Good Steps® ~ Dog Steps for Small Dogs and Puppies

Short legs? No problem!

Young or old, dogs of shorter stature face additional challenges in life, but don't tell them that! Puppies get bounced down steps head over heels, all the short legged dogs have problems at some point going up stairs and steps, and yet, they all will do their best to share the coveted couch or bed with you. Yet, have you noticed that standard dog steps just aren't created with short leggers in mind. In fact, with their shorter leg length, dogs like Maltese and Corgis need a bit of extra care and thought given to helping them reach the higher spots which they would love to get to. 

• Maltese
• Chihuahuas
• Scottish Terriers
• Corgis
• Weiner dogs
• ...and especially puppies of ALL breeds!

You want me to climb what ...?!

Stairs can present real challenges for puppies and small dogs. Human stairs aside, dog stairs commonly sold in pet stores and online are just not made for the needs of many small dogs and puppies. For small dogs with short legs the height between treads (rise) can present real challenges when going uphill and can be tough on joints when descending. Puppies face even more challenges. Those leg muscles aren’t quite mature yet and often don’t have the strength or fast-twitch muscle fibers needed to jump up stairs. And have you ever noticed their coordination, or lack of? Puppies can really hurt themselves with a missed jump of a tumble down a set of steps. *Watch these videos to see the often dangerous situations created by traditional dog steps.

The Unseen Dangers

There may also be conditions you don’t even think about until it is almost too late. Case in point; we adopted a 14-year-old female Maltese one spring. Although she was a tiny little thing it quickly became apparent that while she could surge up steps like a young dog - however, she was a lot more hesitant when it came to going down those same steps.

Thinking it was simply a case of nerves (we learned she had tumbled down steps a few times in recent years) I tried to encourage her. About this time we started learning that she had heart issues as well as being a senior dog. So, while I was focused on her being afraid to descend stairs, what was also going on was that jumping down stairs was probably hurting her joints, causing her pain, as well as jarring her heart. The lesson learned here was that there is often more going on than what you first think.

Why Good Steps?

Standard dog steps may or may not work for your dog and even if they work during the most active and healthy part of their life the periods at the two ends typically are where most dogs, especially smaller ones, can use the help of Good Steps. Our step rise adjusts down to just 4" and with our Short Steps™ add-on you can get it down to 2", a height even the youngest or oldest legs can handle. And you can adjust the tread size to provide as much supportive landing area as they need.

Thinking dog ramps? Dog ramps pose their own issues with the angles often imposing excess strain on paws and tendons. Read about the hidden dangers associated with dog ramps and then, please, consider Good Steps – the dog steps designed for small dogs and puppies.

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