Anyone using a treadmill

[Suzanne & Jack]

I've seen the discussions on using th treadmill to exercise my doodle, and I've got Jack doing it.  My questionb is  - What pace do you set, what incline?  Jack is a big boy, and I'm afraid that if he got really running his stride would be too long.

[HANNAH 8/2/07 & HONEY 7/2/08]

Here is a link to a great article about treadmill training...seen some dogs who enjoy it, but have not tried it yet.

http://www.smalldogsparadise.com/fitness-and-games/dos-and-donts-of...

[Suzanne & Jack]

Thanks

[Robin, dalai, and Parker]

I put Dalai on the treadmill at 1.8 mph. I try to aim for the pace that she likes to walk when on a leash. When she plays, she is more of a sprinter than a distance runner so I keep that in mind when setting the speed. Also she is using my treadmill and she can slip on it. I wonder if there are booties she can wear to prevent her from slipping?

[Azure & Muppet]

I use a treadmill to help exercise my dog. It's no substitute for fresh air and fun, but it helps drain energy! So we use it as a tool to supplement is regular outdoor activity. Our dog is a mini/medium size and our treadmill has a larger belt (20" wide 60" long) so I don't have to worry about the same issue. But I would never run a dog at such a high speed that they were full stride, it would be too dangerous if they slipped or tripped (especially if they're leashed or tied on, which I don't recommend). My dog is smaller, so he walks briskly above 2 MPH, and starts to jog at about 3 MPH. So his warm up is 2-2.5 MPH, and then into an easy jog around 3 MPH for up to 20-30 minutes. Sometimes I raise the incline to give him a different challenge, but if I do this, I make sure to lower the speed to a walking pace if it's on an incline. I don't want him running on a steep incline for safety reasons. And never leave them unattended, always supervise closely. If you do this, you'll be able to make adjustments to the level of intensity based on how your individual dog is responding. When we walk or jog outside, I speed walk at 4 MPH pace, and jog at about 5 MPH pace, for a distance of about 5K/3miles. That's not very far or very fast, and most dogs are able to keep up just fine. But doing it on the ground outside is different than on a treadmill belt inside. So keep that in mind too.

[Suzanne & Jack]

Thanks for the info. Ive just got Jack doing a quick walk and he seems comfortable. Last night he did it without a leash. We usually walk outside or go to the barkpark, but the weather has been really bad. I'm really wanting to get one of my other dogs on it, because he needs more exercise. Unfortunately he is afraid.

[Azure & Muppet]

It's a nice alternative to have when the weather is bad, when it's just too cold or wet to walk and play outside. I started my dog with a leash too, but used it only in the beginning of training at very slow speeds, and always closely supervised. Now he does it without a leash, which I think is safer. I introduced my dog to it starting when he was just a couple months old, so that has made it easier. It will be harder to train an adult dog to use it unfortunately, but I think it's still worth trying. Good luck!

[Donna K & Quincy]

Yeah, I'm using it as a grooming table. lol