Frequently Asked Questions

This often depends on the age and overall stamina of the dog.  It’s safe to say anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour. Start out with shorter periods of time as often throughout the day as your schedule permits.  PLEASE DO NOT leave your dog in his or her wheelchair unattended for any length of time.  In other words, if you’re at work or place of business, your dog should NOT be left in the wheelchair alone.

Going down a step or curb is generally not an issue.  Getting up a step or curb depends on the strength of the dog. Going up or down multiple steps or stairs will require some assistance on your part to prevent injury to your dog.

It depends on the size of your dog, the size of your house, etc…With the exception of large breeds such as Mastiffs, Great Danes, etc. all of our wheelchairs will fit through a standard size door.  We recommend that you do not use the wheelchair indoors with the larger breeds because of the possibility of damage to your walls and furniture.

Yes and No. Smaller, shorter breeds have a much easier time laying down of course, and larger breeds with strong front legs have been known to lie down in their wheelchairs.  However, when your dog is tired, we strongly recommend taking them out of the wheel chair for rest.

Yes, as long as the wheelchair and support system are fitting properly.  Your dog will not be able to “squat” in the chair, but will be content simply being able to relieve him or herself standing up.

There is no straight answer to this question, as every dog has a different disposition, in a different health state, and at different levels of strength and motivation.

However, thousands of dogs are living quality lives all around the world in dog wheelchairs. Fortunately, for you and your dog, we will refund you 80% of your money if you decide that our dog wheelchair is not a good choice for your dog. Return Policy. With that said, we have a less than 1% return rate on our wheelchairs, usually due to a dog’s passing before they can use the wheelchair within the 20 day trial period. So we are very confident to say that a dog wheelchair is a good choice for any dog that fits a proper evaluation.

You and your older dog can still have fun together and share many more memories with the help of a dog wheelchair. As a matter of fact, over 60% of our clients are over the age of 8. Older dogs need exercise as much or more as a younger dog. A dog wheelchair can help keep muscles toned, keep his or her body trim, and his or her joints protected.

If you want a little more time, perhaps years, with your older dog that has a condition that requires a wheelchair, the Ruff Rollin’ design will give you that chance. The Ruff Rollin’ wheelchair has given many dogs a new lease on life, a higher quality of life, and has even helped dogs come back to walking after all hope had gone. Read Bailey’s story here. She is an 11 year old Rottweiler that was diagnosed with Spondylosis. After her pain was managed, she was placed in a wheelchair, and six months later, no longer needs the wheelchair.

Follow this link to view a video of a us putting a large dog in a Ruff Rollin’ Wheelchair. VIDEOS

It can take anywhere from two minutes to two weeks for a dog to adapt to a wheelchair.

I like to give tips to owners to help their dog adapt to his or her wheelchair. Here are a few:

• Treats help of course, but keep it to a minimum if it takes longer than a few days to get your dog moving. Little dogs like Dachshunds and Corgies can gain weight quickly, which can lead to more injury.
• Take your dog to his or her favorite dog park or favorite play area. Other dogs and toys can be a great distraction from this weird object that is now part of their body!
• Keep trying! One of our clients, although a young dog, took almost two months to adapt to his wheelchair. He is now happy and confident and uses his wheelchair on a daily basis. Read Bean’s story here.

In addition, if your dog has been inactive for a long period of time (longer than a couple weeks), you will want to introduce a wheelchair to him/her slowly. An older dog aims to please, and can become overstrained easily. Start with ten minutes at a time, a few times a day, and work up from there.

Yes.  Most dogs adapt fairly quickly.  For dogs that aren’t quite sure or seem fearful,  we recommend taking a slow approach and allowing your dog to simply check out the new wheelchair for a few days by placing it next to the food bowl, and using just the support saddle without the chair to help him/her get used to having something supporting them.

We strongly recommend that you make an honest assessment of your dog’s front leg strength. When you evaluate your dog, and perform a “towel test”, you will look for signs of weakness in the front legs. These signs include knuckling, or stumbling on the front legs. Also short choppy steps are signs of weakness. Being able to drag him/herself along the floor is not an indication of good front leg strength. Please call us to discuss the option of a front or full support wheelchair if you see any of these signs.

If your dog is in overall good health, but having trouble walking, then he/she is a good candidate for a wheelchair.  We can determine which design is best after evaluating your dog’s front and rear leg strength. Evaluate Your Dog