Best Sofa/Bed Steps for Dogs

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If you are considering buying some steps to help your dog to get onto your sofa or bed then its most likely for one of two reasons. Number one, your dog is getting older and finding the leap a bit harder these days, or two, you have welcomed a small breed pup into your home and you dont want to risk any preventable accidents. Depending on the reason, there are different considerations that need to be made. Lets take a look at why we should consider steps and the points to think about in both scenarios.

Why should I consider buying steps for my dog?

Many people only begin to consider buying steps as they see their dog begin to struggle with the jump, however, as dogs age, most of them will probably require a little assistance. Would it not, therefore, be an idea to make the purchase when the dog is younger? This way you will be protecting the joints from excess wear and also training it to use the stairs as a youngster (you know what they say about old dogs...). This would be particularly helpful to breeds which suffer with joint problems, arthritis etc eg. Labradors, German Shepherds.

What should I consider when purchasing steps for my dog?

The main point to consider here is the size of your dog. Stairs come in different sizes and materials and, although the height of the furniture is the same, a small dog would need more steps than a big dog would. For instance, a five step memory foam step will have the steps too close together and be too unstable for a larger breed of dog but the steps on a big wooden 3 step would likely to be too far apart for a small breed.
It is important to check the recommended weight allowance for the steps against the likely weight of you dog when fully grown.
Measure the height of your sofa/bed. The last step onto the bed/sofa should be similar to the height of each step. It wouldnt make sense to have 6" steps but then have a 12" final jump onto the furniture.
How easy are the steps to clean? Some have washable covers others are wipeable etc. Make sure you are happy with what is achievable/manageable. If you have a water loving spaniel having to dismantle and wash covers every time they are grubby probably wouldn't make sense.
Space, are you going to leave the stairs in situ or does lack of space mean that foldable ones would work better for you?

I hope this gives you a basic guide as to how to go about the process of step buying, with these points in mind we have done a round-up of some of The Good Kennel Guide's favourites.

Custom Built Dog Steps Starting from £55