****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
I am here to buy another set, I bought my first ones 8 years ago and still using them, I run a sanctuary and may have a dozen dogs in my home at any one time from 7 pound Pomeranian to 100 pound American Bull dog and these have held up wonderfully.I write few reviews - these steps deserve their credit! I am going on 8 years of using them- yes i have small dogs but they are extremely sturdy - heavy- i feel confident walking on them myself. They are in the same shape as the day i got them. Granted the price has gone up quite a bit. I paid about $170 for 3 steps for reference. I thought it was expensive then! But i know i will have them for many years to come. I don’t use them as a ramp just as steps. They clean easy- very happy to have a quality item that i feel is safe for my dogs. My one dog bounces around and bc they are heavy they don’t budge at all when she flies onto them- very important for her safety. They look nice as well. Take care of them and they will last u many years!I bought the 3-step model in 2019 for my elderly 70 lb. Old English Sheepdog. I spared no expense for her safety. Ultimately, she used them for about a year before they became too unsafe and unstable for her (and then we resumed the “elevator” method of lifting her manually on and off the bed for the rest of her life). It’s not that the stairs weren’t made well - the build quality is okay and held up. I just think the rating of 130lbs max is an utter and cruel joke. I couldn’t let our 70lb dog use these unsupervised at any point because of how easily she could slip off of the cheap carpet on them - eventually I stapled ribbed pads over the carpet so she could have some traction. Even then, the stairs would creak and wobble, which I think scared her and made them even harder to use. They were also BARELY big enough for her - the number of times she almost missed a step and slipped. The near heart attacks I experienced repeatedly over this - thank God I was always there and she never used them alone. Hopefully if you buy these for a BIG DOG that dog will have a lot of strength and BIG COORDINATION and KEEN EYESIGHT so they don’t fall off and injure themselves. Which COMPLETELY DEFEATS THE PURPOSE. So all things aside including my dog’s condition and training her to use them, and the various difficulties on my end, I’d say it’s borderline criminal to claim that these can support a dog that is 130lbs. Absolute, utter lie unless you want your dog to die trying to use them. Rather disappointing for the most expensive steps I could find. I usually believe we get what we pay for but I sure didn’t in this case. Now, if you just said these were for 80lb max (in which case I wouldn’t put a dog bigger than 40lb on them)… this would theoretically be a 5 star review except I would never have bought them to begin with.I did a TON of research on steps and have purchased many variations of steps available. My outside research found an article that listed the 10 best dog steps available [...]. These steps were their number one pick. And these steps have one of the highest ratings via amazon as well. I am VERY pleased with this product.My biggest rave on these stairs is for the depth of each step. I've tried out dozens of other kinds of steps and have never found anything deep enough for my doxies' long bodies. They either have to go up at an angle or they don't use them at all. My pups fit on these perfectly. And it's nice to know I can always convert it to a ramp should the need arise.I liked that it came ready to use right out of the box and I didn't have to deal with the aggravation of putting it together. They are made of solid high quality wood with a nice dark cherry finish. Each step coverts to a ramp independent from the others meaning you could ultimately have the bottom step as a ramp and the other 2 set up in step form which is handy if the first step is too high off the ground for your pup.The only complaint I would have is it would be nice if they had various color choices for the carpet and maybe even different stain finishes. The carpet color is fairly neutral (light light pink) but as stated in some of the other reviews, doesn't always match all decoration schemes. Offering options may boost sales as the product is definitely the quality that would warrant expansion.One thing that also might be nice is a contrasting darker color along the edges of the steps. I only say this because my dog is going blind in his old age and sometimes he has a hard time seeing where one step stops and the next one stops.I do want to remind anyone looking for steps for their dogs that any steps - no matter how great they are - will require a bit of training on the part of the dog. Portable steps are different than regular stairs and any dog will need to get used to them and sometimes it may take a few days of coaxing to get them used to using them. You also have to abide by weight and size restrictions given to the steps and realize if you put things on a smooth floor, there is risk of slippage or movement.That being said, these are the best steps I have purchased. They are pricey but after spending just as much on other variations that either didn't work or were poorly made, the price is worth a quality usable product that will last for years and years to come. In addition, you don't get steps for the price but you have a ramp as well.I'll be honest, I was pretty hesitant to pay this much for dog stairs, but we've owned these for six years now and they've been worth every penny. We have a Pembroke Welsh Corgi who has always loved sleeping on our bed. Corgis are very prone to hip injuries and should not be jumping off furniture. We were pretty good about it during the day, but we couldn't stop her from jumping on and off the bed while we were sleeping. I had my eye on these stairs but couldn't bring myself to pay that much. We kept trying cheaper versions from big box pet stores, and our dog hated all of them. There were all just cheaply made. I finally pulled the trigger when she injured herself jumping down too many stairs at once, and the vet was adamant about not letting her jump off furniture. It took her a little bit to learn how to use the stairs (and she's never used the ramp configuration), but once she got the hang of it she started using them exclusively and has ever since They are well-made, a real piece of furniture, and we can just slide them under the bed when we need to.Highly recommend!Great quality
