The steps are oK for people, but not dog. We got an ottoman ( see below) at KMart that not only provides storage, but works well for the dog getting up and down from the bed. Strong enough for people as well. We found one that had same cover material as our sofa. It sits up front during the day and we put i next to the bed at night,
http://www.kmart.com/shc/s/p_10151_1...&blockType=G23