WeatherTech Lightweight Folding Dog Ramp: Dog Ramps For Large Dogs
About two years ago I did a blog post sharing 4 Dog Travel Accessories For Traveling With Large Dogs and I still use two of the items featured in that post today, with a third that I liked but also wanted to find a second option to. I was even asked on my YouTube video about it if I had any other better options and you know what, I think I’ve found it!
In that post, I shared a quick review of the PetSafe Happy Ride Extra Long Telescoping Dog Ramp. While I liked that dog vehicle ramp, there were a few things that I didn’t love after using it for a longer period of time. My new favorite? The WeatherTech Lightweight Folding Dog Ramp For Dogs! In this post I’ll be sharing why I think this is one of the best dog ramps for large dogs, all of it’s features and a side by side comparison of both of these folding dog ramps for cars so you can decide which is best for you and your pup!
WeatherTech Lightweight Folding Dog Ramp Product Details:
So first off, we have been HUGE fans of WeatherTech products for years! I still remember when the company’s golden retriever Scout was the spokesperson for WeatherTech Pet (I know he’s looking down at all of us smiling from furry ear to ear). My parents have many of their car products, I have the WeatherTech Single Pet Feeding System and now we have their awesome Lightweight Folding Dog Ramp!
The biggest things I look for in a good dog ramp for my large dogs is the traction surface, weight capacity, and overall storage of the product. This one checked all of those boxes! Below are the details:
- Weight limit: 300 pounds
- Skid resistance surface with traction pads molded into the ramp to keep your pet safe as they go up and down
- Total weight of ramp: 15 pounds
- Easy to clean and won’t rust
- Measures 15 inches wide and extends to 67 inches long.
- Folded measurement: 33.5 inches long with handles on both sides for easy carrying
- Rubber feet on both ends of the ramp to keep it in place and prevent slipping
- Price: $134.99
- Made in the beautiful USA!
I’ll go into more of the reasons why I love this one more in the comparison section after the next part about how to teach your dog to use a dog ramp if they’re new to it!
How To Teach Your Dog To Use A Dog Vehicle Ramp
Every dog is more comfortable, brave and confident with different things! For example, with my brindle boy Diesel, he walked up the ramp on the first try like he had done it his whole life. He’s always been extremely brave and confident in himself which is one of my favorite things about him. Annie on the other hand, is extremely confident once she knows the situation is ok. With her, I used these steps to get her comfortable on this WeatherTech dog ramp and even our indoor dog ramp from DoggoRamps!
P.S. If you’re looking for an indoor dog ramp, I’ve found the BEST one! Check out my review: Best Dog Bed Ramp: DoggoRamps Large Dog Bed Ramp for all the details!
Ok, so to teach your dog how to use your WeatherTech pet ramp, here’s the steps to take:
Step 1: Lay your WeatherTech dog ramp flat on the ground.
Step 2: With a treat in hand, encourage your dog to walk over the flat ramp and reward them when they do. Repeat this a few times in both directions, rewarding after each.
Step 3: Place your WeatherTech dog ramp on to your shortest couch and with a treat in hand again, encourage your dog to walk up the ramp. By doing shorter elevations first, it allows your dog to get comfortable with going up. Immediately reward and repeat a few times.
Step 4: Once your dog is comfortable using their WeatherTech dog ramp, switch out your couch for the car and with a treat in hand, encourage your dog to walk up the ramp into the car. Immediately praise and reward when they do!
WeatherTech Lightweight Folding Dog Ramp VS. PetSafe Happy Ride Extra Long Telescoping Dog Ramp
Now I want to do a comparison between the WeatherTech Lightweight Folding Dog Ramp and the PetSafe Happy Ride Extra Long Telescoping Dog Ramp because there are a few product differences between the two and then I have a few personal preferences as well!
- Weight Limit: Both have 300 pound capacity
- Overall Ramp weight: PetSafe is 18 pounds and WeatherTech is 16 pounds
- I will say that the PetSafe dog ramp feels a lot heavier than the WeatherTech even though it’s only a few pounds difference. They are made of different materials so I think that’s why but it’s crazy how much heavier the first one feels in my opinion, and I’m a strong person.
- Traction Surface: PetSafe’s is more like a flat sand paper grip surface whereas the WeatherTech is a rubber surface with grips that I feel like is a way better tread that PetSafe’s. I thought PetSafe’s was filing Diesel’s nails at first, ha, but in reality I think it was just wearing down the surface which I didn’t like.
- Ramp Length: PetSafe’s (the extra long version that is) can reach up to 87 inches whereas WeatherTech’s can reach 67. This really comes down to the height of your vehicle. If you have a big truck, you might need the longer one, but if you’re looking for more of a dog ramp for an suv, you’re good to go!
- Ramp Width: PetSafe’s ramp width is 20 inches whereas WeatherTech’s is 15 inches. Of course the extra width is always helpful, especially my larger breeds, but Diesel didn’t really have an issue with either width so I’d say you’re good either way here and can go off of preferences in the other areas.
- Storage Easy: Even though they both fold up, because WeatherTech’s is slightly shorter, it actually fits in the very back of my Nissan Rogue or behind my front car seats better than PetSafe’s. PetSafe’s takes up the entire floor of my back seats and doesn’t fit in the back of my SUV at all folded up.
- Price: PetSafe’s Extra Long Dog Ramp is $169.99 while WeatherTech’s is $134.99. Now, PetSafe does have a version of this ramp that isn’t the extra long version and that one retails for $107.95.
I feel like if you’re between these two ramps, I personally would get the WeatherTech lightweight folding dog ramp. I’ve tried and researched a lot of dog ramps for large dogs and feel like this one has everything large dog parents are looking for at a good price point!
Want more dog product reviews? Check out some of my all-time favorite and most-read posts featuring my must-have dog products and sign up for my newsletter below:
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Photography: Kate Kelley Collection