Many people who see dogs running on treadmills will immediately question the motivation. In America, we have been conditioned to think that walking your dog around the block every day is enough exercise for them, and while this might be enough to keep them mentally calmer, it is almost never enough physical exercise for a young and healthy dog. This is because the process we use is flawed, by forcing the dog to walk alongside us at our pace. When a dog pulls, it becomes more difficult for us to control them, however they are pulling because the pace of that dog is far faster than they are being allowed to walk. When we walk with our dog at our side, they place more than 80% of their weight on their front paws, and use their rear legs to steer. A result of walking every day on flat surfaces is that the dog builds muscle on the front and the rear end atrophies. This is why dogs will appear skinny on their back end but not on their front, and this allowing their muscles to atrophy is also not allowing their heart and lungs to develop into stronger systems. This is why so many dogs get ailments that dogs in working situations so rarely, when domestic dogs that spend time indoors do less well. The idea is that dogs need to run more than they need to run, yet we tend to run them very little and prefer to walk them every day because it is convenient for us. Running them is more difficult because we would either need to take them to an open space where they can run without a leash, or use a bike to run them alongside us. Very few people are in good enough shape to run their dogs the distances they need to, and do it along side them. As a result of these issues, we find that people make themselves feel better by convincing themselves that walking is enough. Simply put, it isn’t.
Running your dog on a treadmill allows them to run at faster paces than we can provide, and do it for longer periods of time. It also allows them to run in a completely safe environment, which a dog park cannot provide. There are only two types of running happening if your dog is at a dog park, they are either chasing or being chased. This is almost never good, one breeding reactivity and aggression and the other breeding fear. A treadmill allows that dog to work out to their full potential while not having any of the dangers that go along with most running situations. Doing it regularly builds up the dog’s heart and lungs, as well as their back leg muscles because they are pushing off them. If the treadmill is slightly raised in the front it will put even more resistance onto their rear legs, working them out even more. This kind of variable workout is available on a treadmill, but very difficult outside of the controlled environment. Most running in the street or dog [arks is simply fast running until a stopping point, then more fast running. The control of the treadmill allows trainers to improve the heart and lung functions of the dog far more precisely, while also avoiding the leg and joint injuries that come with high intensity running outside.
Treadmills are a modern and scientifically superior method of providing both physical exercise and mental stimulation for your dog. Walk them several times to bond with them and socialize them. Run them to give them the cardiovascular exercise that will lengthen their lives. Run them on treadmills regularly to elevate their workouts to the next level.
