How to Train Your Dog to Use a Treadmill
Introduction
Your dog was designed to run. His wild cousins travel in packs for miles each day in search of prey, to defend their territory, or looking for resources such as water. Unfortunately, your apartment or house does not provide your dog with this opportunity, and that is where problems can start. Dogs need physical activity, and if they don't get it they can develop all kinds of physical, emotional, and mental issues. Ask any veterinarian and they will tell you that obesity in pets is a major problem and responsible for a large number of health problems in our, pets including premature death. When we keep our pets in a restricted environment, such as indoors, the opportunities for natural activity are greatly diminished. Ideally, dogs should be walked long distances each day, but time and environmental restrictions sometimes limit our ability to provide this much-needed activity to our canine companions. One solution is to teach your dog to use a treadmill to get the exercise he needs indoors, when you don't have the ability or time to take him on a long walk each day.
Defining Tasks
You can teach your dog to use a treadmill to get the daily exercise and activity he needs, to burn off extra energy, improve his physical condition, and stimulate him mentally when you are unable to provide outdoor exercise. As pet owners, sometimes we are not able to take our dogs on the long walks they require daily, due to illness, weather, or time constraints. A motorized treadmill can provide a solution, however, you will need to train your dog to safely use the treadmill. Because treadmills make noise and the movement can be confusing to the dog at first, you will need to train your dog not to be startled or afraid of the treadmill and how to use it safely and calmly, not jumping off, balking, or bolting when the treadmills starts up. Most dogs do a steady trot while on the treadmill, a gait that is natural to them in the wild. You will need to watch your dog closely at all times while on the treadmill to make sure he does not get tangled up or injured: never leave a dog unsupervised on a treadmill. Also, you will need to closely monitor his activity so as not to over-exercise your dog, or cause him unnecessary strain. Avoid working puppies or very young dogs on a treadmill, as they do not always have the coordination necessary to work effectively on a treadmill and can become injured if they stumble. Large dogs, especially, should wait until they are mature to work on a treadmill as they can strain their joints if overworked and are more prone to injury on a treadmill. Remember, your dog doesn't have control of the speed and duration of activity when he is on the treadmill-- watch for signs of fatigue and keep exercise appropriate.
Getting Started
You will need an appropriately sized treadmill for your dog. You can use a regular treadmill for most dogs, although large dogs may need a treadmill especially designed for large dogs. Specialized dog treadmills are available commercially and often have side panels to help direct your dog to stay on the treadmill and a feed dish at the front to reward your dog. Make sure you have a treadmill in good working order, with no loose or broken parts, and that is an appropriate size for your dog to work, given his natural stride. Determine what duration and speed is appropriate for your dog prior to getting started, and work up to that slowly. You should have treats available to help reward your dog for learning to use the treadmill, and you may use a leash but never tie your dog to the treadmill, as this can pose a serious safety issue. Never force your dog onto the treadmill, as this can create fear. It is also better to make sure the treadmill is facing away from the wall, so your dog does not feel that he is about to run into the wall, and to gives you better access to the treadmill from all sides to encourage and reward your dog.
The Acclimatize Method
The Practice Slow Method
The Capture with Clicker Method
Written by Laurie Haggart
Published: 10/20/2017, edited: 01/08/2021
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Success Stories and Training Questions
Training Questions and Answers
Kenzie
I'm a full-time student and don't always have time to take as long as Kenzie needs to get out all her energy, she is a herding breed so she needs a lot of running to wear her out. We do play a couple of times every day but I find it just isn't enough so I want to teach her to walk/run on the treadmill for when I can't take her for a run outside. She is ok with the treadmill when it is off and none of the humans are near it or looking at it but as soon as we approach it she gets scared. I got her to come close for a little bit and I think I pushed a little too fast and now she doesn't like being in the room if we get near the treadmill. I'm not sure how to get past this fear now since she doesn't trust anyone that's around it. She is very food motivated but even treats aren't enough to get her near it. If anyone has any advice on how to work past this fear, maybe feeding her meals near/on it(?), I would appreciate it as I'm at a loss now.
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Hello Kathleen, If she is willing to eat her meals in the same room as the treadmill, I recommend simply feeing her in the same room. As she becomes relaxed while in the same room as the treadmill with it off, slowly move her food closer to it, one foot at a time over the next couple of weeks, until the food is being placed on the treadmill. When she can handle the food being placed on the treadmill, turn the treadmill on the slowest setting, and heel her in and out of the room with excited happy energy and treat rewards - you want her focusing on you and not the treadmill. Practice this regularly until you can tell by her body language she is happy about this game and not minding the treadmill. As she improves make your route very gradually closer and closer to the slow moving treadmill, until you can pass right by it. Keep your energy happy like this is a fun party! Your confidence and excitement can help her feel more confident too. Watch for her being relaxed before you decrease distance again. Finally, when she can walk right past the treadmill without worrying, walk her over it if you one that's open at the front. After that, walk her onto the treadmill on leash and help him walk like the video below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5voP4htw6O8 Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
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Hello,
So Ace has no issue getting on and walking in the treadmill...however jumps off constantly after about a minute or so. I'm trying to encourage his duration of time on the equipment for cold winter days where getting out for longer stretches will be more difficult. Please help me help him increase his time.
942 Dog owners recommended
Hello Brittany, I recommend arranging the treadmill with one side against a wall, and the other side blocked off with something harmless, like a kid's tunnel shoot - mimicking the sides of a dog treadmill like the one below. https://www.amazon.com/dogPACER-3-1-Dog-Pacer-Treadmill/dp/B007Z59K6I Second, start practicing with pup on a leash if you aren't already, so that you can help guide them. Use treats to reward staying on - choosing something that's very easy to eat, like small freeze dried liver or even a lick of peanut butter or liver paste. Increase time gradually, add just one more minute at a time over the course of the month - rewarding pup every thirty seconds at first - then every minute, then every five minutes, ect... To slowly stretch it out, until the walk itself becomes the reward when you have worked up to 30 minutes in a couple months. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
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My dog Harper is an amazingly obedient dog-but i want to exercise her more due to her being overweight. i don’t want to over exercise her though, because she only has three legs. i just need someone else’s opinion while i slowly get her comfortable around the treadmill and standing on it before i start having her walk on it. but yeah, someone else’s input would be amazing with this! she’s really hyper too btw lol
942 Dog owners recommended
Hello Olivia, I would treat the treadmill like you would a walk outside, as far as her endurance goes. Start with just a few minutes on the treadmill to get to comfortable with walking on it first, keeping the elevation low. Just like any exercise, increase the time gradually as she improves and gains muscle slowly. Pay attention to pup's body language, like panting and whether she seems sore at the end of the day, to gauge her tiredness and stop before she seems too over-exerted. When in doubt, consult your vet since they will know her limits and history. I am not a vet. Many three legged dogs do keep up well physically as long as they can maintain balance okay with what they are doing and are not over-working the leg they put more weight on- keep an eye on that and consult your vet about that. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
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We are trying to train Rene to use the treadmill. She will play on and around it, interact with it, eat treats with it, get on with us, etc. but not if the motor is running. Then it's "exit, stage left" and there isn't a way to wall off the sides and prevent her jumping. Plus when you restrict her choices she goes into stress very quickly. If she feels like she isn't able to have any control, she balks completely. I've tried tying bacon above the moving track, she gave up on it eventually. I tried walking with food in my hand and she would rather give up the treat than put her naked little foot on that moving sandpaper track. I will start trying to teach her to stay put till commanded to get off, on the non-moving treadmill, as that seems like something, but can you give me any other tips on how to bridge that "scared of scratching my naked skin" fear of the moving treadmill? I cannot replace it with carpet, sadly. It wouldn't fit the machine.
942 Dog owners recommended
Hello, If the feel of the treadmill seems to be the issue, I suggest getting her used to wearing doggie hiking boots. Check out Ruffwear.com and their selection of boots - there are less expensive brands but that quality and design is an example of what you are looking for something along the lines of. Get her used to wearing the boots using treats to reward her for letting you touch her feet, then put on the boots, then to reward her periodically while she is walking around in them - expect her to walk funny and bite at them some at first. That's normal. Let her wear them long enough to adjust to the feel of them - distracting her with treats and toys when she starts to bother the boots. When she is completely used to the boots, then work on walking on the treadmill with the boots on. Second, I would work on getting her used to walking onto a non-moving treadmill with some barriers on the sides. Create some barriers on either side of the treadmill, even if that looks like propping up a couple of pieces of cardboard on both sides. At first, just get her used to walking onto a treadmill with the sides enclosed. You can even leave the treadmill where she can access it when you are not right there - and encourage her to get onto it on her own by leaving treats sprinkled on it for her to find. Replace the treats often - until she is regularly walking onto the treadmill on her own to look for treats. Next, work on teaching her to simply stand-stay on the treadmill without rushing off and rewarding her for staying on it. So work on her walking onto it with the sides enclosed, then standing on it without rushing off. Once she can stay on the treadmill, check out the video linked below on adding movement. Pay attention to how he has it set up with the sides, chair, and harness and bungee. Notice he starts it off on the absolute slowest setting and rewards pup with treats for walking. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nd-9mfdSmdk Expect a little freaking out for the first minute she is walking. Keep things as calm as possible and see if you can work her through it by letting her continue walking on it and having a chance to adjust to it, instead of instantly getting off - how to respond her will depend a lot on her response. If she is isn't adjusting quickly, give her just a couple of minutes to work through the treadmill and calm down a bit, then end that session if it was hard for her. Practice this at that low level for as many days in a row as it takes for her to gain confidence on the treadmill. Pay attention to whether she will eat food while on it - if she will, that's a good sign that she isn't too stressed. Once pup is feeling confident on the lowest setting, very slowly increase the speed setting, waiting until she relaxes at the current setting before increasing it again. Eventually you are looking to work up to the setting that she seems to be able to walk at a normal looking gait - like what she would do while on a walk. That gait will ultimately be the most comfortable speed to walk at - instead of too fast or awkwardly slow - like you will need to do at first. If she seems to be regressing, I would pause the training and hire a trainer who is experienced teaching this to help you. Be sure to ask the trainer about their experience in this area - not all trainers have done this before. Finding a trainer who specializes in behavior issues and offers private training is more likely to have done this before. Here is another example of a more stressed dog being worked through the treadmill - there are multiple ways to teach this depending on the dog you are working with. The method I have suggest above first, is a gentler, slower method that I suggest trying first with your pup. The below method is still pretty gentle but puts the dog under a little more temporary stress (not that much though), but helps the dog adjust quicker for a dog who can't be coaxed on with treats - the most important part of this is to keep doing this really often with the dog. Because the dog might not leave the treadmill loving it after the first session, you need to persevere and practice this daily to get the dog over the initial hump of being worried about the treadmill - once the dog gets used to the treadmill, then the actual act of walking while on the treadmill becomes rewarding due to chemicals released in the brain while exercising - this takes some perseverance with the training to get to that point though and requires a bit more firmness. Notice the side rails on this treadmill too - the dog could still jump over them, but they create a visual barrier to discourage hopping on and off as frequently. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqtqEbOilfs Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
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