A jump from boot height can load a dog’s front legs with several times their body weight. Breaking it into smaller steps helps reduce the peak impact.
The highlighted joints show where landing forces concentrate during a jump-down.
As boot height increases, peak forelimb loading increases – reducing the ‘single drop’ can be a sensible goal.
Who Benefits from Dog Steps?
Older dogs and arthritis
Senior dogs often hesitate at high jumps, especially when stiffness or arthritis is present. A staged climb can make access feel more manageable and may help reduce discomfort associated with hard landings.
Puppies and growing joints
Young dogs can look fearless—but growth plates and developing joints don’t benefit from repetitive heavy impacts. Training a puppy to use steps early builds a joint-friendly habit they keep for life.
Large and heavy breeds
The heavier the dog, the greater the load through joints on landing. For larger breeds, avoiding a single drop from boot height can be particularly helpful—replacing it with a steadier climb down in stages.
Rehab and post-injury
If your vet has said “no jumping”, car access becomes a practical problem. Steps (or a ramp) allow controlled movement in and out of the boot without a leap that could aggravate recovery.
Training tips: Start flat. Build confidence. Practise down. Move to the boot. Repeat briefly — most dogs learn the steps in a few short sessions.
FAQs – Joint Safety & Dog Steps
Hartpury’s findings back up what many owners already sense: jumping from the boot is an awkward movement with higher risk, whatever the dog’s age.
We treat the rear of the car as one system. Steps, fibreglass-mesh crate and fitted cushion turn the open boot into a defined, safe space:
Steps break one large jump into small, controlled movements, matched to vehicle height and dog size.
Fibreglass-mesh crate uses the boot space properly, stays rigid and ventilated, and can be fixed securely to the car.
Fitted cushion and surround create a calm lying area and shield the boot floor and side panels from claws, moisture and dirt.
Because each part is built around a specific car, the result is a clean layout, clear routes for the dog and a familiar place on every journey – with calmer, more joint-friendly entries and exits.
