Exercising Your Dog on a Treadmill

With the cooler weather and shorter days approaching, opportunities to get our dogs out and about seem to be quickly fading.  Even with the shorter days and cooler weather, our dogs still need plenty of exercise in order to stay healthy, release pent up energy, and have fun!

Nothing replaces an old fashioned walk or jog with you, but teaching your dog to run, walk, or jog on a treadmill is a great way to exercise your dog.  Below are some very basic points to consider when teaching your dog to exercise on a treadmill.

• Consult an experienced trainer if you are not confident in what you are doing.  Mistakes on our part can often make a simple task like treadmill training become a very stressful and daunting task for your dog.
• Consult with your veterinarian to ensure that treadmill training is appropriate for your dog.
• The dog first has to become familiar with the treadmill before running on it.  This may involve having your dog on and near the treadmill for some time before it is even turned on and moving.
• Use solid obedience, your body, and whatever else works for your dog, to guide him on the treadmill and have him become comfortable with it’s movement.
• Start in small steps, both in speed and time; make sure your dog is ready for increased speeds and distances.
• Never leave your dog unattended while on a treadmill.  Supervision is key to everything that our dogs do, this is no exception.

If you are patient with your treadmill intro, you should have your dog up and running in no time!

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