How to Teach a Dog to Use a Ramp or Pet Stairs

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A ramp or a set of pet stairs only helps if your dog will actually use it. Many dogs walk straight past a new ramp, put two paws on it and back off, or freeze halfway down. This guide covers where to put a ramp or stairs, how to teach your dog to go up and down step by step, what to do with a small dog or an older dog, and when the problem is pain rather than nerves.

How we wrote this: the training steps come from two articles by trainer Pat Miller in Whole Dog Journal: help for dogs who are afraid of stairs (2010) and her guide to positive training techniques (2004), where she describes backchaining her own older dog onto a new ramp. The advice on older dogs, stairs and flooring comes from Battersea’s senior dog care page and Best Friends Animal Society’s senior dog care tips, and the lure method from Best Friends’ guide to teaching sit. All were checked on 1 November 2026. We did not test any ramps or stairs ourselves, and we do not show prices or ratings.

Pain comes first. A dog who refuses a ramp may simply be unsure of it, but it may also be sore. If your dog is limping, stiff, slow to get up, crying out, or has started avoiding stairs, jumps or the car, see your vet before you start training. A ramp or stairs is a way to get on and off things, not a treatment, and your vet can tell you which suits your dog.

Why dogs avoid ramps and stairs

Battersea notes that some dogs are wary of new objects and may avoid a ramp or steps until they have been taught to use them. Pat Miller adds in Whole Dog Journal that a dog in pain may find stairs too hard, and a frightened dog gets more frightened the more you push. So check for pain first, then go slowly and let your dog choose.

Before you start

• Make the surface grippy. Miller says stairs should have a surface that gives traction, so the dog does not slip and frighten themselves on a first try. The same goes for a ramp: look for a carpeted or rubber top, or add a non-slip runner. Battersea also suggests non-slip rugs on wooden or laminate floors, so the area around the ramp is not slippery either.
• Make it steady. Set it on a flat floor, push it firmly against the bed, sofa or car, and lock any clips or legs. One wobble can undo a lot of training.
• Have rewards ready. Small rewards your dog really likes do most of the work. If you use food rewards, our sister site inthekibble.com covers treats.
• Keep sessions short. A few minutes at a time, ending while your dog is still keen, beats one long session.

Where to put the ramp or stairs

Put the ramp or stairs where your dog already wants to go, such as beside their favourite sofa spot, and leave it there between sessions so it becomes part of the room. Give it a clear landing at the bottom with no loose rugs.

The angle matters. A gentle slope is easier for a nervous, small or older dog than a steep one, so start with the ramp at its lowest useful height. Our best dog ramp and pet stairs guide explains length, incline and surface in more detail.

Step by step: teaching a ramp with a lure

Best Friends describes a lure as a treat held close to the dog’s nose that the dog follows, which is then phased out so your dog does the move without it. This plan uses a lure to get your dog walking on the ramp, then lifts the ramp a little at a time. Move on only when your dog is relaxed with the step before.

1. Ramp flat on the floor. Lay the ramp flat and let your dog sniff it. Drop a few rewards on it and around it. Do nothing else; you only want the ramp to mean good things.
2. One paw, then two. Reward your dog for putting a front paw on the ramp, then both front paws. Let them step off whenever they like.
3. Walk across. Hold a reward at your dog’s nose and walk them across the flat ramp, rewarding at the far end. Repeat until they walk over it without slowing down.
4. A small lift. Raise one end a few inches, for example onto a low step, and lure your dog over the same way, staying beside them.
5. Raise it in stages. Over several sessions, set the ramp against a lower step, then the sofa, then the bed or car. If your dog hesitates, go back to the last height they found easy.
6. Fade the lure. Once your dog climbs with ease, walk with an empty hand and reward at the top. Add a cue such as “ramp” or “up” just before they start, as Best Friends suggests for adding a cue to sit.

Never push or pull a dog along a ramp.

If your dog will not step on: backchaining

Some dogs will not take the first step however tempting the reward. Pat Miller hit this with her own aging Pomeranian, who would put only his front feet on a new deck ramp. Her fix was backchaining: teaching the end of the route first, so the dog always walks towards safety.

1. Start near the top. Lift your dog onto the ramp about one body length from the top, facing up, and lure them the short way up to the bed, sofa, car or deck. Reward at the top.
2. Move back a little. After several easy repeats, set your dog down a little farther from the top and lure them up again.
3. Keep going. Keep moving the starting point down the ramp until your dog climbs from the bottom on their own.
4. Then go down. Reverse it: start near the bottom, facing down, and reward on the floor.

Teaching pet stairs

Pet stairs work the same way, one step at a time. Miller suggests two routes for a dog who is unsure of steps.

• Backchain the steps. Place your dog on the step just below the top, so the top is one easy step away, and reward them when they get there. When that is easy, start two steps down, then three, until they can do the whole set.
• Shape it. Start at whichever end your dog prefers. Mark (with a clicker or a word like “yes”) and reward any small move towards the steps, without coaxing or luring, and let your dog make every move. Some dogs get there quickly, others need more sessions. Our guide to clicker training a dog explains marking and timing.

Teaching your dog to go down

Going down often worries a dog more than going up, so teach it on its own: start with the ramp flat or from the bottom step, reward on the floor so your dog walks rather than jumps, walk beside them slowly, and only add height once they come down calmly.

Small dogs and older dogs

Small dogs

Miller points out that some small dogs are not big enough to manage a full flight of house stairs, even if they cope with two steps at the back door. A short ramp or pet stairs to the sofa or bed may suit them, but for a full flight you can carry a small dog, or teach them to ride in a carrier and carry that instead.

Older dogs

Battersea lists struggling with stairs and being less keen on jumping up as common signs of an aging dog, and says a ramp or small set of steps can help an older dog reach a bed or sofa or get in and out of the car. It also suggests a cosy dog bed on the floor near your dog’s favourite spot, for times when you are not around to help them up. Our best dog bed for senior dogs and arthritis guide covers floor beds that are easy to step into.

If your older dog is having trouble with the house stairs, Battersea suggests blocking them with a baby gate so they do not hurt themselves. Our best dog gate guide compares gate types.

Best Friends recommends a vet check about every six months for senior dogs. Ask then whether a ramp or stairs suits your dog.

Getting into the car

A car ramp is longer and steeper, so practise with it flat on the ground first, then set it against the car at its lowest angle, with the engine off and the door wide open. Reward inside the car on your dog’s usual blanket.

Our ramp guide covers the PetSafe Happy Ride Folding Dog Ramp for smaller vehicles and longer ramps for tall SUVs and trucks. For the drive itself, see how to travel with a dog in the car.

When to stop and call your vet

Stop training and speak to your vet if your dog:

• limps, cries out, or holds a leg up after using the ramp or stairs
• suddenly refuses stairs or jumps they used to manage
• seems stiff, slow to get up, or reluctant to walk
• slips or wobbles often, even on a grippy surface

Miller notes that if a physical problem cannot be eased enough, it is time to stop training and find another way, such as carrying your dog or keeping them on one floor.

Living with an older dog? Our guide on how to set up your home for a senior dog covers non-slip floors, supportive beds, stair gates and ramps.

FAQ

How do I get my dog to use a ramp?

Lay the ramp flat, reward your dog for stepping on and walking across it, then raise it in small stages. If your dog will not get on at all, backchain: start them near the top and lure them up, moving the start point lower each time.

Is a ramp or stairs better for an older dog?

It depends on the dog. Ask your vet, who can see how your dog moves. Our ramp and stairs guide sets out the differences.

How long does it take to train a dog to use a ramp?

Pat Miller’s dog learned in under 15 minutes with backchaining, but many dogs need several short sessions. Go at your dog’s pace.

Should puppies use ramps?

Whole Dog Journal’s ramp reviewer passes on a veterinary physical therapist’s advice to teach a ramp before a dog needs one. Ask your vet how much jumping is OK for your puppy.

Teaching other gear? See how to help a dog get used to a cone and how to get a dog used to wearing boots, which use the same slow, reward-based approach.