Treadmill training....
The weather here is terrible...snow, snow, snow...I refuse to go out in this to walk her and I need her to be tired at night-- Playing fetch in the house is not enough... I have tried to get her on but she keeps jumping off. Has anyone out there trained their dogs to use a treadmill??? |
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| Have you tried treats while she is walking. I don't know how people do it, but I know they do. |
| Oliver walks on an underwater treadmill every week. The main difference in treadmill walking and regular walking is that the treadmill goes at a constant pace, whereas when you take Heart on walks, she probably slows down, stops to sniff, etc. So, walking on a treadmill takes more endurance. I would highly recommend closing off the two sides of the treadmill. My vet said that most dogs tend to lean when they start to get tired. Start slow, and build her up. Give her lots of praise and she'll learn to love it. |
| Ben's been on the treadmill since he was a pup. We actually bought the longest one we could find with him in mind.
The first step is get them used to you walking on it - I always have a crew watching. The next step is to have them sit on the treadmill, with the machine off. These are fairly quick and easy to accomplish. Early training will take two of you to get anything accomplished. We used the leash, never had it tied to anything. We also have a deadman's switch or cord, so it could be stoped immediately. I would stand on the treadmill, with each foot on the edge that doesn't move, straddling Ben. Ben was always facing front before the machine started - though he quickly learned that the three beeps menat the machine was starting. My husband would sit at the front of treadmill, end of the leash in one hand and the deadman's switch in the other. His job was to encourage Ben to walk toward him and to prevent him from going off the back of the machine. My job was to prevent Ben from going to far to either side. There was a lot of stopping in the beginning. Ben gets on by himself now - and hops off when he is tired. I never, ever leave him alone on there with the machine going. The speed has varied over the years. The girls don't care for the treadmill at all. |
| Morgan likes to sit down after about four steps and go shooting off the back - I kid you not he acts like its a carnival ride. Marley will walk for a afew minutes and then start to ook stressed. But, I am verysporadic about using it (for myself too) so they would probably be better if there was some consistency.
I was able to work with them alone on it although my approach was very similar - just no leash. |
| That is a great idea. I have never tried it with Obe but definitely something to look into. |
| kerry wrote:
Quote: Morgan likes to sit down after about four steps and go shooting off the back
EXACTLY what Heart does....only she takes a couple of steps then just stops and goes off the back...She's not scared so I think if I work with her she will GET IT....I saw this on Animal Planet on a couple of shows but they did not explain how to get the dog use to it... |
| My friend who shows Goldens is the one who got me started ten years ago when we got Ben. Molly trains all of her Goldens on the treadmill.
When starting out, the leash is helpful for several reasons. It helps keep them centered on the treadmill, so they aren't too far back or too far to one side. Some dogs don't like going off the back - it can be a major setback. The leash can also, due to the slight pressure of a gentle tug, remind them to keep going. And, at some point, it can keep them from running off the front when you have the speed set too slow. (Ben!) Note that it is never to be tied to the treadmill and never used to pull the dog forward. It is a visual reminder for you where they are on the treadmill and what adjustments you need to make. Ben gets on the treadmill by himself when he hears "treadmill." He sits until he hears the three warning beeps. He self corrects his speed and position on the treadmill. He can jump off if he gets tired. If it wasn't for all the buttons to push to get it started, he could do it all by himslef. 
I still stay right beside the treadmill when he is on it, just in case. |
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