Standard Rear Support Dog Wheelchair FML Elite, Large

The media could not be loaded. The first few times putting my dog in her wheels were a major undertaking. Now I can put her in them and take her out by myself. The first few times she didn't move far or quickly. However once she realized she could move on her own, her giant smile plastered across her face and her tail was wagging as she began to really move. Just one problem. At the end of the video I uploaded you'll see she tried to roll in the grass with her wheels on. That doesn't work. After a few attempts I think she now understands she can't do that. I take her out of the wheels so she can get some good grass rolling in. She let's me know when she is ready to run around again. And run she does!! On walks I have to remind her to heel (she was always a very good walker), because she just wants to run. I'm hoping over time her endurance with the wheels will get better too. We're up to about 3 blocks round trip before she's worn out. She is 12 and will be 13 in December. 100% healthy except for her left rear leg (and her right rear is going lame too).I purchased the large because she's about 68 pounds and I didn't want the thing to fall apart when she becomes more accustomed to it and can actually go potty with the wheels on. We are not there yet. My husband put small pool noodles over the metal bars on either side of her. This should help in our summer heat, so she doesn't get burned and help with any rubbing. So far so good.This came with a comfort sling to use once she's fully accustomed to the wheels. In my pic and video, we have her in the "sports" sling (part that goes under her belly to hold her in a more upright position). They recommend she stays with the sports one until she's truly used to this. It doesn't allow her to be lazy and just lay in the sling... which I can see would make it hard to get them to walk or run in the wheels. Without the sports version holder her up higher, she probably would be a bum and just want me to roll her about.The sports sling also has a handle on either side you can use at first to help them get used to the wheels. I don't recall the instructions explaining the handles. But we figured that out during her first go in the wheels. I imagine if she didn't always want to zoom in her wheels, the handles would be an easy thing to hold onto when going to a walk. So far this sucker is sturdy and far exceeding my expectations. I wish I had gotten this sooner.

WHY DOES AMAZON CARRY THIS GARBAGE? A complete waste of money. The product is poorly designed, and the pieces don't fit. Specifically, the crossbars are IMPOSSIBLE to install because they are different lengths, and you will literally need to bend metal bars in order to follow the instructions. The joints are not designed to accommodate these angles, and the entire cart is unstable.

My dog was 95lbs so I got the giant one and his legs still dragged on the ground. It was also impossible to get him in it by myself, it took a team! The set up was really easy though and if it had worked I imagine that he would have enjoyed it

The media could not be loaded. So, this thing couldn't have come at a better time: my 14 year old labrador rescue came to me when he was 10 yrs old as a medical rescue following a harrowing ACL surgery. Long story short, he's only gotten worse with his mobility since then, but it's amazing how much will to live this guy still possesses. So, it was heartbreaking for me to witness over the last maybe 4 months a sudden decline in his ability (not in his DESIRE) to get around.I tried Wuffes supplements (they don't work, BTW.....not for us), and ironically, it seems they almost ACCELERATED his inability to be mobile. But - DANG....SERIOUSLY - this dog rises painfully like Lazarus in desperate attempts to follow me, true to his long-standing abandonment issues.Desperate to help him stay mobile enough to at least still accompany me outside for toileting purposes, and to keep his legs in motion ("motion is lotion [for the joints]"), and after reviewing more costly wheelchair options, I ultimately decided on this rear support wheelchair.1.) HOW EASY IS IT TO PUT TOGETHER? It wasn't so bad after watching the online video instructions AND reading the instructions manual. I DO very much wish the pictures in the manual were a good bit larger (maybe they could do a picture-in-picture - type thing, where there is an overall picture of an assembly step, and a smaller picture of a CLOSEUP of the assembly); basically, some of the pictures were way too small to see, but the video made up for what the assembly book lacked, and vice-versa.******BIGGEST ISSUE ENCOUNTERED WITH THE ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS: In NEITHER the book NOR in the video do they mention how to stop the LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE ARMS from sliding up and down loosely in the LEFT AND RIGHT WHEEL CONNECTORS once the entire wheelchair is otherwise assembled. This is, like.....THEEEEEEE most important step, because if it is not tightened, the entire rear wheel assembly (the WHOLE THING!!!) slips right off of the LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE ARMS, and falls to the ground if you try to lift the wheelchair by the UPPER REAR CROSSBAR.SOLUTION: I called customer support to find out how to secure the position of the RIGHT AND LEFT SIDE ARMS. "Helen" was SUPER helpful: she sent an email to me right away with picture diagrams to show me that there are two TINNNNNYYYY LIIIIIIIITTLE screws on each of the two WHEEL CONNECTORS (AKA, the rectangular shaped blocks attached to the SIDE ARMS). *THIIIIIIS is the reason you are given a smaller Allen key/wrench, but this is not explained in the book nor in the video!!! Once you assemble the wheelchair, and determine how high of a setting you need the rear support to be (specific to your dog's back leg lengths), you can lock each WHEEL CONNECTOR into their desired height positions on the left and right side arms by using the SMALL ALLEN KEY to tighten the two tiny little screws on each of the WHEEL CONNECTORS. (You should also tighten the two tiny little screws on each of the two UPPER CROSSBAR CONNECTORS, as well; this will prevent the UPPER REAR CROSSBAR from sliding up and down anytime you grab onto it to move the wheelchair.)*UPDATE (after 2 months of use following this tightening of screws): This tightening of the screws only works for a short period of time. Even though the "grip" held at first, the tiny screws have since slipped up the side arms, causing a physical groove up the arms where these screws were TRYING to support the weight of my doggie. *Pictured: See close up of wheel >>>My husband ended up drilling straight through the REAR WHEEL CONNECTORS, and put a physical bolt through the entire SIDE ARM and through the WHEEL CONNECTOR to keep the SIDE ARM from sliding down under the weight of my pup. Sadly, the two little screws being tightened to their maximum still was not enough to support his weight.HOW EASY WAS IT TO GET MAX INTO THE WHEELCHAIR ONCE ASSEMBLED?I give lots of credit to a combination of a few things that aided my ability to do this ALONE. I positioned the wheelchair with it backed up against a wall, side arms down on the ground, SPORTS HARNESS already attached to the wheelchair frame. I had Max standing on carpet (for traction so his front paws didn't slide out from under him). I held onto Max and supported his weight in his VERY trusty harness I'd used for a year prior to getting the wheelchair. (I recommend VERY highly the "COODEO Dog Lift Harness, Pet Support & Rehabilitation Sling Lift"). Using his two handles on his harness, I backed Max into the downed wheelchair that was backed against the wall. I held onto the front handle of his harness while lifting both back legs over and into the SPORTS HARNESS STRAPS. I then lifted the entire front end of the wheelchair up to meet the two buckles on either side of Max, and clipped each of the two buckles that are one-each on the sides of the front shoulders. VOILA!!!The design of this wheelchair is honestly pretty PERFECT, for the most part, just the way it is. It works VERY well, even though my SPECIFIC experience isn't the greatest. Max has demonstrated near-immediate use of the wheelchair, but is stubborn AH. Only when I have treats ready aplenty will he READILY follow me home, and ONLY if I am headed in the direction of the house. BE PATIENT! USE LOTS OF POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT! HAVE PLENTY OF TINY TASTY TREATS IN YOUR POCKET, AND REWARD YOUR DOG EVERY 12 FEET OR SO UNTIL HE GETS THE HANG OF IT. Max has demonstrated near-seamless use of the wheelchair a few times (we've only just started using it this week), but he can be a real "butt" sometimes, too.....which is why I love that grumpy old man enough to get him a wheelchair. He reminds me of ME. XD WHAT IMPROVEMENTS COULD BE MADE TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE WHEELCHAIR ITSELF? Plastic parts are great until they AREN'T. TBH, I feel the DESIGN of the wheelchair (especially being one of the most affordable ones you can find on the market) is great and works as intended (INCLUUUUDING giving the dog opportunity to void his bodily contents while strapped into the wheelchair; Max can easily pee, and has demonstrated the ability [not willingness] to do #2.) But the plastic FEMALE/MALE CLIPS at the front of the harness, and the O-CONNECTOR CLAMPS on the harness itself are NOT STRONG ENOUGH. I'd like to see a metal version of each of these parts, as the O-CONNECTOR CLAMP is already compromised in less than a week's use; the narrowing of the opening that is supposed to "click" into place once it's slid onto the SIDE ARM BOLT is already chipped. Therefore, it will already no longer "click" into position, and it slips off of the SIDE ARM BOLT - sometimes while Max is already suspended in the sports harness. These need to be made of METAL. As mentioned before, the MALE/FEMALE HARNESS BUCKLES that are positioned on either side of the dog's front shoulders (that strap the rear support to the front harness around your dog's neck/chest area) tend to DISCONNECT RANDOMLY/UNEXPECTEDLY at times. The quick fix is to keep an eye out that this might happen, and to hurriedly re-attach it, making sure the buckles on either front shoulder are securely snapped into place. Again, another part I think should be made of something more durable than plastic, or perhaps be made with a much more durable grade of plastic.HOW ABOUT THEM WHEELS? I thought I'd much have preferred the air tires over the foam ones, but TBH, I REALLY REALLY LIKE THE HARD FOAM TIRES! I love that they DON'T "give". I feel the hardness of the foam tires decrease the amount of weight of the tire, AND - because it's not "giving", there is much less friction for your dog to overcome. Aired tires would require, IMO, more upper body strength to pull over any surface. The only way I could see the air tires to be more useful is if there is risk of rocky terrain that could break chunks of foam tires off. The last thing I like most about the wheels is that they are slightly canted; the tops of the wheels are each at an angle to the ground's surface, which has already proven wonderful in that the tires to DRRRRAAAAAAAAAGGG across the entire walls of your home. The tires, in fact, don't touch the walls of your home AT ALL because of this. Only the bottom of the wheel, where the stance of the wheel is widest as it touches the ground, touches the baseboards. This = no having to repaint the walls when Max drives like he's had too much Boonesfarm or MadDog 20/20.WOULD I RECOMMEND THIS OVERALL???? YES. I sure as heck would. I knew this would be tough: my dog is going on 15 years old. He's a Lab. He should have been dead by now (poor guy). He has good days and he has bad days, but this has eased the burden of my having to basically FULLY carry him using the "COODEO Dog Lift Harness, Pet Support & Rehabilitation Sling Lift" upon which I'd become almost fully dependent the last few months before I received this wheelchair. It was too hard on my body to lift this doggie everywhere he needed to go. I don't always get great results when I use the wheelchair, but because Max has demonstrated his ability to use it effortlessly on his good days, I would say this is a great product.JUST BE PATIENT WITH YOUR DOGGIE, AND GIVE HIM TIME TO BUILD THE STRENGTH IN HIS UPPER BODY, AND THE TIME TO ADJUST TO HOW TO USE IT.

Maybe it was just my dog but it did not work well at all so returned

Unfortunately, we decided to try a used wheelchair to save some money and make sure the size was right for our big Golden (97lbs).The wheelchair that arrived didn't have very clear instructions, some of the bars were the wrong size and all of it was thrown in a box without any bags or separation for the screws and all the various straps etc. It was a mess.Thankfully there was no problem returning it. Quality wise this chair is very clunky, poor welds along the seams and the wheels are NOT what is shown in the pictures.

This is a well-made, sturdy but light device. The instructions could have been a bit clearer. It was the right size for our Lab/GSD mix (Large wheelchair); you just have to adjust while assembling to fit your exact dog. Took a while for the dog to get the hang of it, but was great to see him supported and moving again. Honestly wish we’d bought it as soon as he started losing mobility from his arthritis/hip dysplasia.

Worked well once adjusted to fit dog properly. Well worth buying

Nothing wrong just the wrong size it didn’t come a size smaller

Bought at reduced price (like new). Missing nuts for wheel assembly rendering it useless. Torn stitching on straps...repaired with zip ties. Torn stitching on rear support (where all weight will be). Stripped set screws and lock nut., wheels are plastic and there is no air valve like pictured. There appears to be blood on frame assembly...totally unacceptable ! Overall we could not assemble this product do to missing and or damaged parts and will be returning asap. Shipping label printed !

This wheelchair has made such a difference to my elderly dog American bulldog who suffers from degenerative myelopathy. She still has some mobility in her back legs but falls over repeatedly if walking outside unaided. Mobility in her front legs is still good so use the stirrups to keep her back legs off the ground.Thought we might have some issues getting her used to it but she took to it from day one. I think she loves the fact that she can get around faster and even started chasing birds again 😂. Also easier for her to do the toilet, unaided she struggles and more often than not she does the toilet then falls on to it. With the wheelchair there are no issues and we no longer have to clean her up after each walk.It takes seconds to get the dog in and out of this Having the bigger wheels means it is less likely to capsize although you do need to be careful on uneven, hilly grassed areas.A wee bit fiddly to put together but there is a helpful video on YouTube.I have no hesitation recommending this - money well spent!