How to create a way for our dog to get out of a lake that has a 3-foot seawall?

Parent Cafe
1

<p>We live on a lake and our property has a wooden seawall. The depth of the water at the seawall isn’t very great - probably varies from 2-3’ - but the water level’s usually only halfway up the wall. We humans get out of the water via a ladder on the dock where the water depth is 6’.</p>

<p>At Christmas, our family got a dog - a six-month old mostly-Labrador Retriever. She hasn’t been out to the water yet, but in a couple months she’ll be in the lake and as of now, there’s no apparent way for a 30-35 pound dog to get out of the water and over the seawall.</p>

<p>Does anyone have a dog ramp or other device that they’ve put in place for a similar situation? If so, is it a commercial product or something that you built yourself? Is it permanently in place or portable? What provides the necessary traction and footing for the dog to climb it?</p>

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<p>We built a dog ramp…tried a set of steps we had but the dog would not go down the steps with the waves and this is an 80 lb. dog who loves water. We had to fiddle with the angle to keep the boaters wake on the weekends from pulling on the brackets but eventually we “got it right.” The biggest problem is that it can be slippery so then we put horizontal “slats/bars” so the dog could get down to a point easier where he could plunge into the water. Our seawall is higher and the water slightly lower…about 6 ft. from the top of the seawall to the bottom of the lake…the water height at the seawall varies year to year.</p>

<p>We take it out in the fall and we take a ladder at the end of the dock out because the ice flows in the spring can really rip stuff up.</p>

<p>The first couple times we had to put a leash on him and basically pull because he was nervous about the ramp, although thrilled to be in the water… but it didn’t take more than once or twice before he would fly down it…and taught all the other neighbors’ dogs.</p>

3

<p>If you goggle dog ladder, you will find some options. I thought that Doggy Docks and Cabela’s ladders looked interesting. You will just have to see what works well with your wall and remember, that 30 lb dog will be 60 lbs before you know it and you won’t keep her out of the water. Retrievers sure have fun in the water.</p>

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<p>It may take a bit of experimentation. It’s been my experience that each dog is different. My current dog prefers concrete footing … we use concrete block parallel to the wall.</p>

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<p>And I’m sure that the boy who loves her is going to have just as much fun. :)</p>

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<p>The video on the Doggy Docks website was just precious!</p>

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<p>There are also items like gabion baskets, a sturdy wire mesh basket filled with large cobble that you could put in the water and which ought to (usually) stay in place. Many people near us with stairs to the water have gabion baskets on the bottom to avoid their stairs being damaged by varying water levels</p>

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<p>I’d never heard of gabion baskets. I wonder if they can be used (filled) as steps? They wouldn’t get slick and slippery from the lake residue as steps would.</p>

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<p>I would get a life vest & they have a handle on the back for aid in lifting.
<a href=“http://vetmedicine.about.com/od/summerheathhazards/a/FAQ_lifevests.htm[/url]”>http://vetmedicine.about.com/od/summerheathhazards/a/FAQ_lifevests.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>If you get algae/seaweed the rock will still be slippery. We have rip rap at one end of our seawall (not contained in mesh) and it is very slimy and slippery. Every lake is different and it depends on water movement, if it’s spring fed, etc. etc. but the wire mesh would give the dog’s toenails something to grab so might work.</p>