Pet Gear Free Standing Pet Ramp

This ramp did exceed what I expected but I truly don't understand the 3 main design flaws. 1. The legs really should be angled outward a little, for stability. If rough housing or problems with balance in heavier pups, it does have the tendency to tip over if unbalanced but I think my 30 pound pup would be fine. Heavier than that, I'm not sure. 2. There's no " handle" on the backside, for easy grabbing to move when needed. As a person who struggles with progressive, degenerative disabilities, this is a problem. There's no real place on the back of the standing end to grab hold of. Plenty of places where this could have been incorporated. Even a slot to slip the hand in. It's not as lightweight as I thought it would be but this does make it feel more durable than I expected. 3. The hinge is only on 1 side and it's the wrong side for me. It protrudes a bit so I had to use a foam pool noodle to cover it to protect my wooden bed frame. This causes there to be a small gap between the ramp and the bed since it runs parallel to the entire foot of my bed. It's not a difficult tweak in design to make this reversible. Where a customer can actually switch the side that the hinge is on. Now, the main problem that I am facing with this ramp, truly, may not affect other people or their pets but being neurologically different, with a service dog that is also neurologically different... the non slip pads, which are attached by Velcro, by the way...a plus for cleaning... These seem very nice. Softer than other materials I've seen in the past. The problem I'm facing is a sensory input issue for both me and my pup. I've had them airing out for quite some time and they have a VERY noticable, though not bad or overly offensive odor. It's almost a sweet smell BUT, this one issue... my dog will not go near the ramp at all. She is in need of the assistance but there's nothing I can do to encourage her to ignore the smell and use this thing. She is highly intelligent and cooperative, she is a service dog mind you. But when I tried lining treats up the ramp to urge her to walk up... the treats she loves sat there without interest. I later picked them up and I could easily smell the odor had absorbed into the snacks! She wasn't even going to take one of them from my hand! It's been sitting for a while yet it's still the first thing I smell when I go into the room. So, this said, if your pet has sensory issues and you notice issues with smells, may want to skip this one based on that alone. I'm currently trying to find another type of material that I can afford to purchase and add Velcro to, in the appropriate places, to use instead. Even though I do think this is a very effective non slip material that could potentially hold up over time.. she is not going to adjust or get used to the smell coming off of this thing. And I understand it completely, since I struggle with my sensory issues as well. Smells have always been one of my biggest sensory problems. I am glad I purchased overall but I am going to have to spend more money that I really don't have, to be able to get her to use this. It's the perfect width and height for her size and the height of my bed. It seems relatively easy to clean and I am thankful that the pads are so easy to remove. I wish the manufacturer would see this and consider incorporating the changes I've mentioned here. It would be a few simple changes that could make this ramp fantastic! Angling the legs could be done at a low level to ensure that it doesn't affect how close it needs to be to a bed from the sides. Even if it is simply a right angle towards the very bottom for added stability so tipping possibilities are eliminated completely. Making the hinge reversible so customers can switch which side it's on to protect their furniture and allow it to, again, be as close to the bed as possible so little paws don't fall into a gap. A spot to easily grab on the backside of the tall end and finding a way to eliminate the smell that won't seem to fade, even a little. Again, I don't regret this purchase but I didn't anticipate having to spend more money and time to make it usable for my pup and the extra effort to protect my bed.