Treadmill Training for Dogs

Occaisionally, on our blog, we like to write brief editorials on new dog training tips and topics. Today, I want to talk briefly about treadmill training for dogs. Treadmill training is one of the newest fads made popular by The Dog Whisperer, Cesar Millan. I was a skeptic for quite sometime. I felt like dogs would benefit from excercise outdoors and treadmill work would be boring and was for the lazy dog owners. Then I got Cyrrah...

Cyrrah is a 1 year old purebred Belgian Malinois who came to live with us when she was 12 weeks old. From the instant we got her, one thing was apparent...she was absolutely insane. Amongst dog trainers, she is called a "High Drive" dog (and believe it or not, we look for dogs like this...loooong story). This means that she has endless energy and is a little off her rocker compared to most dogs. Cyrrah's typical day is this - when she first wakes up, she runs in the yard, playing with her sister non stop for about an hour, then she accompanies me to work at the doggy daycare where she plays with her friend Rupert...again...nonstop. Somewhere in the middle of the play session, I take her aside and we do about an hours worth of training. Then its back to playing. After work, we will typically take a brisk 6 mile walk together at the lake. Then we do about an hour of fun training exercises around the yard or at a park, she rests (only because I make her), eats her dinner and then another play session with her sister before bed. Twice a week, we travel to Oceanside for 4 hour training sessions with a club we work with. So as you can see, she has no shortage of excercise. The average dog would have collapsed half way through the course of the day...but not Cyrrah. By the end of the day, Cyrrah still has energy to burn.

Enter the treadmill...

After a lot of consideration, I invested in a treadmill. Physically, I am not able to run her as fast as she would like and with my schedule, adding more exercise than she already gets is near impossible. So I decided to give the treadmill a shot. Since implementing it only a week ago, it has been the best thing I have done for her and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking to supplement their dog's exercise routine.

For those interested in implementing treadmill work, any treadmill will do. You don't have to invest $1500 in a treadmill made specifically for dogs. In all honesty, we bought ours off of Craigslist for $100! Just remember, the treadmill is not meant to replace your dog's excercise. Walks, jogs, hikes and playtime should still be at the forefront of your dog's schedule. But if you want to add some extra work to ensure a tired and happy pup, I am all for the treadmill.

A couple of cautionary notes about treadmill training:

* NEVER tie your dog to the treadmill - it can cause serious injury

* NEVER leave your dog on the treadmill unattended - I use the treadmill as a bonding experience between me and my dog and I recommend doing the same - the treadmill is not a tool that will allow you to exercise your dog while you get your housework done

* NEVER let your dog exit to the side of the treadmill - rather make them exit off of the front of the treadmill when the treadmill is stopped

* Introduce the treadmill slowly and with heavy praise for a job well done

* Allow your dog to use the bathroom before using the treadmill and NEVER feed your dog within an hour before or after treadmill work

* ALWAYS give your dog a proper warm up by taking them for a quick 5 minute walk prior to treadmill work

* ALWAYS give your dog a proper cool down, allowing the dog to walk for 5 minutes following treadmill work to ensure no muscle cramps

To introduce the treadmill, first put your dog in a comfortable harness. Then lure your dog onto the treadmill (while its off) with a treat or favorite toy. Let them stand there for a moment, then tell them ok and guide them off the front of the treadmill. Follow by a play session and heavy praise. Repeat, increasing the duration of time spent on the treadmill, remembering to always praise while the dog is on the machine.

Once your dog is comfortable standing on the treadmill, you can start it moving slowly. Use the harness to hold the dog on the treadmill as their first response will likely be to dive off. Constantly praise your dog while the treadmill is moving. Give a "Whoa" command, slow the treadmill down, and allow your dog to exit off the front. Follow by heavy praise and a play session. Your dog's first time on the treadmill should last no longer than 30 seconds at a slow rate of speed. Each session, increase the time on the treadmill by approximately 30 seconds and slowly increase the speed until you get to a good maintenance point. A good maintenance point for most dogs is 20 minutes at 3mph. Every dog is different however, so be sure to gauge your dog's stamina and allow him or her to exercise accordingly.

Once your dog gets used to the work, he or she will likely ask to run on the treadmill. For Cyrrah, now whenever she comes out of her crate, she immediately runs over to the treadmill, sits on it and waits for the fun to start. Cyrrah still gets her walks, training, and playtime but the added exercise has been great for her.