Thanks Kendal and Christine

[jackdeb]

Keep at it.

You could try playing with him near the back of the car then encouraging him to run towards it and eventually jump.

Have you tried using toy or treats to encourage him into the back.

Dose he jump over other things.

Good luck.

Jack
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springers rule!!! our house

[Christine]

Hi Ann sorry not been on the computer. Hope all goes well on Thursday night.

[Gaelle]

About ramps. We used one for the car for years with our previous dog who had arthritis. It was really good for her especially as she got frailer. It was non slip and easily cleanable too. Definitely worth considering one if you feel it could be useful.
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Happiness is watching my dog chase leaves dancing in the breeze.

[Ann, John JJ and Kyle]

Didn't manage gundog training Christine. He is still struggling to put his paw down. thought it best not to have him running around too much. Short walks only just now. He looks quite pitiful trying to cock his leg. Getting better though. Next lesson now in the New Year. Suppose more time to practice.

Jack I have even tried warm chicken in the back and he still is not for jumping in. Best we had was walking in from the steps.

Will need to invest in ramp I think. Thanks for the help.

HAs anyone else bought a ramp and any ideas as to what we should look for? Obviously non slip would be ebst and telescopic. When folded how much room do they take up in the boot and can the dog lie on top of it- obviously with a comfy mattress. Big dog obviously and not much point if we can't fit him, his crate and ramp in boot.

[Gaelle]

What I found useful when I needed to buy one one was
Weight: some of the wooden or steel ones are just too heavy to be easy to use. Rosie's weighed about 17lbs and was made of rubberised plastic which could be easily opened out with one hand if necessary.
Ease of operation: Something that can be worked quickly and easily with no fiddling about.
Storage: The one I bought folded in half and could be slid easily into the boot or between the back and front car seats.
Surface: Rosie's had raised sort of treads to get a decent paw grip on,
Length: you want one that is long enough to give a shallower slope for your dog to walk up and down on, some ramps have a very steep angle for the dog to walk on and some find it intimidating especially in the rain!!
Toughness: A ramp which is not too flimsy and might bounce when the dog walks on it, as this could unsettle him and put him off using it.
We never used it for her to lie on but it stored well in the car and when lain on it's side only took up a couple of inches. Because of the surface grip it didn't need any carpeting.

There are all sorts of shapes and sizes of ramps out there but I have seen very few on sale in pet stores, only about 2 or 3. Online is the best place to look to see what's available and decided what features you want. The one we used was PetStep full length ramp. Type "Car Ramps +dogs" into search engine and you'll see it plus lots of others.
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Happiness is watching my dog chase leaves dancing in the breeze.

[jackdeb]

I would not give up trying to train him.

Have you tried using another dog showing him how is done.

Let them play a while together then get the dog into the back of the car and encourage
Dexter to follow.

Just a thought.

Jack
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springers rule!!! our house

[Jack]

Good plan Jack! Rosie is a nightmare to train owing to her having no brain or memory BUT my saviour has been my Ella - Rosie watches Ella and follows her lead in all of her good behaviour - thankfully she has picked up on none of the bad behaviour Dogs will instinctively follow other dogs especially if they like them.
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Staffies are my life! Visit us at www.staffies.co.uk

[Ann, John JJ and Kyle]

Thanks everyone. Any dogs able to show him on Sunday would be welcome to make the back of my car muddy if it can get Dexter jumping in.

Managed a half hour walk this am without limping.