The best treadmill for your dog
Menu
Benefits of using a dog treadmill
We all know that regular exercise is an important part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The same applies to maintaining optimal health in our beloved pets.
However, even the most committed are familiar with the ever rising problems that interfere with even our best intentions.
Those hindrances can come in the form of everything from less than ideal weather, work schedules, and bouts of sickness to restrictions due to environmental or local rules and regulations.
What is one of the best ways to give not only your self but your best the best shot at overcoming all of the excuses that arise from all of these situations? The answer is simple and convenient: a treadmill.
Easier On The Body
There are many benefits to using a dog treadmill. For starters, well built treadmills are designed with shock absorbers that will limit ‘wear and tear’ on your dog’s body.
This can be especially important for any pets with ailments, breeds who are prone to joint problems and especially for those pets who are aging and in need of more gentle physical activity.
Eliminates Excuses
Convenience is a key factor in owning a dog treadmill. No longer will the temptation to skip workouts due to messed up or busy schedules or bad weather be so easy to give in to.
Video: Treadmill 2.0: How To Teach Your Dog To Walk On The Treadmill
With a treadmill in your home, you can easily and consistently upkeep your workout schedule for your beloved pet.
Control
Another benefit to using a treadmill is the control that it gives you over your pet’s workout. Although it is undeniable that exercising outdoors has benefits that cannot be replicated indoors (such as sunshine and fresh air), a treadmill can allow you to more easily monitor such things as consistency and duration of elevated heart rate for optimal calorie burning, and intensity of the workout.
The intensity experience of an outdoor workout can be mostly replicated by switching up speed and incline to give your dog an optimal workout session.
Video: Step By Step Treadmill Dog Training
One of the best ways to provide a balanced conditioning experience for your dog is having them perform what is known as the Extended Trot Gait for the duration of 20 minutes. ]
With a treadmill you can easily track time, mileage and consistent intensity to help your pet achieve the best conditioning experience possible.
A treadmill will also allow you to closely monitor your pet’s fatigue level and easily lessen intensity level when needed. An added benefit to exercising indoors is the elimination of common distractions that interfere with the consistency of a healthy workout.
The unobstructed view of your pet provided to you through the use of a treadmill can also allow you to easily monitor your pet’s stride and gait to watch for any abnormalities.
Leash Training
A dog treadmill can also be a useful tool when training for time on a leash. Some breeds, or individual dogs can be prone to leash aggression.
Just like in people, intense exercise releases endorphins that can combat depression and provide stress relief.
Using the treadmill can allow you to work with your dog on their leash manners and as a result, avoid unfortunate and embarrassing scenarios during outdoor sessions.
What To Look For
When shopping for a treadmill for your dog there are certain important factors to consider. Size, cost, functions and speed are amongst the top most important details to be sure you look into before you buy.
The first thing to remember while shopping is that not all treadmills are designed for all dog sizes.
Some are designed for shorter gaits and have stricter weight limits while others are capable of handling heavier dogs and have longer bases to keep dogs from slipping off the end even when they are in full running stride.
Ensuring that your dog can walk or run naturally on their treadmill helps to prevent possible injury. Also, a smaller treadmill for a small dog can prove to be much less intimidating and can provide a more comfortable and enjoyable experience for your pet.
Many treadmills are also designed to fold up when not in use, allowing better storage options especially for those in tighter living spaces.
Next, decide on how much control and how many options you want for your pet while they exercise.
Options such as incline, resistance and programming distance and speed are useful for recreating, as closely as possible, the outdoor experience.
Also, motorized treadmills (vs dog powered treadmills) are most safely used with a safety collar clip.This option ensures that the treadmill will come to a complete stop if your pet happens to slip or fall off during use.
Dog powered treadmills, on the other hand, work very well for dogs that have high activity levels and need to burn off excess energy. This option allows your dog to set and control its own speed and pace.
Treadmills can be very pricey. They tend to range anywhere from a few hundred dollars all the way up to more than $1,000 depending on size, number of functions, whether it is motorized or dog powered, etc.
Keep this all in mind while choosing a budget for your purchase.
Ready To Start Treading With Your Doggie?
CLICK HERE to see the top rated dog treadmills that we recommend.Want a quick and effective course for teaching your pet all the basics? CLICK HERE to get a $1 trial to Doggy Dan’s training course!