Ideas needed for "puppy steps"

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Ideas needed for "puppy steps"
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Kenworth

Joined: 04 Apr 2011
Posts: 855
Location: Michigan

Posted: Sun Nov 25, 12 5:42 am Post subject: Ideas needed for "puppy steps"

I know this sounds like a luxury, or maybe a curiosity! Anyways, here goes: I need to build some steps for my chuihuahua to get into bed on her own accord.

I would like to make it from wood, scrap pallets, perhaps? Miss Tinkerbell is under a foot tall, and the bed is about 4 foot off the floor.

If she were the Disney character, I suppose she could just fly up to the bed, but she isn't, and I would like a safe alternative for her to join me at her leisure.

arvo

Joined: 04 Dec 2006
Posts: 3321
Location: Somerset

Posted: Sun Nov 25, 12 9:01 am Post subject:

Ok. If I was designing this for a human I would be saying:
"How long are her legs"?

For a human, a nice step up is about half the width of your foot. 5/6" or so seems to work fine for most humans. I would say you're going for about half of that for a dog.

The most elegant engineering solution for that I'm not sure, I'm not brilliant with wood. I'd be going for the 'Lego' solution, which in my case would be a long plank, then another attached to that a foot shorter, and another on top etc until you'd got to the right height.

Sally Too

Joined: 14 Sep 2006
Posts: 2511
Location: N.Ireland

Posted: Sun Nov 25, 12 10:19 am Post subject:
What about a sort of ramp thing? With thin strips of wood on it crosswise to give her grip. A little like the ramps you see going into a hen house? It could be put up and take down easily, and would just need some way of securing it to prevent it falling ....

alice

Joined: 18 Feb 2006
Posts: 2820

Posted: Sun Nov 25, 12 12:14 pm Post subject:
She can't weigh much. I'd make them out of upholstery foam blocks. It'll avoid a lot of stubbed toes and banged shins. Yours, not the dogs

Gai

Joined: 31 Dec 2004
Posts: 408
Location: Ireland

Posted: Sun Nov 25, 12 12:22 pm Post subject:
I'd second the foam steps. Mum had a set of steps for years for her Cavelier Spaniel. I think hers were Doggy Steps, a quick look at amazon shows them out of stock but they were really lightweight plastic covered in mock sheepskin.

wildfoodie

Joined: 05 Apr 2005
Posts: 2169

Posted: Sun Nov 25, 12 5:05 pm Post subject:

Quote:

For a human, a nice step up is about half the width of your foot. 5/6" or so seems to work fine for most humans.

blimey. 12" wide feet: makes me feel positively dainty....

Kenworth

Joined: 04 Apr 2011
Posts: 855
Location: Michigan

Posted: Sun Nov 25, 12 5:07 pm Post subject:

alice wrote:

She can't weigh much. I'd make them out of upholstery foam blocks. It'll avoid a lot of stubbed toes and banged shins. Yours, not the dogs

I never thought of foam!

Brilliant Downsizers!!!!

Then perhaps a custom sewn casing to fit them in, sort of like a pillow case/slip? (I do sew

)

Doing the happy dance!

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Sun Nov 25, 12 5:32 pm Post subject:
Whilst I applaud the common sense approach to getting the hound into the bed, I am assuming there will be a helter skelter type slide to leave bed in the morning? Otherwise, it sounds a very dull plan. Or perhaps a firemans pole?

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Sun Nov 25, 12 5:39 pm Post subject:
Some sort of parachute or hang-glider surely.

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Sun Nov 25, 12 6:36 pm Post subject:
Zip wire?

Penny Outskirts

Joined: 18 Sep 2005
Posts: 23385
Location: Planet, not on the....

Posted: Sun Nov 25, 12 7:31 pm Post subject:
Downstairs is so much more difficult for them I'm trying to teach Herbie at the moment, but I think his legs are just too short

marigold

Joined: 02 Sep 2005
Posts: 12458
Location: West Sussex

Posted: Sun Nov 25, 12 7:36 pm Post subject:
I second Sally-too's ramp suggestion - also easier to go down than steps, I imagine. Triangular foam block with a strip of carpet on top to provide grip?

Went

Joined: 19 Mar 2006
Posts: 6968

Posted: Sun Nov 25, 12 8:42 pm Post subject:
Trampoline?

Sally Too

Joined: 14 Sep 2006
Posts: 2511
Location: N.Ireland

Posted: Sun Nov 25, 12 8:47 pm Post subject:

Penny Outskirts wrote:

Downstairs is so much more difficult for them

I'm trying to teach Herbie at the moment, but I think his legs are just too short

Your pup seems to be experimenting with descending techniques..... seems he has quite a bit still to learn!

Penny Outskirts

Joined: 18 Sep 2005
Posts: 23385
Location: Planet, not on the....

Posted: Sun Nov 25, 12 8:55 pm Post subject:

Sally too wrote:

Penny Outskirts wrote:

Downstairs is so much more difficult for them

I'm trying to teach Herbie at the moment, but I think his legs are just too short

Your pup seems to be experimenting with descending techniques..... seems he has quite a bit still to learn!

He's not even trying yet -

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