# Doggy stairs



## pebble's mama (Jun 1, 2008)

Pebbles can get on the couch just fine, but the bed is too high for her to jump onto, which leads to a problem because she sleeps with me every night. It can get exhausting picking her up and putting her on the bed all night long (she likes to jump off randomly then whine for me to help her back up). So, I think doggy stairs may be a necessity.

I was just wondering how many other people used these and what their experiences were with them. Where can I find some good ones?


----------



## anouk (Nov 3, 2006)

I bought them for Lizzie because she has the same problem and I got tired to lift her up & down all the time.
Never regretted.
Honestly these aren't cheap and after a year you can see that the foam is deformed in the middle, but they are so cute!
I suppose you can find good stairs in many stores.


----------



## Maidto2Maltese (Oct 19, 2004)

Actually any bed is too high, IMO, for a little Malt to be jumping off so hope you can find a solution. My Missy ended up with torn cruciate ligaments in each leg and had to have surgery from jumping: # 1 off a recliner ( which is MUCH lower than any bed), and #2 happened leaping off the porch steps in a chase of a squirrel, and these were low rise steps to boot.

Quincy doens't attempt to jump off the bed and is settled for the night once we turn off the lights. Naddie DOES usually want off but she is a "mix" and very long legs and a bench serves the purpose for her...it would never work for Quincy. I had looked into several steps and not yet found one that accomodates our very high bed and/or that doesn't take up a lot of floor space for Naddie to use ( Our lay out doesn't leave a lot of options).... and found for her the bench works fine. At night , I put pillows around the perimeter of the bed in case Quincy should ever fall off.
I did get some inexpensive ones for the recliner for Quincy but he had been trained to not go on furniture unless "invited" so he won't attempt to use them... and Naddie doesn't need them.

Good luck !! Good sturdy ones and 'compact' at the same time aren't easy to find. Though I think the ones "Our-Joe" makes are a good option and very attractive as well.


----------



## carrie (Aug 24, 2004)

i can never find the ones i have online, to reference for a pic. but i got them at petsmart. they are a beige hard plastic, with removable carpet strips (for cleaning). it came in a box, unassembled. when i opened it, it there were two sides and 5 steps (i believe) that i had to pop together. i think the set was like $80 (a year ago) and i got them on sale for like $60. the stairs are extremely sturdy-which i was surprised to find, and hold up to 60lbs. 
my bed is over 2 feet off the ground, so stairs were much needed. =}

good luck in your search. =]


----------



## kathym (Aug 5, 2006)

MY FRIEND GOT MINE ON LINE THEY WERE A 2 FOR AT THE TIME . THE 4 STEPS ONE .THEY ARE NOT THE PRETTIEST THINGS ON EARTH BUT THEY WORK MINE IS PLASTIC WITH A WASHABLE COVER.I TOOK A SMALL RUG AND SORT OF DRAPED IT .TO GET USED TO USING THEM I PUT A SMALL PIECE OF CHEESE ON EACH STEP AND ONE ON TOP ,WORKED LIKE A DREAM AFTER A FEW TRIES :thumbsup: GOOD LUCK TO YOU


----------



## luvmyfurbaby (Feb 11, 2007)

I have one in the living room and one in the bedroom. My bed is really high also and the steps didn't reach. I have a bench at the foot of the bed so I put them up against the bench and they go up the stairs land on the bench and then jump onto the bed. They were $10 each at Walgreens.


----------



## Morkie4 (Oct 13, 2006)

I have stairs for the kids to get on the bed at night.............but only the Yorkie will use them. The girls both have LP (Grade2) so they will not use the stairs at all. But they accept that we will pick them up and put them down when they need to and it is working. Here is where I got my stairs, a bit pricey but they are well made. Wood covered with carpet.

www.cozycatfurniture.com


----------



## wooflife (Aug 8, 2007)

I have the plastic steps from walgreens (as seen on TV). They've my dogs love them and I've recomended them to many others who have been very happy with them. 

Leslie


----------



## pebble's mama (Jun 1, 2008)

> I have stairs for the kids to get on the bed at night.............but only the Yorkie will use them. The girls both have LP (Grade2) so they will not use the stairs at all. But they accept that we will pick them up and put them down when they need to and it is working. Here is where I got my stairs, a bit pricey but they are well made. Wood covered with carpet.
> 
> www.cozycatfurniture.com[/B]



I have looked around at the Walgreen's website and cannot seem to find these stairs. Any help locating them on the site?


----------



## wooflife (Aug 8, 2007)

doggy steps two for one


----------



## Stelkia Maltese (Jun 3, 2008)

I have the plastic one. I got it at PetSmart.

I have to tell you about last night... Usually the light from the DirecTV receiver is on all night. But for some reason last night turn the receiver off and Maggie fell down the stairs in the middle of the night. I jumped out of bed and thank goodness she was okay. From now on I am going to use a nightlight. I think she's was a little afraid of the stairs now.


----------



## Aarianne (Jul 22, 2005)

There's also a Simplicity pattern (#3906) for folding pet stairs (and some beds) that could be done in a fabric that suits your room. I think I saw the pattern at the local Wal-Mart for $5. If you could get your hands on cheap or free foam, you could save yourself a lot of money!

There's one even cheaper on ebay atm.


----------



## Aarianne (Jul 22, 2005)

Oops. The pattern is actually for a ramp--not steps/stairs... which actually seems safer to me for our little dogs. I don't know about you guys, but I hate the way mine navigate stairs. Zora's 5 lbs., but still small enough that she won't even go up or down a full flight of stairs and Tiffy has rammed her head into a hard stair at full speed before, nearly knocking herself out... :smpullhair:


----------



## Cosy (Feb 9, 2006)

I bought the steps from Petsmart, set them up, used the treat enticement and Cosy just sat there staring as if she were saying " why would I use those when I have a human hand elevator?" :walklikeanegyptian:


----------



## cheribob (Jun 28, 2007)

I bought the really expensive ramp from a certain pet supply catalogue. Casey managed it just fine even though he was blind. I put drops of vanilla down the middle of the ramp. Muffin never learned how to use it.


----------



## Moxie'smom (Dec 16, 2007)

I learned the hard way.

After back surgery and 9K later I got ramps for all the beds and stopped allowing jumping on anything.

My beloved Moguls at 10 years old wound up with compressed disks and needed surgery. Were they caused from years of jumping off the bed, off of the couch, off of anything? I don't know for sure, but what I I do know is it couldn't have helped. I was so scared for him. I didn't want him to become paralyzed from the neck down either. And at 10 yrs old, I was really nervous about putting him through surgery with the anesthesia and on his little spine. 

That is why I will always tell people to put ramps or stairs next to the beds or the couches so our little ones don't have to jump so high, or have to sustain the landing with their little legs. Mogie also had luxating patella's, so that didn't help either.

We've never allowed Moxie to jump on the couch or the bed and from the beginning, he was taught to use the ramps, which he does with no problem. We still keep and eye on him, but my ramps are like furniture. I don't think the guy makes them anymore, but they were made with a side guard and a guard at the top, railings of formica, so they can't fall off. And they are carpeted with a type of carpet that they can't slide off of.

I think Joe from SM makes furniture too for our little ones. Maybe he can/or does make ramps/stairs.

Bottom line, go with your gut and use them. You don't want to go through what i did. Emotionally for them, or financially. For them it's really no big deal. And now a days, they can be made to meld in with your furniture. When i got them years ago, all I found was the type that Petco has, and those are not suited for our little guys.


----------

