15 DIY Dog Ramp Plans You Can Build Today (With Pictures)

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If you are the type of person who likes to build things, either as a way to save money or just because it is fun, then you will love learning about DIY dog ramps that you can begin building today. Though you may not have all the supplies on hand, you can easily find everything at your local hardware store.
As our dogs age, they need more assistive devices to help them get into bed or up the stairs. Two of the ramps on the list are for dogs who also enjoy swimming and boating and need the extra boost to get out of the water safely.
Top 15 DIY Dog Ramp Plans
1. DIY HGTV Dog Bed Ramp With Storage
This bed dog ramp by HGTV would be a fun weekend project that the whole family can participate in. It uses crates, a 1×10 board, and a small rug for traction. The crates work well for storing folded blankets or baskets, and this stylish ramp looks like it belongs at the end of your bed.
Materials: | Crates, wood glue, nails, a 1×10 board, door hinge with hardware, small rug, carpet tape, pencil |
Tools: | Hammer, miter saw, power drill with bits, measuring tape |
Skill Level: | Intermediate (power tool use necessary) |
2. DIY Boat Ramp for Dogs, From Halifax Dogventures
The boat ramp by Halifax Dogventures is perfect for those who love to take their dogs on boating excursions. The base is a large rubber mat with pieces of swimming1 noodles attached to the bottom that keeps it afloat. It is simple to put together with zip ties, and you hook it to your boat with carabiners.
Materials: | Five pool noodles, 2 rubber anti-fatigue floor mats, 42 zip ties, 2 large carabines, 6 feet of rope |
Tools: | Heavy-duty scissors, Utility knife |
Skill Level: | Beginner |
3. This Old House DIY Dog Bed Ramp
This Old House offers easy step-by-step directions on how to make a dog ramp. It even has the ability to fold flat so you can store it under the bed when not in use. They list this as a beginner skill level, but it may be a little more difficult for someone who doesn’t have strong carpentry skills. Nevertheless, their instructions are easy to understand, and before you know it, you will have a useful ramp made by your own hands.
Materials: | A multitude of lumber, including plywood |
Tools: | Jigsaw, drill and bits, paintbrush, putty knife, screwdriver, adjustable wrench |
Skill Level: | Beginner to intermediate |
4. Collapsible DIY Pet Ramp from Family Handyman
Materials: | Lumber, plywood, hinges, carpet |
Tools: | Table saw, jigsaw, nail gun, drill |
Skill Level: | Moderate |
There’s quite a bit of cutting involved in making this collapsible pet ramp but the ramp provides easy access for your dog and it can be folded and stored away under a bed or next to a wardrobe. It’s a sturdy construction, too, and it uses carpet on the ramp section so that your dog can get traction and won’t just slide down a wooden hill.
5. DIY Dog Ramp from Irresistible Pets
Materials: | Plywood, 2×8, carpet, carpet tape |
Tools: | Circular saw, drill |
Skill Level: | Moderate |
Dog ramps typically either take up a lot of room, stretching out into the center of a room or they are too short and too steep to prove useful. This DIY dog ramp runs alongside the end of a bed so that it doesn’t take up a lot of space. It is also long enough that it has a generous slope that is easy to climb up and down. It’s a fairly simple box design and it doesn’t fold away so it will take up a permanent position in your room.
6. DIY Indoor Pet Ramp from My Repurposed Life
Materials: | Cabinet door, plywood, piano hinge, carpet |
Tools: | Drill, staple gun, scissors |
Skill Level: | Easy |
Repurposing an old cabinet door not only means that you can save a little money on the cost of lumber, but it also means you can reuse some of your old timber stock. This DIY indoor pet ramp is a little different because it uses the chair or bed itself as the base for the ramp. This combination of using an existing door and not having to cut lumber for the base means that you may be able to build the ramp, which folds away for convenient storage, without having to make any cuts.
7. DIY Dog Ramp from WikiHow
Materials: | Plywood, boards, carriage bolts |
Tools: | Saw, drill stapler |
Skill Level: | Moderate |
This dog ramp is a more permanent design, or at least it can’t be folded away for storage. But it is relatively small and unobtrusive. That also means it is best suited to small breeds, so it will be suitable for Dachshunds and Chihuahuas but not necessarily for Labradors or Mastiffs. The plan is quite easy, and it can be customized according to your length and width requirements. You can also have the boards cut to size at most hardware supply stores to make life a little easier.
8. Instructables Inexpensive DIY Doggie Ramp
Materials: | Wire closet shelves, carpet, zip ties |
Tools: | Knife, scissors |
Skill Level: | Easy |
This inexpensive doggie ramp is a more affordable alternative to commercially available car and truck ramps. It uses metal wire shelving, covers the shelf in carpet for grip, and while it is designed to make it easier for your dog to get in and out of cars, it is lightweight and can easily be moved from one location to another. The shelves may not be strong enough for large dogs, but the plan is suitable for lighter pups.
9. DIY Dog Ramp from The Spruce
Materials: | 1×2, 1×3, plywood, dowel, carpet |
Tools: | Saw, drill, stapler, knife |
Skill Level: | Moderate |
A basic ramp is really quite a simple design. It’s just a wedge or triangle shape, assuming that it has its own base. If it doesn’t have its own base, it is just a long board! Throw in a couple of support legs and hinges, and you can create one that folds and can be easily stored out of the way. This DIY dog ramp opens up to allow access to bed height but could also be used to make the sofa more accessible to your small dog.
10. DIY Outdoor Dog Ramp from EasyPrepper101
Materials: | Treated lumber, metal brackets, outdoor carpet |
Tools: | Miter saw, staple gun |
Skill Level: | Easy |
In terms of form and function, an outdoor ramp is no different from an indoor ramp. However, you do need to make sure that the lumber you use is treated and that you buy outdoor carpet or some other material that is suitable for outdoor use. This not only helps ensure a good grip for your dog but it prevents the ramp from getting oldy or rotting and breaking. This DIY outdoor dog ramp is a covered board made from treated lumber that sits on top of decking stairs and provides much easier and safer access for dogs.
11. Fox and Brie DIY Dog Ramp
Materials: | Planks, a wood beam, wood strips, carpet |
Tools: | Saw, screwdriver |
Skill Level: | Easy |
Entrance and exit steps may look relatively easy to a lot of us, and agile, mobile dogs can bound up and down them with ease. But for dogs with poor mobility, even those couple of steps can be a real challenge. This DIY dog ramp is another outdoor ramp that uses outdoor carpet to provide grip and comfort, and it has wooden slats to offer further grip and provide easy access and egress.
12. DIY Dog Ramp from Pretty DIY Home
Materials: | One 2×4, two 1×2, one 1×1 |
Tools: | Drill, screwdriver, hammer or air nailer, mitre saw or skill saw |
Skill Level: | Easy |
Dog ramps for small breeds like Dachshunds need to be quite shallow, but they don’t need to take a lot of weight, which makes their design relatively easy and the list of supplies minimal. This DIY dog ramp was designed for a Great Pyrenees, a breed that is considerably larger and much heavier than any Dachshund. The ramp needs to be stronger and provide greater stability. It also needs to be wider but doesn’t necessarily need to have as shallow an incline.
13. DIY Ramp Over Concrete Steps from Malte
Materials: | Wood planks, 4×4, carpet |
Tools: | Drill, saw |
Skill Level: | Moderate |
Outdoor concrete steps can pose several challenges to dogs and amateur ramp builders. Not only are they difficult for dogs with limited mobility to traverse, but they can get slippery when damp. They also come in many shapes and sizes, and while a wooden board may sit conveniently over the top of the stairs and provide access, it can also be prone to slipping. This guide shows how you can create a ramp for concrete stairs and how you will need to adapt the design and layout of the supports according to the number and size of your steps.
14. DIY Dog Ramp from Building with Manny
Materials: | 2×4, 1×1, 2×2, plywood, carpet |
Tools: | Saw, drill |
Skill Level: | Moderate |
This dog ramp not only folds away for easy storage but because it has slats and legs, the height of the ramp can be adjusted so it is a good option if you want a ramp that can be used for the sofa and the bed, or various other surfaces. The ramp also has a really attractive finish, with a fence that makes it look like a dog show ramp rather than something thrown together with offcuts of wood.
15. DIY Adjustable Dog Ramp from Jen’s Pajama Projects
Materials: | Wood boards, plywood, wood strip, dowel, yoga mat |
Tools: | Sander, drill, driver, saw |
Skill Level: | Moderate |
This DIY adjustable dog ramp is another adjustable option and rather than using a carpet for grip, it uses a yoga mat. Really, you can use any material that is designed to provide grip, so something like a camping mat would also work. This adjustable ramp has two height settings, which is probably enough for most owners and most homes, but if you added more slots, you could add more height options so that the ramp could be used in even more settings.
If you’re going to use it outdoors, though, you will need to ensure that the wood is treated and that the carpet or mat you use won’t get easily damaged or destroyed.
Conclusion
We hope that these plans for DIY plans have inspired you to learning how to make a dog ramp that will help your dog go up stairs and confront other obstacles with ease.
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Featured Image Credit: Masarik, Shutterstock