Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Too often we confuse noise with substance. too often we confuse setbacks with defeat.

Come on, media. you have one job. start doing it.

They fucked up the fucking up of the fuckup!

You passed on an opportunity to be offended? What are you even doing here?

We still have time to mess this up!

New McCarthy, same old McCarthyism.

Of course you can have champagne before noon. That’s why orange juice was invented.

Perhaps you mistook them for somebody who gives a damn.

Those who are easily outraged are easily manipulated.

When I decide to be condescending, you won’t have to dream up a fantasy about it.

Never entrust democracy to any process that requires republicans to act in good faith.

So fucking stupid, and still doing a tremendous amount of damage.

Hey Washington Post, “Democracy Dies in Darkness” was supposed to be a warning, not a mission statement.

That’s my take and I am available for criticism at this time.

I’d hate to be the candidate who lost to this guy.

Republicans do not pay their debts.

Sometimes the world just tells you your cat is here.

Come on, man.

Tide comes in. Tide goes out. You can’t explain that.

The low info voters probably won’t even notice or remember by their next lap around the goldfish bowl.

Disappointing to see gov. newsom with his finger to the wind.

They are lying in pursuit of an agenda.

The rest of the comments were smacking Boebert like she was a piñata.

Whoever he was, that guy was nuts.

You are here: Home / Pet Blogging / Dog Blogging / Doggie Ramp

Doggie Ramp

by | 108 Comments

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Because I saw how much trouble Rosie had the last two years, I learned from the incident and decided to design a dog ramp for Lily. Gerald cut, sanded and stained some wood, added an old carpet, and voila (ignore the mess and the angle of the picture makes the ramp look steeper than it is):

Doggie Ramp

I am pleased to report that Lily has discovered the ramp, inspected it, and is… FUCKING TERRIFIED OF IT and wants nothing to do with it. Thurston thinks it is a toy and is thrilled, though.

Reader Interactions

108Comments

  2. 2.

    Catherine D.

    I just had my crappy front steps redone because my insurance company said so. Now I have a slightly bigger porch and a ramp! My knees are so happy.

  4. 4.

    Anoniminous

    It’s raining so continuously here in New Mexico the rivers have WATER in them!

    (gadzooks)

  6. 6.

    Flanders Other Neighbor

    Man, when she was sick I was thinking how I’d have not gone the route of treatment for cost and chance of success.  It’s so nice to see how you both got so much time out of the deal.  Congrats!

    My best-ever dog was a Husky that died of cancer at a ripe old age maybe 18 or 19 years ago.  The present Husky is young and has a shot at the title if for no other reason than the title was won so long ago.

  8. 8.

    Chacal Charles Caltrop

    Lily obviously prefers to be carried up and down the stairs as necessary  (but then I have the honor & privilege to be the first feeder for a cat, so I’ve got experience in these sorts of things).

    any update on the Tibetan Terrier?

  10. 10.

    geg6

    LOL!  We made a ramp for Koda to get into bed (our bed is super high).  Koda won’t go near it.  But Lovey uses it every night.  It’s been there a year and Koda has yet to use it.

    Like brother, like sister.

  11. 11.

    WaterGirl

    @Chacal Charles Caltrop:

    any update on the Tibetan Terrier?

    I saw some nibbles, and even one bite, and then Raven commented that there was a local possibility, though not a done deal.  So I think that is paused for a short bit while they see if the local nibble is going to pan out.

    Raven will correct me if I got that wrong, but that was my impression.

  12. 12.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    I had a ramp for getting my arthritic old lab out of the car. Just out. He would walk down the ramp, but not up, which was the opposite of what I expected. But he would get his front legs up and I would hoist his arse up into the car, then he would walk down the ramp to get out. It would’ve been much harder to lift his whole self down and out than the front half up, especially when he’d been swimming, which was his favorite exercise in the last couple years

  13. 13.

    Starfish

    I read through the first part of this post and nodded along with your sensible idea.

    I died of laughter when I got to this part:

    I am pleased to report that Lily has discovered the ramp, inspected it, and is… FUCKING TERRIFIED OF IT and wants nothing to do with it. Thurston thinks it is a toy and is thrilled, though.

    Never change, John Cole.

  15. 15.

    Starfish

    @Anoniminous: Does this mean it is the season where everyone gets stuck in the mud, and the tow trucks refuse to come because they are afraid of also getting stuck in the mud?

  18. 18.

    KayInMD (formerly Kay (not the front-pager))

    @WaterGirl: I wondered if that might be the problem too.

    My son’s chihuahua could no longer make it up on the sofa this winter, so we made a similar wood-and-carpet ramp for him. He’s tiny and it’s 20″ wide. For awhile he looked at it and nodded, “That’s nice, looks like you put a lot of work into it!” but wouldn’t consider putting a foot on it. If we set him on it, he just stood there and trembled. Finally, in desperation, I laid a trail of cat treats up the ramp. Worked great to get him up, but he was still very suspicious about the down route. Finally, I was able to gradually get him further and further down via a trail of cat treats.

    Cat treats are just the right size for his tiny mouth, and besides, if the cats get them he thinks he should get them too.

  19. 19.

    Percysowner

    When my 12 year old beagle/chihuahua mix started having trouble getting on the bed, I got steps so he could get on the bed easier. He took one look and continued happily jumping on the bed without using steps. My 2 year old perfectly healthy beagle took one look and decided that the steps were great. She continues to use them to this day, even after my old guy passed. He did eventually use the steps, but really never warmed to them like she did. Animals are funny.

  20. 20.

    Gvg

    It looks too steep to me. No idea if it is possible to make it longer and lower. My sister the doctor was really persistent in convincing our parents not to settle for a 2 story house for retirement. This last year watching mom, well sister was right. Things change seemingly suddenly.

    Maybe introduce lily to the concept of ramps with a smaller wider one for some other place and purposes so she gets to think like that. Maybe a couple of front steps, the couch, getting in the car etc. they sell nice fold up ones for the car. However lily is small and could be carried. A lot of people worry about their big dogs having trouble when the people are also getting older.

  21. 21.

    Dan B

    @Raoul Paste: Lily;

    Elon on line 2. Boring Hyperloop or Space X?

    Your choice!

    ……………

    Lily;

    Hogwarth on line 3.

    Trebuchet. Slightly used. Make an offer.

  25. 25.

    kindness

    My big guy needed a step to get into the truck the last two years of his life.  He hated that step.  We got a ramp. A really sturdy one (he was 105 lbs.) and he fought every inch of the way up and down it.  He got used to the step because he knew that is how he got walkies.  He loved walkies right up to till a couple weeks before he died.  He was old.  In the end it was his hips that gave out.  He couldn’t pick himself up off the ground or stand if I helped him get up.  It was devastating but it was his time.  Right at the beginning of the Covid lockdown a year and 1/2 ago.  I had them give me his ashes and I spread them out on one of the local rivers we used to hike at all the time.  Beautiful spot.  I thank him and wish his spirit well every time I go out there.

  28. 28.

    Dan B

    OT:  John Lewis voting rights passes on House.  100% Party line vote, about that Klown Konzinger….   Now on to Sinister Sinema in the Senate.

  30. 30.

    Garbo

    I haven’t been around these parts in a while, so sorry to have to ask, but is Rosie…gone?

  35. 35.

    sdhays

    OT: I just got an alert from the Washington Post via Apple News that the GQP majority on the Supreme Court has ordered that the Biden Administration has to reinstate the Dump Administration’s “stay in Mexico” immigration policy because they said say, that’s why!

    My reading suggests that this is a ridiculous, absurd ruling, not to mention horrible and stupid.

    At least we were spared 4 years of Hillary, right?

  36. 36.

    Leslie

    Yeah, needs to be wider.

    One-story homes are a very good thing in one’s later years, human or otherwise.

  37. 37.

    Steve in the ATL

    @Anoniminous: I was playing golf in the vicinity of Weatherford, Texas, about 20 or so years ago (don’t remember my score but I’m sure it was well under par…) on a course alongside the…Trinity River, I think.  Climate change wasn’t a big issue to me before that day, but I noticed that the river had hardly any water in it (so I never lost my ball!) and the very next week I started investing in water stocks, because water was the new oil, even in Texas. I’m probably still underwater (ha!) on those stocks.

    anyhoo, having grown up on lake Michigan and the Mississippi River, it was quite the shock to me.

  40. 40.

    Another Scott

    @KayInMD (formerly Kay (not the front-pager)):  +1

    It does look pretty narrow, and she’ll need to be taught to use it. But we don’t want it to be a hazard for JC!

    PatrickMahaney:

    Here are some general guidelines: Ramp width should be about 11-12 inches for toy and small dogs, and 22-24 inches for medium size breeds. Rise of the ramp should allow an angle of incline at roughly 18 to 25 degrees. A toy or small dog will need 18-20 degrees and a medium size dog 22-25 degrees.

    […]

    This ramp is used indoors and made with Pine, ¾ inch thick. It has been sanded, stained (can try to match with your furniture) and finished with a clear satin outer coat. It can be painted instead of using a wood stain. I recommend adding vertical “sides” to ramps for the pet’s sense of security and protection. They will appreciate seeing or sensing a boundary on each side, when negotiating the ramp. This ramp has a 1.5 inch lip in each side. You can also add a carpet runner (find a carpet sample with a short nubby nap) and tack it down, driving the tack heads deep.

    For added security, build a horizontal base and attach it to the ramp at the far end, with two plain butt hinges, like the ones used on doors. Build a smaller vertical flap 1 foot in length, attached with a hinge, just inside the near end of the ramp. You will need to place a small 2-inch high stop at the near end of the horizontal base, so that the flap sits at a bit of an angle, not fully perpendicular to the floor.

    Now for the cool part, this ramp can be collapsed, folded and stored under the bed or couch, when needed.

    […]

    Installing a dumbwaiter might be easier… :-/

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  42. 42.

    Sis

    My parents tried steps when their little dog could no longer jump on the bed, but he flat out refused. They even tried putting treats on each step, but he just stood up on the side, grabbed a treat and walked away.

  45. 45.

    mrmoshpotato

    @sdhays:

    My reading suggests that this is a ridiculous, absurd ruling, not to mention horrible and stupid.

    At least we were spared 4 years of Hillary, right?

    Yes, thank fuck for that!  At least 78000 stupid, selfish children didn’t have to spend 4 years whining about everything Madam President Clinton did.  Good for them, the assholes!

  46. 46.

    CaseyL

    John, you need one of those Merrie Melodie mechanisms that causes the entire staircase to fold in on itself and become a ramp.

    More seriously: is there any way to make a kind of step-ramp?  Like, a very low step that leads to/blends into/becomes a ramp? Rather than stepping straight off the floor onto the ramp?  It would probably have to start further into the hallway/foyer, but that would also allow the ramp to be less steep, I think.

  47. 47.

    beth

    We got a ramp for our old lab to get her in and out of the car.   She wanted nothing to do with it.  While I was in the driveway trying to train her to use it, our mail carrier drove by, got out of her truck and proceeded to put the ramp flat on the ground and coaxed the dog into going back and forth over it using treats.  Once the dog got used to the feel of the ramp on the ground, we moved it to the porch steps and started the process over again.  She eventually got so she would happily use the ramp to go up the four steps to the porch but she would never, ever use it for the car.  Dogs and ramps are weird.

  48. 48.

    Another Scott

    @sdhays: LawTwitter is outraged.

    Absolute insanity. SCOTUS’ conservative majority repeatedly cleared away lower court injunctions so that Trump could implement his immigration agenda. Now it lets a single district court judge dictate foreign policy for the Biden administration. This is beyond outrageous. t.co/APUvqydAfh

    — Mark Joseph Stern (@mjs_DC) August 25, 2021

    Balls and Strikes, amirite??

    Fight for 15!!.

    SCOTUSBlog has more on Biden’s filings before the decision

    Grrr….

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  50. 50.

    raven

    @WaterGirl: I have not heard back from the folks as far as local adoptions or cats and dogs yet. The positive responses were great and I should have gathered more information before I asked WG to post it but I didn’t.

  52. 52.

    raven

    I bought steps for Bohdi that helped him get in the bed for a while but then he couldn’t navigate them at all. Down the stretch I bought a ramp hoping to use it at the beach house but he wanted no part of it so it was just horse him with the sling.

  57. 57.

    trollhattan

    Normally* we might drive to Tahoe to get out of the valley heat and smog. Lovely place. Now, not so much.

    Areas in and around Lake Tahoe and Reno are posting the worst air quality readings in the country as smoke from the Caldor Fire makes skies look Mars-like.

    Currently, AirNow shows parts of Lake Tahoe are experiencing hazardous levels — which means an air quality index reading of over 300 — of particulate matter 2.5. The Reno area has similar poor air quality, with readings between 200 and 300, and the area around Carson City is affected by unhealthy air as well, according to AirNow.

    Real-time city rankings from IQAir show the top 10 cities with the worst air quality all fall in Placer, El Dorado, and Washoe counties. IQAir shows Kings Beach has the worst air quality, with a reading of 430, which falls in the hazardous category.
    sacbee.com/news/california/fires/article253712648.html#storylink=cpy

    Makes a certain amount of sense that one of two highways there is blocked by the offending fire.
    *This could be normal for all I know.

  59. 59.

    Wvng

    I put in a cat door from the house into our greenhouse some years ago because one of our cats kept scratching up the sliding door entrance. He NEVER used the cat door. Only one of our other cats use it, one started to once then tried to back up, got caught, and is now terrified of it. The one that will use it often wants us to open the sliding door instead because that’s what we do for the other two.

  61. 61.

    raven

    @Wvng: We had a dog door put in when we built our addition, Bohdi and Lil Bit loved it but we’re worried that Artie might be an escaper so we’re not using it yet.

  63. 63.

    cmorenc

    We too made a ramp for our elderly Italian Greyhound, who had reached the point where she struggled to go down the three steps off our back deck into the back yard when she needed to pee. Alas, she too was terrified of not being able to keep her feet and sliding out of control down the ramp. We tried painting it and pouring sand on the wet paint to create better traction, but she was still terrified of it and never would voluntarily use it, and we wound up having to carry her down anyways, and sometimes back up as well. When she was younger, she would leap over the three steps in a single bound with effortless nimble athleticism, and so it was hard to watch the decline in her physical abilities.

  64. 64.

    Mary G

    Getting ready to pull the trigger on a handicapped van. Nobody has answered my Twitter poll, so I ask the Juictariat:

    Toyota Siena

    Dodge Grand Caravan

    Honda Odyssey

    Chrysler Town and Country

  65. 65.

    Dan B

    @trollhattan: We’ve got “moderate” air quality in Seattle today.  It’s  getting worse as the day moves on.  Not sure which fires are the source.

  66. 66.

    raven

    @Mary G: The Dodge and Chrysler are the same. We’re on our third one and they are built like tanks and run forever. The one I sold had 270,000 miles on it and it ran like a top. I don’t know about what you get when they are converted into a handicap vehicle but they are solid.

  67. 67.

    Ruckus

    @Gvg:

    Six yrs ago I moved into a 2nd floor apt that had an elevator. The building had 5 stories and an underground garage so the elevator was necessary. I used to take the stairs all the time til just before I moved to where I live now, about 2 1/2 yrs ago. On the ground floor. Yes things change suddenly, just over 2 yrs ago I felt 10 yrs younger. A day later I didn’t.

    Life has limitations, I’m not an Olympic anything and neither are most of us. It’s good to push those limitations, it’s not so good to attempt to pole vault over them.

  68. 68.

    raven

    @Mary G: The Dodge Grand Caravan is a practical and popular minivan, and that’s why it’s the vehicle with the most conversion options. You’ll find a range of choices, all with options to meet your unique lifestyle and budget requirements. BraunAbility Dodge conversion vans are available as rear-entry Grand Caravans or side-entry Grand Caravans, in regular or extra-tall heights, with infloor or foldout ramps, and as manual or power ramps. With so many configurations, there’s a BraunAbility Dodge Grand Caravan handicap van for every wheelchair user. Equipped with superior design, safety, and accessibility, the BraunAbility Dodge Grand Caravan handicap van is the complete package. Come see for yourself at your nearest BraunAbility dealer!

  70. 70.

    Ruckus

    @Mary G:

    I’d probably go with raven.

    I’m not particularly a Chrysler fan but they have been making them for a long time and sell a fair number of them without major problems, I’d probably ask the conversion company what they sell the most of, I’d bet it’s the Dodge/Chrysler, which as raven says, are the same vehicle with a different badge. They stopped making them in 2020, which shouldn’t make any difference, the conversion company likely got them last year to convert, and over the decades they made over 14 million of them. There is a new version for 2021, the Chrysler Voyager and the Chrysler is now the European company, Stellantis.

  71. 71.

    Elizabelle

    @Mary G:  I really like Toyota Siennas, and Toyota brands last forever.  That said, they all sound good.

    Good luck to you!!

  72. 72.

    Tim in SF

    John – there are a metric buttload of videos on Youtube for training dogs to walk on a teeter, ramp, a-frame, and dog walk. Many of them specialize in how to get a dog that’s timid to walk on the ramp. Almost all of them are for dog agility, but that doesn’t matter – the training is exactly the same.

  73. 73.

    WaterGirl

    @Another Scott: How long before Biden’s committee or commission or whatever it is comes back with their document laying out all the various options for dealing with the court?

    I think it was 180 days, but I don’t know when the clock started.

    If we can keep the House in 2022, we will have to do something about the courts.  This ruling is indefensible.

    Balls and strikes, my ass.

  74. 74.

    Aurona

    My 10 year old pug/Jack Russell uses ramps but she didn’t until we built a ‘protective bar’ that ran on the other side, sort of like a mini hand rail that went to her shoulders. She felt more secure so I think her vision tripped her up until she saw this was safe and would keep her inside the ramp.

  75. 75.

    White & Gold Purgatorian

    @Mary G:  My parents had a Dodge Grand Caravan modified with a lower floor and a power ramp that folded out of the passenger side rear door. The company that modified it was located just north of Atlanta, can’t remember the name right now. It worked really well for them. Drove pretty much like a minivan. They looked at a used Sienna locally that had the “kneeling” system but the lady showing it couldn’t get it to work and they absolutely needed an easy, reliable system, preferably with a warranty. They kept their van about 2 years and sold it for probably 80% of what they paid. It was money well spent.

  77. 77.

    Ruckus

    @WaterGirl:

    Conservatives do not want an actual country, especially one that is good for everyone. They want one that is for the special people, them. I believe that they misunderstand the usual usage of the word special. They want one for the super rich because they can cheat that one better, because if they have to compete or be equal, they always fail. They have to fix the country to their ways so they can rob and steal, be powerful and know nothing, They want to conserve a way of life that is harmful to all but themselves, because, except that it’s harmful to them as well. They want racism to elevate themselves but all that does is diminish them and make them worse assholes. I’ve watched CA dump most of their conservative politicians and become a better place to live, more jobs, better jobs. It’s too crowed because it’s a better place to live than Redneck Villa.

  78. 78.

    Another Scott

    @WaterGirl: Looks like it will be before Thanksgiving.

    The Announcement.

    To ensure that the Commission’s report is comprehensive and informed by a diverse spectrum of views, it will hold public meetings to hear the views of other experts, and groups and interested individuals with varied perspectives on the issues it will be examining. The Executive Order directs that the Commission complete its report within 180 days of its first public meeting. This action is part of the Administration’s commitment to closely study measures to improve the federal judiciary, including those that would expand access the court system.

    The first public meeting on May 19, 2021, so presumably they’ll be done before Thanksgiving:

    “We’re not charged with making specific recommendations,” commission co-chair Cristina Rodríguez told the group. “Rather, we are to provide an evaluation of the merits and legality of particular reform proposals being debated today.”

    Rodríguez, a Yale Law School professor and former official at the Department of Justice, shared the drivers’ seat with co-chair Bob Bauer, an NYU Law professor and former White House counsel to President Barack Obama. The virtual meeting kicked off with swearing in the commissioners present and approving the commission’s bylaws.

    Then several of the members summarized the five areas that the commission will study: (1) the genesis of the reform debate, including why reforming the Supreme Court has been a debate throughout the nation’s history and what factors contribute to the debate of late, (2) the court’s role in our constitutional system, including debates about the scope of judicial review and the authority of the court to invalidate the acts of the other branches of government, (3) length of service and turnover of justices, (4) membership and size of the court, including proposals to expand the size of the court, and (5) the court’s case-selection process, the shadow docket, and the court’s interactions with the public.

    The meeting was slated for 90 minutes but the commission adjourned in just under half an hour.

    The commission will hold six public meetings during the next 180 days, when its final report is due to the president. At least two of those meetings, one in late June and one in late July, will feature public testimony from 24 witnesses who will submit written statements and answer questions from commissioners.

    The commission will post drafts of the report on its website along with recordings of its public meetings. Bauer emphasized the commission’s desire for public comments on the five areas of focus — to be submitted by Aug. 15.

    The commission will hold its next public meeting in late June with witness testimony.

    I hope they got sensible public comments, and heed them.

    We’ll see!

    Apparently the thing today was one of their (increasingly common) abuses of the Shadow Docket where they decide things without hearings or issuing actual opinions…

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  79. 79.

    trollhattan

    @Dan B:

    I stare at the sat photos and ponder “which ones?” not that it ultimately matters.

    Fingers crossed the Coast Range doesn’t burn like last year. This week in 2020 we took the kiddo to college via I-80 and before returning, wildfire jumped I-80, blocking the path home. For the next six weeks or so we breathed smoke from that fire.

  80. 80.

    Mary G

    @raven:

    Ruckus: 

    @Elizabelle: 

    @White & Gold Purgatorian: 

    Thanks to all. There are more Dodge Caravans available used than any other. The price of a new one is astronomical, but many have 35,000 – 50,000 miles on them, so it’s reassuring that you got 270,000, raven. I will probably wait two weeks after my booster shot to do a test drive. And make the salesman sit in the far back with all the windows open.

  81. 81.

    Anne Laurie

    A protective rail along the exposed side *might* help Lily deal, but the angle will still be an issue. Since she’s not very big (IIRC), it might be easier for both of you to get one of the body harnesses with a ‘handle’ on the top, so that you can just carry her up & down when she needs it, without damaging your shoulder (again)…

  82. 82.

    A woman from anywhere (formerly Mohagan)

    If Lily was a cat, I would recommend rubbing a generous amount of dried catnip on the ramp.  But since she’s a dog, I got nothing.  Maybe rubbing hamburger on it?

  83. 83.

    Ruckus

    @Mary G:

    I wonder how much driving you will do? I have a car that’s just over 5 yrs old, because my last one decided one day to become a  bottomless cash pit and I’ve put on less than 14 thousand miles. Earlier this year I had to get a new battery because the old on sits around too much. I just don’t drive a lot any more. Before Covid the VA hospital was most of my miles but I started taking the Metro and/or the MetroLink. Takes longer – sometimes but less hassle. But with Covid I’m not all that inspired by the train. Which worked most of the time because the VA has been doing video appointments when they can. But with my movement issues that really doesn’t work so once again I drive when I have to. I live a mile from work so walked when it’s not raining or way too hot. And now, retired. (I never get tired of saying that!)

  84. 84.

    Spanish Moss

    We built a ramp for our greyhound, Blackie, which he used successfully for the last two years of his life. Similar situation, a half flight of stairs. Our first attempt looked something like your picture. We had to make several changes to get him to use it:

    1. We tacked rubber entryway mats to the surface to improve the traction.
    2. We had to make the angle much shallower. It extended ~5 ft past the end of the bottom stair and we raised the bottom end about 6 inches off the floor, so he had to step up/down to get on/off at the bottom.
    3. We put a crude rail on the open side. Just a few 2×4 uprights and a couple along the length.

    Getting him to use it the first time was tough, and he wouldn’t make a serious attempt until we added the rail. It took us a while to figure out he was afraid of falling off the side. Maybe this would not be an issue for a shorter dog but for a gangly greyhound it was. Up was easier than down. We started using it ourselves for a few days. Then with a leash, treats, encouragement and cheering we got him to use it.

    Good luck!

  85. 85.

    eclare

    My dogs took to steps to get on the bed in about one day.  Up and down, no problem.  The cat took about a year…

  86. 86.

    NotMax

    FYI.

    On Tuesday, the Federal Communications Commission proposed an over $5 million fine against conspiracy theorists and conservative activists John Burkman and Jacob Wohl for making hundreds of robocalls spreading 2020 election misinformation.

    In its proposal, the FCC said that the agency is weighing a $5,134,500 fine against Burkman and Wohl for making over 1,100 robocalls in violation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, or TCPA.… Source

  87. 87.

    Johnnys mom

    In case nobody said it yet, try treats for getting near it, treats for getting nearer, treats for touching it, then treats for getting on it. Gradually stretch her comfort zone. Patience and treats get you everywhere.

  88. 88.

    Johnnys mom

    1.  In case nobody said it yet, try treats for getting near it, treats for getting nearer, treats for touching it, then treats for getting on it. Gradually stretch her comfort zone. Patience and treats get you everywhere.
  89. 89.

    Steeplejack

    I don’t want to freak anyone out, but the Powerball website has been screwed up since Saturday night. ? Seems like someone should get on that. The last estimated jackpot was around $300 million.

    Might be related to rolling out a new Monday drawing (in addition to Wednesday and Saturday).

  90. 90.

    Yutsano

    How to (possibly) lose a Senate race in 1000 words or less. To call Walker problematic is putting it mildly. To give Warnock a great chance to show compassion for his opponent is almost chef’s kiss worthy.

  91. 91.

    Stuart Frasier

    I had a roommate whose 20-something year old cat could no longer get up on the bed.  She’d meow and his elderly german shepherd would gently lift her with his mouth.  It was very sweet.  They died a few days apart from other.

  92. 92.

    Dan B

    @trollhattan: We’ve had approx 1/20″ of rain in Seattle since late June.  I’m amazed we don’t have plants dying, especially conifers like Cedars and Hemlocks that prefer moist sites.  Western Washington is a massive tinderbox.  We’re trying to convert friends to electric cars, heat pumps, and LED’s.  Few have any interest.  “Expensive” and “unfamiliar” are the stumbling blocks.

    Our house is wood as are 99% of homes here.

  93. 93.

    Mary G

    @Ruckus: I probably won’t drive that much, but public transportation here at the bottom of the OC is scarce and not very wheelchair friendly. There are places I would go if I could, the Huntington where. Bill takes. It also feels safer to have a car. My housemate works insane hours and most of my friends can’t lift the weight of even a manual transport chair easily.

  94. 94.

    mrmoshpotato

    @Steeplejack:

    I don’t want to freak anyone out, but the Powerball website has been screwed up since Saturday night. ? Seems like someone should get on that. The last estimated jackpot was around $300 million. 

    Thanks for letting us know, and congratulations!  It’s very generous to want to share the jackpot with us. ?

  95. 95.

    Odie Hugh Manatee

    @Mary G:

    Sienna, without a doubt. You pay the ‘Toyota tax’ (price for quality) over the others but get Toyota reliability to go with it.

    I’m the odd one out on this but I have had a Plymouth Voyager and a later Dodge Caravan and both were mechanical disasters. Never again.

  97. 97.

    piratedan

    Wasn’t toyota the one who reneged on the stop supporting fascists and racists politically?

  98. 98.

    Ruckus

    @Mary G:

    I figured it would be easier for you even if public transportation was great. I was more wondering if you are thinking 5 or 25 thousand miles a year. Hence my point about not actually driving as much. Of course tomorrow I have an almost 90 mile round trip I have to do. I HAD to put gas in the car! It was 2 months ago I did that last. Which reminds me, I have driven a lot but now my economy car, which gets high 20s around town and can get mid 40s on the highway took $47.00 in gas at the cheap place. And it has a 12 gallon tank. I must be getting old, I remember when gas was less than 30 cents a gallon.

  99. 99.

    Ruckus

    @Odie Hugh Manatee:

    No I’m the odd man out here. I’ve had a bad Honda. A bad Toyota. And a bad Nissan. My one Dodge needed a new rear end. Never owned a GM car – other than an Opel built in Germany I think, but my dad did. And had major issues with 2 of them. I’ve actually had my best luck with Fords. Have had a number including a couple used – both of which had issues. Of all my new Fords only one had any issue and it was fixed in one day perfectly

    I believe that all manufactures can put bad cars off the production line. Today that seems to be less likely but no where near impossible. And one can never really tell one way or the other if one is going to fail or be a lemon. You get one you get rid of it and move on. I’d like the system to be better but as long as humans are involved there will be lemons. Hopefully just a lot less of them

    Oh and that Toyota? We took it back endless times, the service manger would drive it, agree with us, it would go in the shop be fixed and then again it would take a crap. Finally Toyota told us it was as good as it was going to get, go away. I did, I’ll never buy another.

  101. 101.

    Jo Jo las Orejas

    Esa rampa da miedo y no codifica. Tengo un fanfarrón de Australian Cattledog y nunca lo intentaría sin muchas golosinas de alto valor. Queso un perritos calientes. Quizás entonces.

  103. 103.

    Odie Hugh Manatee

    @Ruckus:

    Late reply!

    I think we are all the odd man out…lol! That’s why I usually hesitate to give advice like this; everyone has a different perspective and they are all right in one way or another. I can say that every single vehicle I have owned have has problems, large and small.

    No argument on Ford quality, I love them and still have my ancient Mustang. The one thing that Toyota has going for it is plentiful and relatively inexpensive OEM parts that allow me to keep an older model alive on the cheap. I have to say that while the engines are noisy they are damned rugged, so it’s just keeping the rest of the van rolling that is the challenge!

  105. 105.

    mardam

    Same thing happened with my girlfriend’s 75lb female pitty. I made her a ramp so she could get into and out of the car. Nope. Daddy’s elevator every time.
    She did the same thing with the stairs I made her to get into and out of our bed at night. Though she COULD use the stairs, as often as not she would stand on the floor and whine until I got out of bed, walked around the foot of the bed and picked her up, placing her on the bed. That’s Daddy’s elevator.
    Then, the kicker was she would suddenly “sprint” across the bed and into my spot as I raced around the foot of the bed again to get in. Always too late. She would be laying on my pillow by the time I got there with that idiotic “what?” look on her face.

    I LOVED that dog.

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