A Guide to Choosing Steps for Your Pet

So, you have decided that you’d like to purchase a set of pet steps for your dog. Envision the following picture: You’re psyched that the pet stairs you ordered online have finally arrived. Geez, the box is a lot smaller than you expected. You have to assemble the stairs, but you figure it’s a one-time price to pay for the steps. The instructions seem to be written in every language except English, and you certainly won’t make it through with the fragments you retained from high school Spanish. You’ve assembled bits of cheap plastic together—freehand—only to discover that the steps aren’t nearly sturdy enough for your dog, or that they’re too short to be used for your intended purpose (or any purpose at all!). Frankly, I can’t imagine anyone finding this scenario appealing at all. Not only do cheap dog steps result in added hassle and disappointment, but they’re a flat-out waste of money.

The best way to keep this from happening to you is to learn as much as you can about the requirements that your dog’s stairs will need to meet. Throughout this article you will need to ask yourself a few questions. These questions are important in narrowing down the possibilities for your dog based on his (and your) needs.

Question One: What does your dog weigh?

It does no good to purchase dog steps that won’t hold your dog’s weight, therefore you should probably bust out the scale and get your dog’s weight. You have to take into consideration the pressure your dog will put on the stairs isn’t simply his own body weight, but he will have gravity working on his side—especially when descending—which will add on a bit more weight. Therefore, read everything on the box if you’re browsing in the store—or all the “product info” if you’re looking online—and make sure that it clearly states the steps can handle your dog’s weight. If your dog is on the upper end of the limitations, consider going to the next size of steps.

Question Two: How tall/long is your dog?

The size of your dog (both in height and length) is a good indication as to whether you have a large, medium, or small breed of dog. You need to make sure that the steps you give your dog have enough climbing and landing room, which means you need to have a look at the width of the steps (from the base of the back of the step to the front). Putting a toy-sized dog on gargantuan steps could make it very difficult for the dog to navigate the steps—not to mention the possibility of a slip resulting in injury. Below you’ll find a basic guide to aid you in choosing safe pets for your dog.

Large Breed: 16” Steps or Larger
Medium Breed: 14” Steps
Small Breed: 12” or Smaller

What will your dog primarily use the steps for?

This, again, is very important to ensure that you get the correct steps for your needs. Do you need the steps to aid your dog in getting to your extra-high bed? Perhaps you should look into purchasing high pet steps. Will the stairs be used for the car? Lightweight, mobile pet stairs will likely be the best option for you. The best way to figure this out is to simply dust off your tape measure and measure the distance from the floor to the top of the surface your dog needs to access. If you’re using the stairs for your bed which is 2.5 feet from the floor, try to get stairs that meet this height—or get as close as you possibly can without going higher than the bed.

Your ultimate goal is to provide your dog with a safe and helpful way to get to and from places. It would be well worth the hassle of spending an extra hour or two searching for just the right steps for your dog.