ideas

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erin
Posts: 53
Joined: Sun Sep 02, 2012 2:58 pm

ideas

Post by erin »

My dog had a TTA surgery four weeks ago and we've exhausted the up and down the road bit as she's only allowed 5 minutes gentle walks so we're not making it very far :)... I'd LOVE to be able to take her somehwere else for those 5 minutes but I can't get her into the car. I can't lift her, not only she's a wee bit heavy at 70 lb, but she wouldn't let me. I bought a ramp from a pet shop which I haven't tried yet because I'm not sure how good it'll be and I don't want to get her excited for no reason in case the ramp proves to be not such a good idea. Other than these two ideas - I'm stuck.
If anyone has any other ideas - I'd much appreciate 'em :)

Cheers!
JudyN
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Re: ideas

Post by JudyN »

Could you do some clicker training with the ramp? Depending on its construction you could put it up against a sofa or something and click for touching it with one paw, then two, working on getting her onto the sofa... back down might be more of an issue - this way you could get her brain working whilst teaching her to go up & down the ramp in a controlled manner.

Hmmm, if the ramp just hooks onto the car so the angle is adjustable you could start with it flat on the floor and teach her to 'walk the plank' :D
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
Swanny1790
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Re: ideas

Post by Swanny1790 »

Are you concerned the ramp won't hold her weight or she will have trouble learning to use it? On the New Litter of Positive Sled Dogs thread there are several posts on how I train my dogs to "run the ramp". That series starts at https://positively.com/forum/viewtopic. ... 90#p143782. If you follow the thread to the next page you'll find more links to photos and some video.
"Once infected with the mushing virus, there is no cure. There is only trail." - Sven Engholm
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Nettle
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Re: ideas

Post by Nettle »

A lot of dogs find the ramp too steep initially, so I recommend teaching her to use it flat on the floor, then raising by degrees in your home, until it is at the angle it would need to be for your car. Then take the lesson out to the car. It would help if you could have some blocks to raise the ground end on to make the angle less steep, but these will need to fit into your car boot to take with you. Too steep is not good for the injury either.

You might find it easier to take her in the passenger side rather than the rear of the car, but she sounds a big dog and so this depends on the size of your car.


I feel your pain. I have been through this long road of convalescence several times with different dogs and oh boy does it get dreary. Console yourself with thinking that ten minutes is a lot better than nothing, and that the route might be the same but the smells change by the hour.
A dog is never bad or naughty - it is simply being a dog

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erin
Posts: 53
Joined: Sun Sep 02, 2012 2:58 pm

Re: ideas

Post by erin »

Thanks, guys :)
I'll try and set up the ramp in the house, see how we go there and we'll move slowly towards the car :)

It is a very long road; she's had surgery four weeks ago, she seems to be improving, but now the other leg bothers her and we had to cut down on her outings again. So we're back to toilet trips only for now and hope for the best.
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