treadmill running dog

[maggiemay]

I am not always capable of giving maggie the exercise she needs. Also my sister is really lazy and her puppy is rambunctious so i have looking into an easier way to exercise them on a regular basis.
So i have been looking into treadmills. I wasnt sure how many other people exercise their dogs this way. I was going to get a treadmill specifically made for canines but the people ones are more in my budget. i know that they can be trained to really enjoy running on a treadmill (always supervised of course) but for how long should they be running. they are both pretty high energy i know that maggie can run at top speed for like an hour. well when playing with other dogs of course
Just curious what everyone feels about it and if anyone else has done it how it worked out for them.
Well more i guess in the summer it is easier for me to run with my dog but in the winter here i just cant do it all of the time. besides no on shovels their sidewalks where there even are some and running in the road gets salt on my little babys feet. well the other day we went walking and we barely made it around two blocks before she started holding up her feet... funny thing is we played in the snow for an hour the other day and she didnt do that... i guess i was the melted snow and water.
So that is why i am turning to the treadmill. lol

[luckypenny]

Personally, I really don't like the idea . First, I don't think any dog should be on one for more than 5-10 minutes at a time. It takes a lot of concentration for a dog to run something like a treadmill. Just having a dog walk at a perfect heel for more than 10 minutes is expecting a little too much IMO.

For the price of a treadmill, why not just hire a dog walker a couple of times a week. If the dogs don't enjoy their walks too much, he/she can perhaps play with them in the yard if you don't have the time?

Exercise is really important for dogs but there are other things you can do with them to help expend all their energy as well. Training, games like hide and seek, eating their meals out of tightly packed Kongs, etc.

The treadmill idea just sounds so unnatural .

[TeriM]

I don't think I'd really be a fan of this either. I like the dog walker idea or perhaps even a few days of dog daycare each week? If your dog has problems with the salt then definately consider investing in some good quality booties which should eliminate the problem. Do you have a local field or somewhere that you can take one of those "chuck-its" and do some good full throttle ball chasing? I find that on days I don't have time for a full run/walk I can get away with a 20 min session with the ball chucker.

Good luck.

[rainbow]

I agree with everything Luckypenny and Teri said.

[maggiemay]

Thanks for the replies but a 20 min ball throwing session just doesnt cut it for maggie. She has quite a bit of energy. And while she doesn't have any destructive behaviors or anything i can tell that she wants to burn some energy.
Oh and we don't have dog walkers in my little city i don't believe. i have never seen a dog walker even in real life... kinda strange?

I guess i will think about it a little bit longer. But i know there are some professionals that recommend giving a dog a few runs on a treadmill a day... because there is no way i can give her all the exercise she needs.

[CearaQC]

http://www.petsit.com/

Check that site to see what services might be offered in your area.

Would take a lot of training to run a dog on a treadmill but it can be done.

Lots of videos on YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/results?searc...&search=Search

Not a big fan of the idea personally. Treadmill seems kinda boring, and that's why they install TVs on the ones at gyms! Even a 3D environment is better than just going through the motions.

I don't mean to sound judgmental or mean, but while not every person is active, one should not choose a high energy dog as a pet if one has a tendency to be lazy.

[jessi76]

I totally agree w/ luckypenny.... training and thinking games can burn just as much energy as running/walking or throwing a ball.

a game of hide/seek while working on commands does just as much for my dog as a walk. I take a toy, put dog in a sit/stay, let him sniff the toy, ask for a WAIT, then hide the toy somewhere in the house - then I give the release, and he's off and running to find it. the reward is finding it and having some playtime w/ the toy, then we start again. I incorporate training into the game to refresh his skills, remind him to listen, and have fun at the same time. I do this game ALOT while doing other things, i.e. to keep the dog entertained while I cook dinner, do laundry, vaccuum, etc... multi-tasking!

[Kristin7]

I know dogs can be trained to do this, but I find treadmill running extremely boring, so I doubt all dogs would go for this. I do understand what you mean about running with the dog in winter though. Where I live it is not at all safe to do this because of the ice, salt and early darkness. I don't even do it alone much less with my dog for fear of falling on ice. When the weather is ok, I could do it on the weekends, but not during the week. My dog luckily is not very high energy, though. However, I do bring him to a doggie daycare place once a week so he can wear himself out playing with other dogs. He loves it!! Can your dog and your sister's dog play together? Or you could look for a daycare place in your area. They are becoming more and more popular. Except for the cost involved ($20/visit), I've found it to be mostly positive. They even noticed a couple weeks ago my dog was peeing blood and caught it earlier than I would have.

I just noticed you are in Indiana - so am I... if you are interested, PM me where you live, i might be able to recommend a place to go, if we are in the same city.

[pitgrrl]

I know plenty of people with dogs who love running on the treadmill, will even get on it themselves. The average times I've heard though are only a few minutes, not an hour regardless of how long your dog might play when in the company of other dogs. I would also be hesitant to put too young a dog on a treadmill.

That said, I think it would be being misused if the dog was not also getting out into the world on a regular basis. It's not, after all, a replacement for varied activity (mental and physical) and socialization, but seems like a great way to burn energy when it's -25C outside.

[JanM]

I vote thumbs down for a treadmill for dogs - IMO the dog would get totally bored very quickly and, while they could be trained to use them, I think the possibility of injury is too high. A dog walker would be the best way to go.

[Ford Girl]

I personally am buying a treadmill and plan on training Dazy to use it too. But definitly not as her main source of activity! The one I am buying has a wider belt so we can both fit on it together. My plan is to walk before work, and right now it's still pitch black out, and I don't feel safe walking in the dark, morning or night, so if I am jumping on in the am, I don't think it's a bad thing for both of us to walk together, of course she would get much less time then me. And once it's light out in the am, we will be outside rather then inside on a treadmill.

I don't plan on placing her on it while I watch TV or anything, but I would like to train her to walk with me. If it doesn't go well to begin with, I won't force the issue. It won't be a substitue for dog parks, play dates, leash walking and training. I think that's the main part of people disagreeing with it, some people would easily place their dog on it and think all their responsibilities are gone, dogs still need to "migrate", socialize, be challanged and run free!

The other posters are right, mind games and training activities are just as exhausting!

PS - I don't run, so it would be quick walking.

[les]

I'm for them - - again in my opinion they should be used as extra exercise not to take the place of walking, training etc.

I don't think I would use it to make the dog run full out .. more like fast paced walking! I think it's so neat when Ceasar gets them walking on treadmills on Dog Whisperer.

I'm sure people remember the thing with Ceasar and the producers dog and what allegedly happened:

http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/...hisperer_x.htm

from wikipedia:
"On May 5, 2006, Flody Suarez, a television producer for the TV series 8 Simple Rules, filed a lawsuit against Millan, claiming that his Labrador retriever had been seriously injured while at Millan's training facility during an exercise routine on a treadmill.[7] National Geographic released a statement that Millan was not present at the facility at the time of the alleged incident. Millan has also claimed that Suarez's personal dog trainer was with the dog, Gator, while it was at the Dog Psychology Center and that he did not charge for use of the facilities. He allowed the trainer to bring Gator to the center as a favor. The hearing was cancelled, since a settlement (the terms of which were not made public) was reached on March 29, 2007."


I wouldn't put my dog in a choke chain on it and I wouldn't leave them unsupervised but I think an active dog would probably enjoy it.

[maggiemay]

I definately dont intend on the treadmill replacing what i already do with her. I guess i will check on doggie daycare in my area for little weekend getaway. I am not sure as i live in a little city there isnt much around. I have been wanting to get her into more training and hopefully some agility. But i have to wait for the spring session to start.
That article about cesar was crazy cause i know that he always promotes the treadmill running and i really admire his training methods. hmm thats kinda scary.
I dont think that maggie would like a treadmill when i think about it more... she is a skeptical dog. but i wouldnt mind a treadmill though for little more exercise.

[allymack]

i think tredmills are great means of exercise for dogs, but only in small amounts, maybe alight jog, if i had one i would definately use it for enzo to burn off extra energy because he loooooves to walk and he is usually at a light to medium jog when i walk with him. Dont force your dog to go on it go at it really slowly with lots of treats and praise and when you are starting out you might want to pretend to walk next to her on it just to get her used to it, or, like fordgirl actaully get on the tredmill with her. also if your looking for a dog walker try a kid, maybe someone who is 15 or older and can control the dog, one of my good friends used to pay a 15 year old ($10 a day)to come and walk the dog for an hour or so and maybe a few minutes of play. i mean what teenager isnt looking around for a job thats not too hard and make a little money while at it. hope this helps

[zztopp]

I personally wouldn't use one. I would be too worried about the dogs joints -- especially for the puppy. When our dogs are loose (on the farm) they can run as much or as little as they want -- thats how I prefer to excercise them ... so that they can moniter their own level of energy.

Who says you need a pro dog walker?? Got any neighbourhood kids around -- its as good as a paper route

And I have to agree as previously mentioned, part of buying a high energy dog is the responsibility of excercising them to their fullest needs ... nuff said!

With our JRT, we let him play vigiorously with a chew toy during the day, which seems to expel some of that energy.

-- zztopp