it's slightly flexible, so it may feel a little unstable and scary trying to get up it into the back of a SUV. I practiced with it flat on the ground and then propped on a step or 2 for a lower angle of ascent for a couple of weeks before we tried going into the back of the SUV. Having someone on either side of the ramp when she's going up might help, too, if you can get her onto it to begin with. And a really high value treat.

I can get Chase to go up the ramp if I have him on a leash, have a really yummy treat, and we give it several tries. Fortunately, he doesn't drop to the ground to avoid it, he just veers off. Most of the time I just front lift then butt lift him into the car because he's perfectly fine with that technique. I lift Lark into and out of the car if I'm not using the ramp. He weighs about 88 pounds and the front lift/back lift is just easier and safer for me than trying to pick him up.

[Annette47]

I agree with the other suggestions. None of mine were big fans of the ramp, Mulder in particular would often try to veer off of it. Having one of us on each side in the beginning helped a lot, as did having a hand on his collar guiding him straight so he couldn’t jump off the side (that was necessary even after he’d used it for several years).

Thankfully all the girls I have now are small enough (Chloe is biggest at 62lbs) that I can just pick them up if need be.

[MontananDakota]

Thanks guys. Will try with 2 people. See she flattens out and veers off. I just feel like this will be so useful as she ages ( she's already 9 years old.
AS far as "heel" -uhhh she doesn't seem to know many words at all-or at least none that I use LOL and definitely does not know sit, heel, we are working on leave it as that is one of the life savers...
... I really should have asked more questions but really I was just so in love with her & her energy that nothing they said was going to change my mind about taking her home and being a Lab I thought she must know stuff even if not-she will learn So she's already learned we feed twice a day at 7 am & 5 pm ad she must have an internal clock she learned treats come when they come back inside and again at bedtime. She 's learned "bedtime". She and Dakota have gelled very nicely. She hates riding though even if I lift her into the middle row of the traverse-she lays flat and chews her leash-clearly afraid. I also wanted to leave the middle row for my dd's and her stuff. The back is plenty big enough for Labs, and I just feel the ramp is a safer bet for us both. She is only 60 lbs. but for as often as I need my dogs to get in & out-its too much for my back and I don't want the repeated stress on her shoulders from her jumping out of the middle row.
So...I will try this with 2 people next. thanks guys

[SunDance]

She hates riding though even if I lift her into the middle row of the traverse-she lays flat and chews her leash-clearly afraid.

Maybe part of fear of the ramp is association with the vehicle. Try whatever you decide to do either in the house or at least away from the...SUV?...and see how that goes.

[Annette47]

She hates riding though even if I lift her into the middle row of the traverse-she lays flat and chews her leash-clearly afraid.

Maybe part of fear of the ramp is association with the vehicle. Try whatever you decide to do either in the house or at least away from the...SUV?...and see how that goes.

Is there anyway you can put a crate in your vehicle? She might be more comfortable that way. My guys all ride in crates and on the rare occasions where they are loose, they don’t like it at all.

[MontananDakota]

I could try that. I honestly don't know if she was crate trained either. It would have to go in the back and then I'd need a way to get her in...again-lifting her into the back of the Traverse is not something I look forward to doing more than once LOL

[TXLabLover]

Herbal Calming Collars - Calming Collars

This may help with her dislike of being in the car. They are also good for many dogs that have anxiety, dislike fireworks, etc.

I got one for Shasta for when there are fireworks and it seems to help.