Dog Ramp for German Shepherd, Pittbull-Chow Mix
When we aren’t hauling Killer around with us on the chewed up car seat cover of our vehicle, we’re home in our large room. We share a house with 5 other people in a large 5 bedroom house. Fortunately we have a huge room, about the size of a 2 car garage. In fact, our room is just one of two that are built over the garage. We also have a glass sliding door that leads to the roof over a large back room of the garage, providing us with a nice sized deck.
Our housemate in the room across from us goes to work in the morning and we babysit his dog. Totem is a 13 year old Pittbull-Chow. We live upstairs and it’s obvious how he dreads having to go up the stairs. He looks up to the top of the stairs, then behind him, and down at the floor, lots of conemplation in his planning. He struggles to get up the steps, and usually needs a little push from behind.
Killer, our German Shepherd, he still has a lot of skip in his step at 5 years old, he bounces past Totem, almost shoving him out of the way if he’s coming up from behind. It’s been great this summer to set up a few lounge chairs and have some of the room mates up on the weekend to watch our personal air show. There’s a few old fighter planes that will make their rounds on Memorial Day, 4th of July, and other special occasions to pay tribute to World War II vets, flying in formation. When it’s as nice as out as it has been, the small plane pilots like to get up in the air. We’re in Washington state, it rains a lot here in the great northwest, so one must take advantage of the sunshine while it’s available. We also have eagles, which are always impressive to watch.
Our pets like to be out on the sunny days as well. There’s no cover on the deck, so when the rainy season comes, we open up the windows to the gray sky and wait for the downpours to subside and the clouds to part so we can go out and play.
So, while the weather’s nice, the dogs keep watch of the yard from the roof. Killer enjoys a good seat on a cover making himself comfy, Totem, well, he’ll find a seat and lay down anywhere, he’s not particular. Our “Killer dog” leaps off the deck/roof to run and catch up to our other housemates cat, depending on her mood, she’ll either give him a pass with her paw with an annoyed hiss or just ignore him and let him beg her for attention. In the meantime, Totem will eventually meet up with them after he goes back into the house and slowly makes his way down the stairs meanders down the front sidewalk around to the back of the house and across the field out to the wooded area.
Seeing the problem, my husband, decided to build a ramp out of a long pallet, using my bathroom throw rugs to help for traction and as protection from their legs slipping through a slot. We’d feel awful if anything were to happen to Totem, he’s got enough problems without breaking a leg.
It took a bit of coaxing for Totem to determine that it wasn’t as much of a challenge as the stairs, and has been using it regularly.
Now, when we go to the truck getting this old pet up into the back of the truck, or even into the cab of the truck is a little more difficult. As you can see, he’s a pretty big puppy, getting into the truck on his own, is pretty much out of the question, though if we had a car, something a lot lower, he’d definitely give a mighty effort and I have confidence that he’d make it. As I’ve mentioned before, Killer is the truck King, he rules the bench seat, that he’s taken initiative to chew a hole in the center of. When we’re going out in our truck, well, the vehicle just doesn’t have enough room for all 4 of us to sit up there, so Totem lays down in the back on a cover while Killer jumps through the sliding back window of the truck so he can lay down in the front.
Yes, he lays down. I’m a big woman, and I take up a good part of the seat, Killer doesn’t budge, it’s easier for me to adjust myself than it is to try to move him. I really wish I could teach him to drive. I’d probably not be as nervous to have the dog drive as I am when my husband drives. I’ve got to get myself a car, that’s all there is to it. It’s illegal to drink and drive, I don’t drink, but I really want to when he’s driving.
But, who can afford to drink when you have a gas guzzling vehicle. Thank goodness fuel prices are lower, but at $3.00 a gallon, when your vehicle is using up a gallon every 8 miles, it’s better to cover up the old clunker and find a hammock and a good book.
So, I guess the next project should be building a dog ramp so Totem can get into the back of the truck on his own.
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