The best pet treadmill for dogs isn't worth much if your dog uses it as a haunted dishwasher. We've seen owners come to this realization way too often. They unpack the machine, turn the dial, and never see their dog again as he runs under the sofa. Don't be that person. A low-speed, hypnotic, treat-driven start-up makes a dog treadmill much more attractive.
Create the Environment Prior to Power Reaching The Outlet
Position the treadmill in a nook of the room that you won't turn on a vacuum or press your doorbell. Don't plug it in for a few days. Days.
Have your dog sniff. Stroll around it. Then release a handful of kibbles on the floor near the bottom of the cone, then on the cone itself, then near the belt. You're establishing your reputation as the lady with the big, ugly, thieving beast: this big, ugly, thieving beast means snacks.
Dogs read the room with their noses. It takes time for that weird olfactory device that smells like cardboard, warehouse and plastic wrap to figure out the family scent. Rent an old towel on your dog's bed, then wipe it down the console and side rails. Small trick. Big payoff.
Look underneath as well. A slippery floor under the machine can make everything much more terrifying, so keep it parked on a rubber mat if possible.
Gear You'll Want Close By
Round up your materials in advance of your first class. There's nothing more nerve-wracking for a dog than looking at a trainer who is searching for the required materials.
You'll require a short, firm leash and either a flat collar or a properly fitting harness. Forget the retractable. Pack a handful of special treats that your dog would literally give a kidney to have. Chicken, cut into tiny pieces, is a good option. Cheese is good. Most dry biscuits are not.
A helper is worth a thousand. One taking care of the dog, one taking care of the controls. If you're alone, it's OK but go slower.
Know the location of the emergency stop and practice hitting it. Do it twice. If you drop it, your thumb should already know where to go.
Step One: Four Paws on a Still Belt
When sniffing gets dull, have the dog step onto the still belt. Lure with a treat held low and forward. Reward the first paw. Reward the second. Reward "breathing," really.
Bite-sized sessions. (Two to three minutes is good enough.) Exit while your dog is still eager to learn, not when she has had enough.
If she objects, take a step back. Don't reprimand. A dog who is motivated in the wrong direction – so to speak – takes away only one lesson: the machine is not to be trusted. A terrier owner confided in me that her dog refused to get on the treadmill for nine days – then climbed on by himself as though he'd been waiting for the cue. Dogs work on their own schedule.
Now practice a cue word at the "up" or "trot." It will be used with the belt moving when you run it and you want a word that will keep a rattled brain focused.
Step Two: Introduce the Sound
And then the noise. Put the toy in the console and don't let the belt run. Wait until your dog hears the beeping. Treat. Hit a button and treat. Associate each small electronic sound with something good.
Third is the motor. Choose the lowest speed, turn your back a few feet from the belt with your dog completely off the machine and let her purr. Watch ears and tail. Ears up and wagging = go. Ears back and down = stop. Breathe. Repeat tomorrow.
Some dogs are noise sensitive – the whir of the treadmill can mimic a hive of busy bees. For these puppies, play a recording of the machine noise, turned down low, during mealtimes for a week. Crazy as it sounds. It's effective.
Step Three: The First Slow Steps
Here's the climax! With your dog on your side, turn the belt to lowest speed, almost a slow crawl. Walk along with the unit allowing her to watch the belt move and then cue her on up.
Leash her so it is snug but not tight. If it's tight, she's telling you something's wrong. Walk next to her, not behind, keeping the tone of your voice light, and praise her: "Good girl, looking at you, not going anywhere!"
Have her hop for ten or twenty seconds. Turn the belt off, give her a treat, and let her hop off. Do this two or three times, then call it a day.
If she takes a step, do not freak out. Reset, slow down, and try again. Failing to catch her after a step on a moving belt can cost you weeks, so slow it down and pay close attention.
Growing Without Pressure
Add time first, then speed. Progress from twenty seconds to a minute, then to three. Don't increase the pace until the last second when doing so is tiny, like dimming a light, rather than flicking a switch.
Observe her gait. The trot is smooth and free flowing when she is relaxed. Any hopping, side pulling or eyeing the exit means she's not quite ready to go that fast.
Use the same rule as most trainers would: if she stops sniffing for treats she is stressed. That's food refusal and that is a loud signal. Pay attention to it.
And a word about the weather in her body. Heavy panting, dripping saliva, or falling behind the leather results in a bailout. Keep fresh water handy and stay available to refresh frequently. Breaks are better than heroic marathons.
Errors That Come Out of Nowhere
Owners want to find an easier way. The following are the main offenders.
The biggest no-no: leaving a dog on the machine even for a second. Ever (ever) slip a toenail? Or she'll leap or slip off. Stay with her – every second.
Another no-no: making your bored and/or naughty dog run himself silly on the treadmill. It needs to be a game, not a punishment.
Next, the "one more minute" trap. Your dog is doing well, so you push a little further. She crashes, gets nervous, and your next training session starts back at square one. End on a high note.
And don't forget age and health. Puppies with growing joints, seniors with arthritis, and breeds with short snouts all need a vet's blessing first. A ten-minute chat with the clinic can save you a pricey bill later.
Maintaining the Routine
When she's happy, incorporate the treadmill into your weekly schedule, with gray days, cold mornings and the dog-days of summer all fair game. Throw in a few leash walks on the road to avoid having the treadmill become the sole option.
Give it a good praise-a-thon even after months. And keep the belt clean, as dog hair is great at sniffing out the motor housing.
Some owners will make it a little more ritualistic: a specific toy set aside at the end of the work, a special jar of treats on a middle shelf. Rituals tell a dog what's coming, and predictability is the best anxiety medicine there is. Next thing she knows the plug will click into the socket, and she'll be running over, tail wagging, to nowhere at all.
