Running boards for older dog

lol nice. Not gonna lie, I might sell them if I was you. It’s funny but in a cute kinda way. Also who cares how you make some extra money on the side. Could go to dog friendly mods!

 

Wow. This is almost exactly what I did and was referring to in a previous comment here! The only difference is t hat what I also did, was that I removed my passenger seat [I had an xtracab Tacoma at the time] and I cut 6-inch thick foam to fit the whole area where the passenger seat was, as well as another piece to cover the rear seat storage area. This created an "L" shaped bed for the dog, which I covered with blankets. Then, when the dog got in/out of the truck, I simply placed the wood ramp inside sideways and vertically, so that it actually fit in the space between the foam and the door. This made it a seemless place to store it both when the dog was in the vehicle as well as when she was out. Since nobody rarely even rode with me at the time other than the dog, this was actually OK. On the few occasions when the wife wanted to ride with us, SHE had to squeeze into the rear area behind the back seat, BEHIND the dog, who always rode sitting up on her bed in the front of the vehicle! People couldn't believe that I made the wife ride in the back, but I always told them that "my best girl always rides in front", meaning, my dog! Good job @LongBeachCa!

 

You crack me up! Wife in the back seat, your best girl in the front custom made seat. Gotta love it. Carry On!

 

I found these pics of my dog with the bed I made in the truck. In one of the pics, you can see part of the ramp I made for the dog.

 

Did you take the passenger seat out?

 

Yes. It is only held in by 4 bolts, and is easily taken out. I obtained a thick piece of foam rubber, about 6inches thick, and cut it to fit the whole space from just under the dash, back to the rear area behind the seats. I covered the foam rubber with blankets and/or towels. I usually only used blankets when I took the dog on long trips, so most of the time, I covered the foam with towels that could easily be washed. It is hard to tell from the pic, but she was a German Shepherd, and weighed 105lbs. She was a good sized dog, and so, that was her area of the truck! If and when the wife ever had to ride in the truck with us, the wife always had to squeeze into the area behind the seats, and behind the dog. As I always told people, "My best girl always rides up front!"

 

That's what I wanted to know I have a BIG GSD! He is 125, after losing 25 this last year. Since our weight gain, (!!) I have been unable to take him to the lake to swim, he loves to go with me. I'm taking the truck for an oil change and tune-up next week, and I'll have them take the seat out! It's all about my boy!!

 

I totally get it! Once you take the seat out, and put in some foam to make the bed, your dog will love you even more! Another thing, the reason why I put the foam in, was to make it a nice even bed, but also, by using thick foam, it brings the dog up to a better height so they can look around and see what's going on.

 

My boy is afraid of heights. I need to make a ramp with an incline that cant be too steep! If it's too steep, he'll take two hours for me to coax. He is NOT enticed by treats. Lol

 

I actually still have my ramp. I made my dog a ramp, in fact, it is the same ramp I made for my previous dog, so it is quite old but still good. Anyway, I have a plywood board that is about 15" wide and about 4ft long. I covered it with outdoor carpet, so the dog would have something to somewhat grip when she is climbing up the ramp. I even put a nice handle on one end so it is easier to take in and out of the truck. Anyway, I would simply place the ramp on the bottom edge of the door sill, and she would step right out and walk down it. I found that it was easier to teach her to use it by first going down it, rather than trying to teach her to climb it going in first. But a ramp is a "doggone" good idea, because it saves the dog from having to jump out, which is a pretty good jump, and puts strain on their legs, as well as the disks in their necks. My friend had a german shepherd that weighed 165lbs. He was HUGE! But he was my dog's best friend. Anyway, one day after his parents had let him out of the back seat of their car at the dogpark, after the dog jumped out, he was barely able to walk around the dogpark as his rear legs were just basically being maneuvered as he walked. It got worse, and so after he did his business, they took him back home, where in only a few hours he was no longer able to get up or walk or even use his rear legs or body. It took two of them to do it, but they managed to get him into the car by picking him up, and took him to the vet. Xrays showed that two of the disks in his neck had pinched together, cutting off part of his spinal connections, so he was basically paralyzed from the neck down. Surgery would have cost $12,000, and the Dr said it was only a 50/50 chance of it working. So they put the dog down. But the Dr said the dog was born with the disks abnormally close together, but the jumping in and out of the car exasperated it, eventually causing the disks to cut off all communication from the neck down. So I DO highly recommend using a ramp. Long story, but relevant.

 

Very relevant. After my husband died, we didnt do anything for three months. I put my boy in the truck, which was a struggle and he could barely fit in the seat. He was uncomfortable as heck. We got to the park, he jumped out and he wasn't himself. We went into the park and he was out of sight for awhile. I went looking for him and he was laying under a tree. I got him up and he was limping. He went to get back in and he didn't want to go. Long story short, he pulled his ACL. We had 8 weeks of NO movement except for potty breaks. So the ramp is a MUST! Thanks for the dimensions, that will help!

 

Wow, I had no idea how relevant my own story was! Thanks for sharing! As for the plywood, make sure it is thick enough to support the weight. I can't remember how thick mine is, but I would say 5/8". Also, if you arrange for foam like I did, you can actually store the ramp inside the truck when not in use, and slide it sideways or on its side, right beside the edge of the foam rubber bed, and next to the door. it is out of the way, and easy to get in and out.