How to Train a Dog to Walk up a Ramp into a Vehicle

If your senior dog has trouble jumping into the back of your SUV or truck, then a dog ramp might help. My 10-year-old collie started refusing to jump into the back of my SUV about one year ago. I had to lift his front paws up into the back of the car and then pick up his back end under his belly.

I’ve done that for about one year, but he’s 80 pounds and it’s getting harder for me to lift him. Plus, he doesn’t like it. Another problem is that when he jumps out of my car, his front leg always comes up lame. I think it’s too much pressure on his paws and knees when he jumps. Afterward, he limps for about two days before his leg feels better again.

Finally, I decided to buy a ramp for the car. I checked them out, read the reviews and figured it was worth a try. There are also extra-wide and extra-long ramps for larger dogs available. I actually got lucky when my daughter found a ramp for free listed in the area Facebook page.

Well, I brought the ramp home and started training my dog to walk on it. You can’t expect your dog to just start walking up and down the ramp as soon as you get it. I’d say it takes about two weeks to get a dog used to the ramp. If you decide to try it, be patient, giving your dog plenty of time to get used to the incline.

If he has a bad experience going up the ramp, you may never be able to get him to use it again. Here are a few tips on training your dog to use a ramp.

Learning how to use a dog ramp

Training Your Dog to Walk Up and Down a Ramp  

Here are the steps to train your dog how to use a ramp for getting in and out of the car: (If you trained your dog to target objects, that could help train this also.)

•  Have some of your dog’s favorite treats on hand.
•  Put the ramp opened flat on the ground.
•  Bring your dog up to the ramp, letting him sniff it.
•  If he touches the ramp in any way, give him a treat.
• When he’s comfortable touching the ramp, put a treat on the ramp, so he can reach over and get it.
• Gradually, move the treats further along the ramp, so he has to step on it.
• Do this until he’s comfortable with his paws on the ramp.
•  Keep luring him with treats until he walks onto the ramp.
•  At this point, you should be able to lure him across the ramp.
•  When he’s walking across the ramp successfully, you can add a verbal cue that he doesn’t know yet.
• The next step is to add elevation very slowly.
•  Put a brick or piece of wood under one end, so the ramp is elevated slightly.  Use the same method to get your dog to walk across the ramp.
• Slowly increase the incline of the ramp until it’s the height of your car, SUV or truck. Just make sure there’s a surface for your dog to step onto when he reaches the top, such as a deck or platform.

·         When you’re sure that he’s 100 percent comfortable climbing the ramp, you can put it against the back of your SUV.

Your dog might still get nervous when it comes time to try to use the dog ramp to get into your SUV. Just be patient and continue using the treats. If he seems scared or nervous, don’t force him. Go back and keep practicing from the point when he was comfortable.

Eventually, he will get it and you won’t have to worry about lifting your dog or having him hurt himself jumping out of the vehicle. I hope this helps you get your dog used to using a ramp.