Couch Dog Ramps

Choosing a couch ramp for your pet is very easy with a little bit of knowledge and careful planning based on your dog or cat's situation.

Small Dogs

The first thing you should take into consideration when looking at and choosing a couch pet ramp for your loved one is their size. When I say "size" I am not just referring to the weight of the animal but also the length, and width. A small sized dog can use a short ramp (see left photo) with ease because their body is shorter than the ramp which lets them walk up and down the ramp in several steps. They will also take to the short ramp more readily because it is the right size for them to use the couch ramp comfortably. A medium-large or large sized dog can find using a short ramp very awkward because their is not even enough room for them to get their front and rear legs on at the same time for some of them. If you are concerned about space in your living room and have a small dog then the 3ft couch dog ramp would make an excellent choice for your dog or cat. The 4ft couch ramp with a perch would also be a good choice if saving space is not a concern for you.

Medium-Large / Large Dogs

With larger sized dogs both ramp width and ramp length begin to come into play. A larger dog needs more width to have plenty of foot space on the ramp and enough length to be able to get both front legs and hind legs onto the ramp to actually use it. Unlike a small dog that will just shoot up and down the ramp, a larger dog may require a platform on the top of the ramp (perch) to have a level stable surface to get onto the ramp and off. The 4ft couch dog ramp model is basically a 3ft ramp that has been extended to allow more room for the dog to walk up and the perch will give your dog a smooth stable transition on and off the couch. For a larger sized dogs I would also recommend using 2 step stairs as well as larger sized dogs (50lbs +) can use stairs more effectively than small dogs and still benefit from impact stress reduction.

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Material Used For Couch Dog Ramps

          Certainly one of the next things that needs to be given some thought is the type of material used in making the product that you are looking at as there are many types of material out there to choose from. Keep in mind that this article is in reference to actual materials used to make a product and not the people or companies who make them. There are many creative people out there doing cool stuff with all these different materials but from a practical standpoint we will look at the materials for what they are and you can ultimately decide what material is best for you. The first material we will have a look at is carpet.

        Carpet is a great material to use for floors obviously because we use this material on our own floors. However a ramp or set of couch stairs that is fully carpeted can be hard to clean and can retain odor as well as harboring fleas as they will typically hang out right near your dog's bedding area. By wetting the carpet on the actual ramp or stairs you may damage or warp the unfinished plywood underneath ruining the ramp and of course if you spill coffee or something on them they are ruined for good so you will have to dish out money to buy another. If carpet is just used for the floors and can be replaced then that eliminates that concern all together so although fully carpeted ramps can be attractive, you may want to take these things into consideration before purchasing.

        Plastic couch ramps are generally lightweight and fairly easy to clean. They come in different colors and range from factory injection molded plastic ramps to PVC pipe ramps that may have plywood and carpet on the tops of them. Plastic ramps tend to look cheaper and don't really blend well in a furniture environment. If lightweight is important to you and looks are not then plastic could be a decent material for a couch ramp providing it has enough weight to it so as not to slide or tip while in use. Products made from this material can be some of the most overpriced as well as plastic is a very cheap material.

        Foam couch pet ramps are perhaps one of the worst choices of materials for a ramp. Yes they are lightweight and can be moved around with ease but they can also be unstable, be slid easily or be tipped while in use.  They are extremely cheap to make (great for profits) and at times can also be overpriced. Their covers can be soiled and although some covers can be replaced or washed, replacement covers are quite expensive indeed and how do you get the doggie pee out that absorbed down into the crevices of the foam? Simple, you don't. Foam ramps and stairs are among the least attractive ramps and stairs and although I have seen a few that were upholstered really nice, the old saying, "Beauty is only skin deep" comes to mind. Keep in mind that the actual foam inside the ramp is very inexpensive and the material is not much more if any.

        Wood couch pet ramps are without question the only true furniture ramps as we do not make our beds, dressers, cabinets ...etc. out of PVC pipes, foam, carpet or anything else. Now I know you are probably thinking that I am going to put wood up real high because our ramps are made of wood, but let's take a serious look at the pros and cons of a wood couch ramp. The strength and stability of a well designed wood ramp cannot be matched by any of the above materials. Wood is easy to clean and can just be wiped with a wet rag to clean. Something made of wood that is finished and sealed is going to last a really long time and if it is just the floor which is carpeted you can always just replace the carpet when needed which is very inexpensive. The ramps themselves on the other hand are more expensive then any of the materials above and far more time consuming to make. The intense labor, the cost of material and working with stains and polyurethanes makes wood dog ramps more expensive to buy although if you buy a good one you will never need to buy a replacement ramp as it will last for many, many years. Wood ramps are also heavier than the materials mentioned above as well but the weight acts as a counter weight to your pet's movements while on the ramp which gives wood ramps such unmatchable stability. Wood looks nice, is strong, stable, easy to clean and will last a long time. What more could you ask for in a couch ramp?